Hagop Kazazian Pasha
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| Hagop Kazazian Pasha | |
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| Born | 1833 Istanbul |
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| Died | 1891 Istanbul |
| Occupation | Minister of Privy Treasury, Minister of Finance of the Ottoman Empire |
Hagop Kazazian Pasha (alternative spelling: Agop Kazazyan) (1833–1891) was a high-ranking Ottoman official of Armenian origin who served as the Minister of Finance and the Minister of the Privy Treasury[1] during the reign of Sultan Abdul Hamid II.[2]
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Life and early career
Despite Hagop Kazazian's lack of higher education (as this is in dispute, some documentation of his lack of education is needed) he was able to rise in the bureaucracy of the Ottoman State through the intelligence and diligence he showed in financial matters. During the early years of his career, he served as the head of the translation department for the Ottoman Bank, a post that allowed him to forge ties to the Palace. After uncovering a case of malpractice at the bank, he was recommended by Forster, the General Director of the Ottoman Bank to Sultan Abdulhamid II, who was looking to put the affairs of the Privy Treasury into order.[2]
A bachelor all his life, Hagop Kazazian lived in the Yeniköy district of İstanbul with his mother.[2]. There is little information available about his extended family. Since Kazazian was awarded the order of Saint-Grégoire by the Pope (an award rarely given to non-Catholics) it is possible that he had connections with the Armenian Catholic Church, a small minority within the Armenian community that was considered a separate religious millet by the Sublime Porte.(http://www.hyeetch.nareg.com.au/religion/history_p3.html)[citation needed]
[edit] Posts and awards
Sultan Abdulhamid appointed Kazazian as the Director of the Privy Treasury in 1879, and as Minister the following year, when the Privy Treasury was re-organized as a ministry. Under Kazazian, the Privy Treasury was greatly reformed, expenditures were cut and the income of the treasury improved significantly. In 1887, he was appointed as the Minister of Finance, holding both posts simultaneously. Carrying out reforms and expenditure cuts in the Finance Ministry, Kazazian was opposed in his measures, which prompted him to offer his resignation. The Sultan refused the resignation and supported Kazazian in his reform attempts.[2] As Minister of Finance, Kazazian showed great ability at raising Ottoman loans and easing payment of its debts.
An influential man in his time, Kazazian interceded successfully on behalf of Sarkis Balyan, a famed architect who had been exiled to France because of political accusations.[1] Kazazian also served as a member of the Armenian National Assembly, which was established in 1863 and regulated the temporal matters of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire, under the Millet system.
Kazazian was given the title of Pasha, an honorific reserved for the highest elite of the Empire as well as a number of decorations by the Sultan with whom he was a favorite. He was also awarded the order of Saint-Grégoire by Pope Pius IX.[2]
[edit] Death and afterward
Famed at the time for his loyalty to Sultan Abdulhamid II, he received a state funeral after he died in 1891 from a horse-riding accident on the grounds of Kalender Kasrı while riding a horse that had been a gift from the Sultan.[3] Kazazian Pasha was succeeded as the Minister of the Privy Treasury by two other Armenians, Mikael Portukal Paşa, who served until 1897 and was, in turn, succeeded by Ohannes Paşa.[4]
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b Pamukciyan, Kevork (2003). Ermeni Kaynaklarından Tarihe Katkılar IV — Biyografileriyle Ermeniler. Istanbul: Aras Yayıncılık, 95, 268. ISBN 975-7265-54-5.
- ^ a b c d e Çarkçıyan, Yervant Gomidas (2006). Türk Devleti Hizmetinde Ermeniler. İstanbul: Kesit Yayınları, 111–2. ISBN 978-9944-321-044.
- ^ Ünlü, Ferhat. Osmanlı'nın Gözde Ermenileri. Bolsohays-Istanbul Armenians. Retrieved on 2007-01-09.
- ^ Osmanlı İmparatorluğunda Ermeniler. Ottoman Web Site. Retrieved on 2007-01-09.
[edit] See also
| Preceded by None |
Minister of the Privy Treasury of the Ottoman Empire 1880–1891 |
Succeeded by Mikael Portukal Paşa |
| Preceded by Ahmet Zühtü Paşa |
Minister of Finance of the Ottoman Empire 1887–1891 |
Succeeded by Hüseyin Tevfik Paşa |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Hagop Kazazian |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Agop Kazazyan |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Minister of Privy Treasury, Minister of Finance of the Ottoman Empire |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1833 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Istanbul |
| DATE OF DEATH | 1891 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Istanbul |
