Silahdar Damat Ali Pasha
Encyclopedia
Silahdar Damat Ali Pasha, also called Silahdar Ali Pasha, (Iznik 1667 - Belgrade 1716) was an Ottoman
Turkish
general and Grand Vizier
.
(ancient Nikaea), near Bursa, Turkey
. His father’s name was Hacı Hüseyin. He was trained in the Enderun palace school in Istanbul
and during the reign of Mustafa II
he was appointed to be the personal secretary of the sultan. In 1709, he was engaged to the daughter of Ahmet III, gaining the title damat (bridegroom) and was appointed as the Second Vizier. On 27 April 1713, he became the Grand Vizier.
Shortly after his appointment, he succeeded in ratifying the Treaty of Pruth with Russia
, thus securing the northern frontiers of the Ottoman Empire at Dnieper River
.
By early 1714, his attention shifted to the Morea
(the Peloponnese
peninsula in southern Greece
), which had been held by the Republic of Venice
since the Morean War
and the 1699 Treaty of Karlowitz
. The Ottomans had never been reconciled to its loss. When the Venetians gave refuge to rebels from Montenegro
in their Dalmatia
n province, and some of their merchants were involved in disputes with Ottoman vessels, the Ottoman Porte ( government) swiftly used this as a pretext to declare war.
The subsequent campaign in 1715, led by Silahdar Ali Pasha himself, was an overwhelming success, as the entire Morea fell quickly and with little bloodshed to the Ottoman army.
However, Habsburg Austria, an ally of Venice, also declared war against the Ottomans. In 1716, Ali Pasha moved to Austrian front where he commended the Ottoman army against an Austrian forces led by Prince Eugene of Savoy at the battle of Petrovaradin
(5 August 1716). During the battle Ali Pasha lost his life. His tomb is in Belgrade
.
After his death he was called Şehit Ali Pasha (martyr).
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...
Turkish
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
general and Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier, in Turkish Vezir-i Azam or Sadr-ı Azam , deriving from the Arabic word vizier , was the greatest minister of the Sultan, with absolute power of attorney and, in principle, dismissable only by the Sultan himself...
.
Early life
He was born in İznikIznik
İznik is a city in Turkey which is primarily known as the site of the First and Second Councils of Nicaea, the first and seventh Ecumenical councils in the early history of the Church, the Nicene Creed, and as the capital city of the Empire of Nicaea...
(ancient Nikaea), near Bursa, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. His father’s name was Hacı Hüseyin. He was trained 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...
and during the reign of Mustafa II
Mustafa II
Mustafa II Ghazi was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1695 to 1703.-Life:...
he was appointed to be the personal secretary of the sultan. In 1709, he was engaged to the daughter of Ahmet III, gaining the title damat (bridegroom) and was appointed as the Second Vizier. On 27 April 1713, he became the Grand Vizier.
Term as Grand Vizier
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, thus securing the northern frontiers of the Ottoman Empire at Dnieper River
Dnieper River
The Dnieper River is one of the major rivers of Europe that flows from Russia, through Belarus and Ukraine, to the Black Sea.The total length is and has a drainage basin of .The river is noted for its dams and hydroelectric stations...
.
By early 1714, his attention shifted to the Morea
Morea
The Morea was the name of the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece during the Middle Ages and the early modern period. It also referred to a Byzantine province in the region, known as the Despotate of Morea.-Origins of the name:...
(the Peloponnese
Peloponnese
The Peloponnese, Peloponnesos or Peloponnesus , is a large peninsula , located in a region of southern Greece, forming the part of the country south of the Gulf of Corinth...
peninsula in southern Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
), which had been held by the Republic of Venice
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
since the Morean War
Morean War
The Morean War is the better known name for the Sixth Ottoman–Venetian War. The war was fought between 1684–1699, as part of the wider conflict known as the "Great Turkish War", between the Republic of Venice and the Ottoman Empire...
and the 1699 Treaty of Karlowitz
Treaty of Karlowitz
The Treaty of Karlowitz was signed on 26 January 1699 in Sremski Karlovci , concluding the Austro-Ottoman War of 1683–1697 in which the Ottoman side had been defeated at the Battle of Zenta...
. The Ottomans had never been reconciled to its loss. When the Venetians gave refuge to rebels from Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
in their Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
n province, and some of their merchants were involved in disputes with Ottoman vessels, the Ottoman Porte ( government) swiftly used this as a pretext to declare war.
The subsequent campaign in 1715, led by Silahdar Ali Pasha himself, was an overwhelming success, as the entire Morea fell quickly and with little bloodshed to the Ottoman army.
However, Habsburg Austria, an ally of Venice, also declared war against the Ottomans. In 1716, Ali Pasha moved to Austrian front where he commended the Ottoman army against an Austrian forces led by Prince Eugene of Savoy at the battle of Petrovaradin
Battle of Petrovaradin
The Battle of Petrovaradin or Battle of Peterwardein was a decisive victory for Austrian forces in the war between Austria and the Ottoman Empire , at Petrovaradin, now part of Novi Sad, Vojvodina, in Serbia.-History:...
(5 August 1716). During the battle Ali Pasha lost his life. His tomb is in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
.
After his death he was called Şehit Ali Pasha (martyr).