Köprülüzade Fazıl Mustafa Pasha facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Köprülü Gazi Fazıl
Mustafa
Pasha
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|---|---|
| Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire | |
| In office 10 November 1689 – 19 August 1691 |
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| Monarch | Suleiman II Ahmed II |
| Preceded by | Bekri Mustafa Pasha |
| Succeeded by | Arabacı Ali Pasha |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1637 Köprü (modern Vezirköprü, Samsun Province, Black Sea Region, Turkey) |
| Died | 19 August 1691 (aged 53–54) Slankamen, Sanjak of Syrmia, Ottoman Empire (modern Stari Slankamen, Vojvodina, Serbia) |
| Nationality | Ottoman |
| Relations | Köprülüzade Fazıl Ahmed Pasha (brother) Kara Mustafa Pasha (brother-in-law) Abaza Siyavuş Pasha (brother-in-law) Amcazade Köprülü Hüseyin Pasha (cousin) |
| Children | Köprülüzade Numan Pasha Köprülüzade Abdüllah Pasha |
| Parents | Köprülü Mehmed Pasha (father) Ayşe Hatun (mother) |
| Origins | Albanian (father), Turkish (mother) |
| Family | Köprülü family |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Ottoman Empire |
| Years of service | 1660s–1691 |
| Rank | Commander-in-Chief, Serdar |
| Battles/wars | Great Turkish War
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Köprülüzade Fazıl Mustafa Pasha was an important leader in the Ottoman Empire. He was known as "Mustafa Pasha the Wise." He served as the Grand Vizier, which was like being the chief minister, from 1689 to 1691. During this time, the Ottoman Empire was fighting a big war called the Great Turkish War against several European countries.
Mustafa Pasha was part of the famous Köprülü family. His father, Köprülü Mehmed Pasha, was of Albanian origin. His mother, Ayşe Hatun, was of Turkish origin. Many members of his family, including his father and older brother, had also been Grand Viziers. The name Fazıl means "wise" in Ottoman Turkish.
Contents
Early Life and Career
Fazıl Mustafa Pasha was born in 1637. His father, Köprülü Mehmed Pasha, was a powerful Ottoman Vizier. His mother's family built a bridge (köprü in Turkish) in their village, which gave the family its name.
Mustafa Pasha joined the Sultan's guards. He spent a lot of time on military trips with his older brother, Fazıl Ahmed. Later, his brother-in-law, Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha, helped him become a high-ranking official. By 1683, he was the third most important vizier in the imperial council.
After his brother-in-law lost a major battle, Fazıl Mustafa was sent away from the capital city, Istanbul. In 1687, there was a rebellion in the army. This rebellion made his other brother-in-law, Abaza Siyavuş Pasha, the Grand Vizier. It also forced Sultan Mehmed IV to step down. Fazıl Mustafa was involved in this change and became the second most important vizier. However, he was soon sent away from Istanbul again. He was almost executed but was saved by a religious leader. Until 1689, Fazıl Mustafa served as a commander in different cities.
Becoming Grand Vizier
After a big Austrian victory in 1687, Sultan Suleiman II decided to appoint Köprülü Fazıl Mustafa Pasha as his Grand Vizier. This happened on October 25, 1689.
Reforms and Changes
Like other members of his family, Fazıl Mustafa Pasha was a skilled leader and military commander. He worked to improve the government and the army.
- He removed and punished corrupt officials from the previous government.
- He replaced them with people loyal to him.
- He helped the treasury by making sure soldiers' salaries were paid correctly. This stopped people from collecting money for soldiers who had died.
- He called for all Muslim men to join the army. He also drafted men from Kurdish and Yörük tribes. This greatly increased the number of soldiers.
Fazıl Mustafa Pasha also made life easier for people who were not in the military.
- He reformed the poll tax, which was paid by non-Muslims. He made sure taxes were collected fairly from each adult. This helped communities whose populations had shrunk due to war.
- He made it easier to get permits to fix or rebuild Christian churches.
He also tried to reduce fighting among officials in the government. To stop local leaders from abusing their power, he created councils of important people in the provinces. These councils were similar to the main government council. His changes helped the empire for many years.
Military Victories and Defeat
The Great Turkish War became more difficult when Russia joined the European powers. Russia launched attacks in Crimea.
Under Fazıl Mustafa Pasha's leadership, the Ottomans stopped an Austrian advance into Serbia. They also put down an uprising in Bulgaria.
Recapturing Belgrade
In 1690, Fazıl Mustafa Pasha led a successful military campaign. He recaptured important cities like Niš, Vidin, Smederevo, and Golubac. Then, he laid siege to Belgrade, a very important city. He had 40,000 foot soldiers and 20,000 cavalry. On October 8, after the defenders' weapons storage exploded, the Habsburg commander surrendered.
The Ottomans had lost Belgrade to the Habsburgs in 1688. Recapturing it gave them hope. They thought they could reverse the losses they had suffered in the 1680s, including the loss of Hungary.
The Battle of Slankamen
However, this hope did not last long. On August 19, 1691, Fazıl Mustafa Pasha was killed during the Battle of Slankamen. He was struck in the forehead by a bullet. The Ottomans suffered a terrible defeat in this battle. They were fighting against Ludwig Wilhelm von Baden, a skilled commander. This battle was called "the bloodiest battle of the century." The Ottomans lost 20,000 men and their most capable military leader.
Fazıl Mustafa Pasha was the fifth member of the Köprülü family to serve as Grand Vizier. After his death, the Ottoman Empire continued to face defeats. By 1695, the Ottomans had very little territory left in Hungary.
See also
- Köprülü era of the Ottoman Empire
- Köprülü family
- List of Ottoman grand viziers
