Telli Hasan Pasha
Encyclopedia
Telli Hasan Pasha was an Ottoman
beylerbey
of Bosnia who led an invasion of Croatia
during the Ottoman wars in Europe
.
In 1592, Ottoman Sultan
Murad III
ordered a force of approximately twenty-thousand janissaries
to invade Croatia, which was then under the rule of the House of Habsburg, despite the fact that the two realms had signed a nine-year peace treaty in 1590. His goal was to seize the strategically important town of Senj
and its port and to eliminate the Uskoci, Croatian soldiers in the service of the Habsburgs and pirates who had engaged in guerrilla warfare
against the Ottomans. To lead this force, he selected his beylerbey of Bosnia, Telli Hasan Pasha.
Pasha assembled his soldiers and advanced into Croatia. At first, they met little resistance, allowing them to capture numerous Uskoci settlements, where they enslaved or slaughtered the entire population and burned the settlement. His forces soon besieged and captured Senj and exterminated the Uskoci population. For his successes, Pasha was awarded the title of "Vizier
" by the Sultan. However, the following year, Pasha decided to advanced further into Croatia. His force of some twenty-thousand was soundly defeated and ultimately dispersed in a rout. Pasha is often considered to have died leading the battle's climactic counter-charge. However, other sources state that he survived the struggle, returned to Bosnia as governor, participating in future campaigns against the Uskoci and the Austrians, and ultimately dying of natural causes around 1610.
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...
beylerbey
Beylerbey
Beylerbey is the Ottoman and Safavid title used for the highest rank in the hierarchy of provincial administrators It is in western terms a Governor-general, with authority...
of Bosnia who led an invasion of Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
during the Ottoman wars in Europe
Ottoman wars in Europe
The wars of the Ottoman Empire in Europe are also sometimes referred to as the Ottoman Wars or as Turkish Wars, particularly in older, European texts.- Rise :...
.
Invasion of Croatia
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
Murad III
Murad III
Murad III was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1574 until his death.-Biography:...
ordered a force of approximately twenty-thousand janissaries
Janissary
The Janissaries were infantry units that formed the Ottoman sultan's household troops and bodyguards...
to invade Croatia, which was then under the rule of the House of Habsburg, despite the fact that the two realms had signed a nine-year peace treaty in 1590. His goal was to seize the strategically important town of Senj
Senj
Senj , German Zengg, Hungarian Zeng and Italian Segna) is the oldest town on the upper Adriatic, and it was founded in the time before the Romans some 3000 years ago on the hill Kuk. It was the center of the Illyrian tribe Iapydes. The current settlement is situated at the foot of the slopes Mala...
and its port and to eliminate the Uskoci, Croatian soldiers in the service of the Habsburgs and pirates who had engaged in guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
against the Ottomans. To lead this force, he selected his beylerbey of Bosnia, Telli Hasan Pasha.
Pasha assembled his soldiers and advanced into Croatia. At first, they met little resistance, allowing them to capture numerous Uskoci settlements, where they enslaved or slaughtered the entire population and burned the settlement. His forces soon besieged and captured Senj and exterminated the Uskoci population. For his successes, Pasha was awarded the title of "Vizier
Vizier
A vizier or in Arabic script ; ; sometimes spelled vazir, vizir, vasir, wazir, vesir, or vezir) is a high-ranking political advisor or minister in a Muslim government....
" by the Sultan. However, the following year, Pasha decided to advanced further into Croatia. His force of some twenty-thousand was soundly defeated and ultimately dispersed in a rout. Pasha is often considered to have died leading the battle's climactic counter-charge. However, other sources state that he survived the struggle, returned to Bosnia as governor, participating in future campaigns against the Uskoci and the Austrians, and ultimately dying of natural causes around 1610.