Koçi Bey
Encyclopedia
Koçi Bey was a high-ranking Ottoman
bureaucrat who lived in the first half of the 17th century.
He was an ethnic Albanian
, born in Korçë
in eastern Albania
. Within the scope of the devshirme system, he studied in the Enderun (palace school) in Istanbul
. He was assigned to various posts and became the consultant of two sultans, Murat IV (1623-1640) and İbrahim
(1640-1648). He prepared a series of reports about reforms in the empire. He presented his first report to Murat IV in 1631, and the second to Ibrahim in 1640. In his reports he emphasized that the cause of unrest in the empire was the corruption of the timar
(fief) system. He suggested a smaller and more disciplined army and a more authoritarian leadership.
Towards the end of Ibrahim's reign he retired and returned to Korçë, his home town.
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
bureaucrat who lived in the first half of the 17th century.
He was an ethnic Albanian
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
, born in Korçë
Korçë
Korçë is a city in southeastern Albania and the capital of the Korçë District. It has a population of around 105,000 people , making it the sixth largest city in Albania...
in eastern Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
. Within the scope of the devshirme system, he studied in the Enderun (palace school) in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
. He was assigned to various posts and became the consultant of two sultans, Murat IV (1623-1640) and İbrahim
Ibrahim I
Ibrahim I was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1640 until 1648. He was born in Istanbul the son of Ahmed I by Valide Sultan Kadinefendi Kösem Sultan, an ethnic Greek originally named Anastasia...
(1640-1648). He prepared a series of reports about reforms in the empire. He presented his first report to Murat IV in 1631, and the second to Ibrahim in 1640. In his reports he emphasized that the cause of unrest in the empire was the corruption of the timar
Timar
Timar is a land granted by the Ottoman sultans between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries, with a tax revenue annual value of less than 20 000 akçes. The revenues produced from land acted as compensation for military service. A Timar holder was known as a Timariot...
(fief) system. He suggested a smaller and more disciplined army and a more authoritarian leadership.
Towards the end of Ibrahim's reign he retired and returned to Korçë, his home town.