Sokollu Mehmed Pasha

In 1561, Grand Vizier Rüstem Pasha died and was succeeded by the Second Vizier, Semiz Ali Pasha. Sokollu Mehmed Pasha in turn became Second Vizier, while Pertev Pasha became Third Vizier.

On 17 August 1562, Sokollu Mehmed married Sultan Suleiman's granddaughter – Prince Selim's daughter – Ismihan Sultan (some sources read her name as Esma Han Sultan) .^[18] Mehmed spent the following years in peace, governing and administering the realm.

In 1563, Mehmed's nephew, Sokollu Mustafa Bey, became sanjakbey of the Sanjak of Bosnia.^[19]

Grand Vizier

In June 1565, Grand Vizier Semiz Ali Pasha died. Sultan Suleiman had much confidence in Sokollu Mehmed Pasha and promoted him to this position.^[20]

War with the Habsburgs

In late 1565 and early 1566, tensions between the Holy Roman Emperor

Passing through

Expecting a mutiny among the military in the capital, Sokollu Mehmed had Suleiman's body sent to Constantinople to restore order amongst the janissaries and other officials, who now demanded more compensation for their past efforts. In Belgrade, Sultan Selim II called a council, as even some of his closest officials were openly mocking him^[citation needed]. Sokollu Mehmed assured him that he would manage everything effectively, and distributed gifts to the troops, rewarding them handsomely to regain their loyalty^{[citation needed]}.

On the fifth day of their stay in Belgrade, the Sultan, Sokollu Mehmed and the army departed for Constantinople. Before they managed to return to the Empire's capital, a mutiny broke out and the road to the city was blocked, and Sokollu Mehmed and Ahmed Pasha had to bribe their way into the city. Order was restored after Sokollu Mehmed convinced the Sultan to promise to send handsome gifts and higher wages to the janissaries. The next morning, each janissary was given standard pay of 40 ducats and an additional 20 ducats as an accession bonus. Soon, the other branches of the military, the sipahis and mercenaries, demanded higher wages as well. Mehmed arrested and replaced their aghas at once, finally stopping all dissent^{[citation needed]}.

Two years after Selim's accession, on 17 February 1568, Sokollu Mehmed succeeded in concluding at Edirne a peace treaty with Emperor Maximilian II, whereby the Emperor agreed to pay an annual "honorary present" of 30,000 ducats.

Expedition to Sumatra

One of Sokollu's greatest responsibilities was planning an Ottoman invasion of Sumatra in 1567. Historical records from the time show that Sokollu played an active role in the strategic execution of the invasion and that he was extremely detailed in the logistics.^[24] Later on, Sokollu would also participate in the expedition as a commander. According to these historical records, between November and December 1567 Sokollu and his expedition took sail to Aceh with fifteen fully armed war galleys and two transport galleys.^[25] Upon a seemingly friendly arrival to Aceh, the sultan of Sumatra requested that all the members of the expedition follow his orders.^[24] The sultan later offered his loyalty to the Ottoman Empire and forged a bond of mutual understanding between Istanbul and Aceh.^[24]

Expedition to Yemen

Immediately after the expedition to Sumatra,^[24] the Ottoman Empire suffered a major rebellion from one of their most important settlements. An uprising led by Zaydi Imam in Yemen created substantial uncertainty in the region which Sokollu had to give imminent priority before taking any further action in Aceh.^[24] While the insurrection in Yemen started in the summer of 1567, it was not taking seriously by the Ottoman regime until later in the year, when most of the major cities in the region came under fire by the rebellious factions. It is believed that the cause of the dissatisfaction in Yemen was the intensified Ottoman involvement in the region as a prelude for an expansion in the Indian Ocean. The unhappiness in the Ottoman Yemen also went back to the rule of Governor Mahmud Pasha, a compatriot of Sokollu, who managed to produce large economic gains in the region at the expense of the wellbeing of the population. After Mahmud's wrongdoings in Yemen had been revealed, Sokollu decided to appoint Koja Sinan, who was assigned the responsibilities to appease the turmoils in Yemen.^[26][24]

Suez Canal

Although the rebellions in Yemen once again forced Sokollu to postpone any further military action in Sumatra and the Indian Ocean,^[24] it also opened the possibility to promote one of his favorite projects: and attempt to build a canal from the Mediterranean to Suez.^[27] He instructed the governor of Egypt to send architects engineers to assess the possibility of this canal, with the purpose of allowing a better connection from Muslims attempting to visit the Holy Cities.^[24] Sokollu also was concerned about Muslims from the northeast, Crimea and Anatolia, who had to cross the Black Sea in order to visit the Holy Cities. Thus, he took actions for the construction of an open canal between the Don and the Volga in the north.

Wars with Russia, Venice and the Holy League

Mehmed Pasha had little success against

On 3 March 1573, the Venetian Republic signed a new peace treaty with the Ottomans under Mehmed Pasha, thereby bringing the Holy League to an end, accepting the loss of Cyprus and increasing the tribute payments. He also extended for eight more years the peace treaty with the Holy Roman Empire and maintained good relations with France, Poland-Lithuania and Russia. He was preparing for a fresh attack on Venice when the Sultan's death on 12 December 1574 cut short his plans.

Final years

Sokollu Mehmed Pasha's wealth reached its peak around 1573, when the value of his personal property (cash, goods, accounts, objects) amounted to 18 million ducats. Mehmed received the standard Grand Vizier's wage of 20 ducats every day. His wealth increased greatly through gifts and taxes of Ottoman officials: anyone who became a vizier had to pay Mehmed Pasha 50,000-60,000 ducats, and every Governor-General had to pay 15,000-20,000 or even sometimes 30,000-40,000 ducats upon ascending to the office. The provincial governor of Egypt at Cairo alone dispatched 100,000 ducats to the Grand Vizier every year.^{[citation needed]}

On 30 August 1574, Grand Vizier Sokollu Mehmed Pasha installed his nephew

When Sultan Selim II died, Sokollu Mehmed Pasha again kept this secret until Selim's oldest son Murad arrived from his governor's post in

Sokollu Mehmed Pasha was involved in the succession disputes of the Polish Crown in 1576 and 1577, but this did not reach greater measures.^{[citation needed]}

Sokollu Mehmed signed numerous treaties of friendship with Venice, Florence, Spain, England and Switzerland. He also managed to force a number of European states to pay tribute: Austria paid 9,000 ducats; Transylvania 3,000; Wallachia 7,000; Moldavia 3,000. Eventually, even Venice had to pay him 4,000 ducats annually. This altogether gave him an annual income of 31,000 gold ducats.^{[citation needed]}

Mehmed was initially known to be opposed to the war with Persia, which began in 1578, but was overruled upon eventually, amongst the reasons being the constant urgings by Sokollu Mehmed to take advantage of the Ottomans neighboring rival.^[1] Sultan Murad III time afterwards, began to limit his Grand Vizier's powers by slowly removing his allies from high offices. The state secretary Feridun, an old companion of Sokollu mehmed's since the siege of Szigetvár, was sent to Belgrade, away from Constantinople. Mehmed's faithful Arab friend, the Governor-General of Cyprus, was lynched by mutinous soldiers. Mehmed's greatest rivals, Hamid Efendi and Piyale Pasha, arranged the execution of the Grand Vizier's Greek protege, Michael Kantakouzenos. On 10 October 1578, Sokollu Mustafa Pasha, Sokollu Mehmed Pasha's nephew and beylerbey (governor-general) of Budin, was assassinated (some sources put it as September 30, 1578^[32]). On the anniversary of this day, on 10 October 1579, Sokollu Mehmed had his servant Hasan Bey read to him about the Battle of Kosovo.

Death

On 11 October 1579, Sokollu Mehmed Pasha was assassinated.

He is buried at his complex, Sokollu Mehmed Paşa Külliyesi at the back of Eyüp Mosque, in Istanbul, at the Sokollu Mehmed Paşa Türbe built by famous architect Mimar Sinan for him c. 1572. His wife Ismihan (or Esma Han) is buried near him and in the little garden of the Türbe are buried the family and descendants of Sokollu Mehmed Pasha.

Aftermath

After his death Sultan Murad III changed grand vezirs ten times in sixteen years. These frequent changes in government were part of the general instability in the Ottoman government that followed the death of Sokollu Mehmet Pasha, evidence of a decline in the empire that he had at its pinnacle while he was in office.^[36]

Heritage and legacy

Sokollu Mehmed Pasha has left numerous architecturally well known buildings in Constantinople and throughout Ottoman territories.^[

.

The

Iznik

tiles.

His most renowned endowment is the eleven-arched

Croatian and Bosnian

legends about the bridge's construction. According to one, Mehmed Paşa built the bridge in his son's name. Another is the tale of its architect Rade, which is described in "Bridge on the Drina".

Sokollu Mehmed Pasha is often credited as the mastermind of the Ottoman Empire's last great push into the Indian Ocean. Aside from his political achievements, Sokollu was also very interested in the arts and sciences, which led to several important contributions. For example, he often funded paintings by renowned Veronese artists as well as imported glassware from Italian artisans. He also worked together with prominent Ottoman geographers and historians of his time, including

Feridun Ahmed Beg, Sipahazade Mahmed, and Kutbeddin Mekki.^[24]

Other elements of his architectural legacy include:

• The Azapkapi Mosque, built by Sinan in 1577–1578 in the Azapkapi district of İstanbul, is considered most important Ottoman monument in Galata.[29]
• The Sokollu Mehmed Paşa Kulliyesi, built by Sinan in ca. 1572 in the Eyub district of İstanbul, is a complex including a medrese, a school and his tomb
• The Sokollu Mehmed Paşa Complex built in 1549 and extended at 1569, both times by Sinan. Located on the main highway between the two Ottoman capitals of İstanbul and Edirne, at Luleburgaz, it is a complex of caravanserai, bathhouse, mosque, madrasah, a school, market streets and later, private apartments for Sultan's use.
• Complexes built at Havsa, a city on the Istanbul-Edirne highway and in Payas, in southern Turkey near Antakya.
• Bridges at Alpullu, Luleburgaz and Corlu, built by Sinan
• The bridge at Arslanagića Most in Trebinje
• Vizier's bridge in Podgorica
• The bridge on Žepa and the Goat's Bridge (Kozija ćuprija) in Sarajevo
• Public bathhouses in Havsa, Yesildirek (İstanbul), Edirne and Luleburgaz public bathhouses, built by Sinan
• The
  Black Mosque in Sofia
  , built by Mimar Sinan during the years when Sokollu Mehmed Pasha was governor of Rumelia and later converted into a church in the 19th century
• A Road of four paces^{[clarification needed]} and a castle between Višegrad and Sarajevo, on Glasinac. Of the castle, only a drinking-fountain remains, which is known as the Mehmed Sokolović's han.
• A mosque,
  maktab
  and musafirhana (guest house) in his native village of Sokolovići

Issue

On 17 August 1562, Sokollu Mehmed Pasha married

Süleyman I.^[39]

They had a daughter and three sons:

• Safiye Hanımsultan (1563 - ?). She was firstly married to her father's cousin Sokollu Mustafa Pasha, governor of Budin. After his execution in 1578, she married the new governor of Budin Silahdar Cafer Pasha. After his death in 1587, she had posthumous twin sons Mehmed Bey and Cafer Bey, who died as children. She married thirdly to Sultanzade Abdülbaki Bey, son of her mother's cousin Hümaşah Sultan.
• Sultanzade Ahmed Bey (1564 - 1567). Died in infancy, probably of smallpox.
• Sultanzade Sokolluzâde Ibrahim Han Paşah (1565 - 1621). In 1924, his descendant Sokulluzade Abdülbâki Ihsân Bey, married another Ottoman princess, Rukiye Sultan.
• Sultanzade Piri Mehmed Bey (1566 - 1567). Died in early infancy, probably of smallpox.

Personal life

Mehmed spent the following years in peace, governing and administrating the realm. Mehmed's nephew, Sokollu Mustafa Pasha, was also a prominent politician, was sanjakbey of Bosnia and later the longest-serving governor of Budin Eyalet. It is said that Sokollu learned many lessons and refined his expansionist strategies under the influence of Seydi Reis. One of the most important pieces of knowledge that was passed on to Sokollu was that the Ottoman Empire was an all-time high across the region.^[24]

See also

• Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge
• Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Mosque
• List of Ottoman grand viziers

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Sicker 2001, pp. 2–3.
2. ^ Mehmed/Мехмед in isolation: [měxmed].
3. ISBN 978-86-7346-819-8
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4. ^
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5. ^ ^{a b} Tim Judah. The Serbs: History, Myth, and the Destruction of Yugoslavia. p. 45.
6. ^
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7. ^
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8. ^ Malcolm 1994, p. 46.
9. ^ Hastings 1997, p. 132.
10. ^ ^{a b} Gilles Veinstein (2012). “Soḳollu Meḥmed Pas̲h̲a”, in: Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition, Ed. P. Bearman, et al.
11. ISBN 9780195333435
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12. ISBN 9780253006783
    .
13. Timaş Yayınları
    . p. 119. Sokullu Mehmet Paşa ... Sırp asıllı bir ruhban ailesinden gelir.
14. ISBN 9783534080823
    . des serbischstämmigen Großvezirs Mehmed Pascha Sokolli
15. ISBN 0-8135-0799-5
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16. ^ Marcus Tanner. Croatia: A Nation Forged in War. p. 41.
17. ^ ^{a b} "Mehmed Pasa Sokollu | Ottoman vizier". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2017-09-14.
18. ISBN 9780195377828. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help
    )
19. ^ Dakic, Uros. (2012). The Sokollu Family Clan and the Politics of Vizierial Households in the Second Half of the Sixteenth Century. (MA Thesis). Department of Medieval Studies, Central European University.
20. ^ ^{a b} Tezcan 2010, p. 98.
21. ISBN 978-975-17-4249-0
22. ^ Shelton, Edward (1867). The book of battles: or, Daring deeds by land and sea. London: Houlston and Wright. pp. 82–83.
23. ISBN 0-415-96913-1
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24. ^
    OCLC 340961426
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25. S2CID 19755686
    .
26. ^ Fetvaci, E.; Necipoglu, Gulru (2005). "Viziers and Eunuchs: Transition in Ottoman Manuscript Patronage". ProQuest (1566–1617).
27. ^ Rossi, N.; Rosand, David (2013). "Italian Renaissance Depictions of the Ottoman Sultan: Nuances in the Function of Early Modern Italian Portraiture". ProQuest.
28. ISBN 9781483322087
29. ^ ^{a b c} J.Freely (1998) Istanbul: The Imperial City, Penguin
30. ^ Sokollu Mehmet Pasa Mosque 1572 photos Archived 2006-04-27 at the Wayback Machine
31. ^ S.J.Shaw, [1976] History of the Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey, pp.178
32. ^ Altayli, Yasemin. (2009). "Macarca Mektuplariyla Budin Beylerbeyi Sokollu Mustafa Pasa (1566–1578)". Ankara Üniversitesi Dil ve Tarih-Coğrafya Fakültesi Dergisi. 49 (2): 157-171.
33. ^ "Encyclopedia of the OTTOMAN empire" (PDF). cankaya.edu.tr.
34. ^ "SEMİZ AHMED PAŞA". TDV İslam Ansiklopedisi (in Turkish). Retrieved 2021-04-26.
35. ^ "Türkçe Bilgi: Semiz Ahmed Paşa". Türkçe Bilgi (in Turkish). Retrieved 2023-08-16.
36. ^ Freely 2016, p. 80.
37. ^ "Sokollu Mehmet Pasha and His Mosque Complex in Istanbul". Islamic Arts Magazine. Retrieved 2017-09-14.
38. ^ Radovan Popović: Andrićeva prijateljstva, Službeni glasnik Beograd
    ISBN 9788651901846
    , p. 240
39. doi:10.1017/s0041977x11000838
    .

Sources

• The Sokollu Family Clan and the Politics of Vizierial Households in the Second Half of Sixteenth Century by Uros Dakic, Central European University, Budapest, 2012
• Giancarlo Casale (2010). The Ottoman Age of Exploration: Sokollu Mehmed Pasha and the Apogee of Empire 1561-1579. Oxford University Press.
  ISBN 978-0199798797
  .
• ISBN 978-0525428824
  .
• A Forgetten Bridgehead between Rome, Venice, and the Ottoman Empire: Cattaro and the Balkan Missions in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries by Antal Molnár, 2014
• ISBN 978-0521519496
  .
• Hastings, Adrian (1997). The Construction of Nationhood: Ethnicity, Religion and Nationalism.
  ISBN 978-0-52162-544-9
  .
• ISBN 978-1137014061
  .
• Crowley, Roger (2009). Empires of the Sea: The Final Battle for the Mediterranean, 1521-1580.
  ISBN 9780571250806
  .
• ISBN 978-0-8147-5520-4
  .
• Sicker, Martin (2001). The Islamic World in Decline: From the Treaty of Karlowitz to the Disintegration of the Ottoman Empire. Greenwood Publishing Group.
  ISBN 027596891X
  .
• Freely, John (2016). Inside the Seraglio: private lives of the sultans in Istanbul.
  ISBN 9781784535353
  .

Bibliography

• R. Samardžić, Mehmed Sokolović, t. 1–2, Łódź 1982

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sokollu Mehmet Pasha.

• [1]
• Photos of Sokollu Mehmet Pasa Mosque at Kadirga, Constantinople
• A lecture about Sokollu Mehmed Pasha (in Serbian)

Political offices
Preceded by Semiz Ali Pasha	Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire 28 June 1565 – 11 October 1579	Succeeded by Semiz Ahmed Pasha