(Ancyra), where the rebel then was, he hastened forward with the utmost
boldness to attack Háfiz Páshá, who commanded in Anatolia. When Háfiz,
who was by no means in a condition to face this formidable enemy, heard
of his movements, he shut himself up in Kutahia. The rebel advanced and
laid siege to the city: but after three days’ effort, in consequence of
cold and rain, was obliged to raise the siege; but he set fire to the
place, and set off for Karah Hisár, where he went into winter-quarters.
As soon as the Ottoman court had heard of these inauspicious affairs,
it appointed Gúzelcheh Mahmúd Páshá to succeed Khosrú Páshá in the chief
command. This appointment took place in the month of Rajab.
_Several changes take place._
In consequence of some malicious instigation of the soldiery, Sáa’tjí
Hasan Páshá was removed from the káímakámship, and Gúzelcheh Mahmúd
Páshá was appointed in his stead. These changes took place on the 20th
of Rajab. Alí Aghá, ághá of the janissaries, was also deposed, and his
office conferred on Delí Ferhád Aghá, a bostánjí báshí. Sáa’tjí Páshá
was conducted to the Seven Towers. On the night of the 22d, the mufti,
Mohammed Effendí, was deprived of his high office, which was conferred
on Siná-allah Effendí. This is the second time this reverend prelate
held this highest office of the priesthood. On this same occasion also
the cazí of Constantinople, Abdulmíámin Mustafa Effendí, was appointed
to succeed the cazí of Anatolia, Abdul Waháb, who had been in Egypt,
and who now became cazí of Constantinople in room of the former.
_Concerning Ghaznafer Aghá and Osmán Aghá, ághá of the palace._
On the 23d of Rajab the spáhí legion requested his majesty, the
emperor, to call a general diván for the purpose of taking into
consideration the state of the empire, every where torn and afflicted
with rebellion and insubordination. His majesty complied with this
requisition. Accordingly, the mufti, Siná-allah Effendí, the káímakám,
Mohammed Páshá, Siderín Akhí Zádeh, Abdul Míámin Mustafa Effendí,
and the ulemá, of all ranks, in all about thirty in number, met in
council. On the part of the spáhís, Hasan Khalífeh, Poiráz Osmán, and
the secretary Iksámí presented themselves before the royal diván and
spoke thus: “Sire, in consequence of the war which you find necessary
to carry on at a distance, the glory of the royal house is impaired,
and its dignity is diminished. The empire, from one end to the other,
is trampled upon. The government of Erzerúm is subjected to Gusah Nefer
Páshá’s soldiery and levends (a kind of volunteers); the government
of Sivás is under the oppressive rule of Ahmed Páshá; Caramania is in
the power of Delí Hasan; the sanjáks of Merzefún, of Kostamúní, and of
Kankarí, in like manner, are in the hands of the rebels Tevíl and Karah
Seyed. The insurgents and rebels have seized the whole world. Five or
six times a commander-in-chief has been appointed, but no good result
has followed; nothing has been accomplished.” After talking a great
deal in this manner, and pointing out the injustice and corruption
which had crept into the administration, they adverted to one or two
flagrant instances as proofs of their assertions. It was with great
difficulty that Sáa’tjí Hasan Páshá, who had been confined in the Seven
Towers, escaped undergoing the extreme sentence of the law on this
occasion. The fourth vezír, Tarnákjí Páshá, was also brought forth,
and would have undergone the sentence of death; but in consequence of
the intercession of the janissaries he was pardoned. The kapú ághá,
Ghaznafer Aghá, who had been the means of raising Khosrú Páshá and
Osmán Aghá, the ághá of the palace, who were afterwards presented,
were not so fortunate. The emperor, when all these transactions were
over, returned to the haram or seraglio, whilst the exclamations of the
people ascended to the very heavens in his behalf. The populace soon
after dispersed themselves.
_Yemishjí Hasan Páshá returns to Constantinople._
Soon after the grand vezír, Yemishjí Hasan Páshá, had dismissed
the khán of the Tátárs, to go into winter-quarters at Petcheví, he
delivered over to Lála Mohammed Páshá the whole of the affairs of the
frontiers. The magazines of provisions and other stores in Belgrade he
committed to Etmekjí Zádeh, the treasurer, and to Mohammed Páshá; and
appointed his own lieutenant, Mustafa Aghá, to collect provisions in
the districts of Bosnia and Buda.
Having heard of the late transactions in Constantinople which had
been occasioned by the spáhís, he imagined, and not without good
reasons, that he was in danger of losing his own life; he therefore
took a company of unemployed servants along with him, and set out for
Constantinople. On reaching Yaghodina he was met by Hasan Aghá, a
kapújí báshí, who informed him that Siná-allah Effendí, in compliance
with the wishes of the spáhís, had been created mufti. Another
messenger, called Yemenlí Hasan Aghá, a khetkhodá of the court, brought
him a letter, which stated that if he wished his own existence to be
continued, to make all the haste he possibly could. He recommenced his
journey immediately, but was considerably impeded in crossing the river
Múrov, owing to the masses of ice which floated upon its surface.
However, he got safely over it, and when he arrived at Nisa he met
another messenger, who brought him a letter apprizing him of the fate
of Ghaznafer, who suffered death along with Osmán. At a place called
Khurmán he was met by two other kapújí báshís, who brought him a royal
letter, and another from the queen-mother, both of which invited him
to court, and which also were sufficient tokens of their good-will. He
immediately returned a humble answer to these communications by the two
persons who brought them to him. On his reaching Adrianople he took up
his lodgings for a few hours in the house of Etmekjí Zádeh, his own
treasurer, who was then at Belgrade. Yahiah Effendí, who was afterwards
raised to the office of high priest, happening to be disengaged when
the grand vezír arrived, waited on him, and both together, about
seven o’clock in the evening, set out for the metropolis. On reaching
Selivría they were met by Yemenlí Hasan Aghá, a kapú ketkhodá, and Sárí
Alí Aghá, superintendant of the Soleimáníyeh, who strongly charged
them not to delay entering the palace that night, for if they did,
the messengers assured them the spáhís would next morning completely
prevent their doing so. The grand vezír immediately descended from
his chariot, mounted a swift charger, and reached the royal palace
about four o’clock in the afternoon on the 25th of the month Shabán.
The emperor received him most graciously, and welcomed his arrival in
the kindest manner. After the grand vezír had delivered a statement
to the emperor, of the affairs on the frontiers, he received a visit
from the káímakám, Mahmúd Páshá, who no sooner departed, than the two
military judges came to pay their respects to him also. When these
exalted prelates were about retiring, he desired them to go to the
mufti and give him his compliments; “Tell him,” said the grand vezír,
“that had it not been the night-season, I would have called on him
to pay him my respects in person at his own fortunate mansion; that
as I did not wish to disturb him at so unseasonable an hour of the
night, I have preferred waiting till tomorrow, when I shall not fail
to visit him. But be sure,” continued he, “to come back and tell me
how he received your message.” The reverend prelates, however, did
not return. The morning arrived, and no word whatever from the mufti,
nor any account of the prelates. This presaged no good. He, however,
ascertained by some other means, that the principal actors in the late
tumult had gone that morning to the mufti, and complained to him in
the most violent manner against him. “This vezír,” said they, “has, by
his bad management, and want of skill in the command of the troops on
the frontiers, allowed the infidels to gain some important advantages
over the orthodox Moslems, and has thus tarnished the glory and pride
of the Osmánlís.” Having preferred this complaint, they insisted on the
mufti’s giving them a decree to take away his life. The mufti complied.
These accusers, after succeeding with the head of their religion,
hastened away to the governor, Mahmúd Páshá, to show it to him. In some
histories it is said that this decree was delivered to the soldiery by
Mahmúd when the grand vezír was about entering the city on his return
from Belgrade. However, to make the thing as sure as the accusers
could, they went to the two military judges, and asked them to tell
them if the instrument which the mufti had issued was legal, and if so,
to sign it; which after some little importunity they did.
_Mahmúd Páshá reports these proceedings to the Emperor, who refuses to
sanction the deed of the Muftí._
Mahmúd Páshá, the governor of Constantinople, wrote out a report of the
proceedings which were carrying on against the life of the grand vezír,
Yemishjí Hasan Páshá, enclosed in it the decree of the high-priest,
which had been confirmed by the signatures of the two military judges,
and sent it to the emperor. In this report the cunning governor assured
the grand sultán, that if he did interpose in behalf of his vezír
serious mischief would inevitably be the result. The emperor, after
receiving this document and its enclosures, caused it to be published
that Mahmúd Páshá had stipulated with the heads of the disaffected to
give them thirty thousand ducats, and that he, in the event of grace
being shown to Yemishjí, had instructed them to raise a tremendous
tumult. This was a sufficient answer to Mahmúd’s report. The emperor,
moreover, declared that he had perfect knowledge of the whole of
his vezír’s conduct, and that if it had appeared that he had acted
unworthily of his high station, he, the emperor, knew how to punish
him. He was much displeased with the interference which had been made.
After having sent this answer to the proper quarter, he called an
officer of the court, and instructed him in the necessity there existed
of his going that very night and taking summary vengeance on Mahmúd
Páshá, and which he conceived would have the effect of intimidating
the disaffected soldiery. This commission was no sooner delivered than
the emperor sent the whole of the papers which had been sent to him
by Mahmúd to his grand vezír. The person to whom this business had
been entrusted was Kásim Aghá, who on delivering the above papers to
the grand vezír, informed him that he was on his way to murder Mahmúd
Páshá. Mahmúd Páshá, however, had got scent of the purpose which had
been formed against him, and either hid himself or absconded. The grand
vezír, on examining the documents which had been put into his hand,
was, no doubt, greatly astonished to find amongst them an official
decree of the highest spiritual authority for the taking away of his
own life.
After the grand vezír had fully weighed Mahmúd’s statement and the
decree of the mufti, confirmed, as it was, by the authority of the
military judges, was not only astonished and confounded, as might
easily be imagined, but also greatly afflicted. The soldiery who had
been anxiously looking for the emperor’s consent to his execution, no
sooner heard of the kind reception the grand vezír had met with at
court, than they began to vociferate loudly that they would proceed to
his palace and there murder him forthwith. They, accordingly, rushed
into the At-maidán, where they began to concert how they might be able
to effect their bloody deed. The grand vezír was no sooner apprized,
on the other hand, of the menacing of the mob, than he, in terror of
his life no doubt, ordered his gate to be firmly barricaded, and ran
to hide himself in the apartment next to that in which the sultana his
bride lived; for the marriage was not yet consummated.
When the spáhí mob, in conformity to their plan, had reached the gate
of the grand vezír’s palace, they found the gate firmly shut against
them, but which, had it not been that the night was setting in, they
would have burst open. This circumstance, it would appear, caused them
to change their mind, and agreeing to defer their purpose till the
following morning, they immediately dispersed.
The poor grand vezír and commander-in-chief felt the insecurity of
their situation, and being haunted by the horrors of a cruel and
untimely death, which his imagination pictured to him, he, at the
hour when every true Muselman was offering up his nightly devotions,
issued from his palace in disguised garments, accompanied by only two
faithful servants, and proceeded to the palace of the ághá of the
janissaries, called “the Palace of delight.” Here he was visited by
Yemenlí Aghá and Sárí Alí Aghá who desired him to take his ink-stand
and a few sheets of paper and to proceed without delay to the ághá
of the palace. The unfortunate vezír mounted a horse and went as he
was directed. On reaching the palace and entering into the hall of
audience, he there saw Hasan Páshá and the ághá of the janissaries with
his suite busily engaged in some affairs. The latter called the vezír
to advance, and directed him to draw out the following statement:—“That
the present acting mufti, Siná-allah Effendí, had been guilty of
affording countenance and protection to some of the insurgents; that
his brother’s son, Chelebí Kází, had, in a most unrighteous manner,
accepted of thirty thousand dollars from the rebel Scrivano; that he
had caused Mohammed Páshá, son of Sinán Páshá, to be deposed; that he
had joined with the multitude of spáhís in intimidating the diván;
that he had caused the ághá of the palace and the kizlar ághá (or ághá
of the seraglio) to be beheaded; that he had thrown the whole of the
community into a state of excitement by his murderous persecution of
the grand vezír; in short, that he was the moving cause of all the
disturbance, insubordination, rebellion and violence, which had lately
taken place in the city. Further: that the whole of the janissaries
were thoroughly convinced that this high-priest should be turned out of
his office, as a preliminary to the settling of those commotions which
agitated the public mind; that he should be banished to the island of
Rhodes, and his place filled by a man possessed of piety and orthodox
principles; that Mustafa Effendí, military judge of Anatolia, should
be the person to succeed him in his high office, because he was a man
possessed of piety and religion, and was, moreover, continent and
abstemious.”
Such were the contents of the statement above alluded to, and which the
grand vezír, when written out, wrapped up in a cloth and kept till the
proper moment for presenting it should arrive. His friends also sent
intimation, similar to what the statement contained, to the vezírs,
ulemá, armour-bearers, heads of the artillery, and to all the principal
persons in the community who were able to read; and all the faithful
subjects of his majesty were called upon to assemble under arms at
the mosque of Soleimán, and there wait to hear a declaration of his
majesty’s will and pleasure.
The paper containing the accusations against the mufti was sent by
night, by a trustworthy person, to the sultán in his own private
apartments. The morning arrived, and the multitude began to assemble in
the vicinity of the Soleimáníyeh. The whole of the janissaries stood
fully accoutred under arms at the foot of the stairs opposite their
own barracks, and all strangers were ordered to withdraw. Hasan Páshá
and Ferhád Aghá, the ághá of the janissaries, stood forward on the top
of the stairs above-mentioned, produced a royal letter which one of
them read in the hearing of the janissaries. This royal letter assured
them of his majesty’s good opinion of them, and said that they did and
ever should participate of his grace and favour. “From the days of my
august and noble ancestors until this day,” it was more particularly
stated in this royal document, “you have always conducted yourselves
with propriety, and have never been guilty of any irregularity or
insubordination. You have uniformly obeyed my royal injunctions with
the utmost zeal and precision; and now I request you to aid my grand
vezír in chastising those unruly persons who have been the cause of
exciting turbulence and commotion in our royal city.”
The janissaries who had been instructed how to act their part in
this matter replied, after having pronounced many blessings on their
sovereign’s head, that they had some certain reasonable things to
advance, and begged they might be laid before the august throne. “The
muftis of former days,” they said, “used to be very much attached to
the royal house, but the present one, Siná-allah Effendí, was a traitor
to the true interests of the Ottomans. He has been bribed by Scrivano,
through his nephew, Chelebí Kází, with a sum of thirty thousand
dollars; he has deposed Mohammed Páshá, son of Sinán Páshá; he joined
the turbulent multitude who lately intimidated the diván, causing
some of its principal members to be executed; and at this moment he
is exciting the mob to be satisfied with nothing less than the grand
vezír’s life, having even issued a decree for this purpose. It is
our opinion,” continued the janissaries, “that he should be forthwith
chastised, and that Mahmúd Páshá, his chief coadjutor in this tumult,
should be executed without delay; that the turbulent and seditious
among the spáhí mob should be delivered up, and in the event of this
being declined, to visit the whole tribe with summary vengeance. If
they show a disposition to resist, then let them stand prepared for
combat, for we are ready to meet them.”
The grand vezír expressed his satisfaction, came forward along with
the ághá to their view, and sat down. The vezírs ulemá, and other
dignitaries and nobles also assembled. Sinán Páshá, son of Jeghala,
declined attending, but a messenger who was sent after him forced him
to comply whether he would or not.
After these magnates had assembled in council, the names of the
principal conspirators were all registered, their persons proscribed,
and a list of them was sent to their chief commanders.
Next morning, however, the discontented spáhís assembled under arms
before the menagerie. The grand vezír ordered some ághás to go to the
spáhí troops and demand the persons whose names had been noted down.
If they deliver them up to you, said he, bring them hither; if not,
tell them they must abide by the consequence. The ághás did as they
were commanded. On their appearing before the spáhís they showed their
credentials and demanded the persons whose names had been taken down,
but the spáhís declared they would not give one of them up, supposing,
no doubt, the emperor would not proceed to extremities. These ághás
sent back these lieutenants with the ungracious answer of the spáhís.
In the meantime, two kapújís arrived from the palace, who delivered
a packet to the grand vezír which announced to him that the change
he had proposed in the muftiship was most graciously acceded to. He
turned about to Abdulmíámin Mustafa Effendí and informed him that his
majesty had most kindly appointed him mufti. The new mufti made a
suitable reply, and the grand vezír, after considering the whole of the
contents of the royal communication, took Mustafa Effendí by the arm
and introduced him, as such, to all the vezírs and magistrates present,
when they all paid him the homage due to his elevated rank.
After all these ceremonies were concluded, the new mufti was requested
to wait on his majesty, who entered into conversation with him
respecting the conduct of the insurgents, who still maintained their
obstinacy, and asked him what punishment, he thought ought to be
inflicted on them. The mufti replied, “that the law ought to take its
course; that all who continued to manifest disobedience to his high
injunctions were rebels; and that the spáhís ought to deliver up, for
condign punishment, the chief actors in the tumult and rebellion which
then reigned to so terrible a degree throughout the city.”
The grand vezír again addressed the lieutenants of the ághás who had
brought him the resolution of the turbulent spáhís, and desired them to
return and inform them of the judgment of the new mufti; then to come
back to him, bringing along with them the proscribed persons, provided
they gave them up. “If they do not deliver them up,” said he, “then
inform them that the whole tribe of spáhís shall be entirely cut off
from serving any longer in the state, and their privileges be done away
with.” They were, moreover, to be informed, that the emperor expected
immediate obedience; that if they did not at once show signs of regret
by availing themselves of the overture made to them, he had determined
to take summary vengeance on them all; that their heads would be cut
off at the bottom of the stairs on which he, the grand vezír, stood.
The officers proceeded with their message, and delivered it in due form.
In the meantime, however, the grand vezír called one Devlet Aghá, a
kapújí báshí (who was in an after reign grand vezír), and desired him
to take forty of the household troops and proceed to the house of
Siná-allah, the mufti effendí, seize his person, put him on board a
vessel, and banish him to the island of Rhodes. Devlet Aghá proceeded
with his party to seize the person of the high priest, as directed, but
before he had reached his house the reverend father had fled and hid
himself.
Devlet Aghá not finding the object of his pursuit, called Hamza Aghá,
a kapújí báshí, and Murád Effendí, the second recorder, and desired
them to proceed and seal up the palace of the fugitive, Mahmúd Páshá,
sometimes called Gúzelcheh Mahmúd Páshá. At the same time persons were
sent to shut the gates of Constantinople, and to watch them. These
proceedings were announced in the At-maidán to the assembled spáhís,
who became so terrified that they all dispersed in the greatest dismay.
The ághá of the janissaries mounted his horse, and conducting his
troops through the streets of the city, soon restored peace and order
in all quarters of Constantinople. The great men and vezírs returned
to their respective mansions. Ferhád, the ághá of the janissaries,
no sooner restored order in the city than he went in pursuit of the
rebels. The grand vezír spent the remainder of that day in the house
of the ághá of the palace; and Ferhád, on proceeding to a barrack
belonging to the spáhís situate near the arsenal, immediately ransacked
it of every thing valuable, and slew a number of this turbulent
tribe. This circumstance laid a foundation of enmity between these
two powerful bodies, _viz._ the janissaries and spáhís. The barring
and locking of the gates of Constantinople proved also a great
inconvenience to the inhabitants, inasmuch as they were prevented from
burying their dead in the usual way.
Such, for a whole day and night, was the agitated state of the city,
occasioned by the events we have related.
_Poiráz Osmán and other rebels executed._
The following day, at an early hour, the mufti, the vezírs, the
grandees, the ulemá, and others, met for consultation in the house of
the ághá of the palace, and continued their deliberations in reference
to the interests of religion and the benefit of the state till the
hour of prayer. The grand vezír then mounted his horse and went to
pay a visit to his august majesty, accompanied by the new mufti and
the military judge of Anatolia, Mustafa Effendí, who, it will be
remembered, was recommended by the janissaries to fill the office of
the high priest. The grand vezír was preceded by a body of armed foot
soldiers to the imperial palace, and after having had the honour of
kissing his sovereign’s hand, the emperor entered into conversation
with him and the other august persons that accompanied him about
the state of public affairs. The serdár, after the above interview,
returned in great pomp to the At-maidán, where the janissaries, who
had met there by appointment, fired several rounds, and the cavalry
went through their evolutions in token of joy for the success which had
attended the grand vezír.