Ahmed Vefik Pasha

Ahmet Vefik Pasha (Constantinople, July 3, 1823-April 2, 1891), was a famous Ottoman[1] statesman, diplomat, playwright and translator of the Tanzimat period. He was commissioned with top-rank governmental duties, including presiding over the first Ottoman parliament[2]. He also became a grand vizier for two brief periods. Vefik also established the first Ottoman theatre[3] and initiated the first Western style theatre plays in Bursa and translated Molière's major works.

Biography

Ahmet Vefik Pasha was born of Greek extraction[4][5][6][7][8][9][10], his ancestors having previously converted to Islam[4]. He started his education in 1831 in Constantinople and later went to Paris with his family where he graduated from Saint Louis College. When he became the ambassador to Tehran, he learned the Persian language. In Tehran, he was the first person to raise his country's flag in an embassy. He declared the embassy soil a Turkish land and started this custom. He was a pioneer of the Pan-Turkism movement. He became the Minister of Education and grand vizier two times. He built a theatre in Bursa when he was made the governor of the city. In 1860, he became the ambassador to France. He wrote the first Turkish Dictionary. He is considered to be the first Turkist of the Ottoman Turks.

References

  1. ^ "Ahmed Vefik Paşa". www.britannica.com. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/10234/Ahmed-Vefik-Pasa. Retrieved 2009-08-12. "Ahmed Vefik Paşa Ottoman statesman and scholar born July 6, 1823, Constantinople [now Istanbul] died April 2, 1891, Constantinople. Ottoman statesman and scholar" 
  2. ^ "Ahmed Vefik Paşa". www.britannica.com. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/10234/Ahmed-Vefik-Pasa. Retrieved 2009-08-12. "Ahmed Vefik Paşa Ottoman statesman and scholar born July 6, 1823, Constantinople [now Istanbul] died April 2, 1891, Constantinople… He presided over the first Ottoman Parliament (1877) and was twice appointed grand vizier (chief minister) for brief periods in 1878 and 1882." 
  3. ^ "Ahmed Vefik Paşa". www.britannica.com. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/10234/Ahmed-Vefik-Pasa. Retrieved 2009-08-12. "Ahmed Vefik Paşa Ottoman statesman and scholar born July 6, 1823, Constantinople [now Istanbul] died April 2, 1891, Constantinople....In 1879 he became the vali (governor) of Bursa, where he sponsored important reforms in sanitation, education, and agriculture and established the first Ottoman theatre." 
  4. ^ a b Berkes, Niyazi – Ahmad, Feroz (1998). The development of secularism in Turkey. C. Hurst & Co. Publishers. p. 29. ISBN 1850653445. "Ahmed Vefik Pasa (1823-91), the grandson of a Greek convert to Islam and the holder of several of the highest positions, was one of those interested in Turkish studies." 
  5. ^ Galton, Sir Francis (1864). Vacation tourists and notes of travel in 1860 [1861, 1962-3]. Macmillan. p. 91. OCLC 228708521. "The statesman whom the Turks like best is Achmet Vefyk Effendi. Although a Greek by descent, he is a more orthodox Moslem than Fuad or Aali, and is the head of the reforming party, whose object is to bring about reform for the purpose of re-establishing the Turkish empire on the basis on which it stood in its palmy day, rather than adopt European customs." 
  6. ^ Stewart, Desmond (1971). The Middle East: temple of Janus. Doubleday. p. 189. OCLC 135026. "Ahmed Vefik Pasha was the grandson of a Greek convert to Islam." 
  7. ^ Layard, Sir Austen Henry – Bruce, William Napier – Otway, Sir Arthur John (1903). Sir A. Henry Layard, G.C.B., D.C.L.. J. Murray. p. 93. OCLC 24585567. "Fuad Pasha — unlike Ahmed Vefyk, who had Greek blood in his veins — was a pure Turk by descent." 
  8. ^ Pickthall, Marmaduke William - Islamic Culture Board – Asad, Muhammad (1975). Islamic culture. Islamic Culture Board - Hyderabad, Deccan. OCLC 1774508. "Ahmad Vefik Pasha) (grandson of a Greek convert) published influential works : Les Tuns Anciens et Modernes (1169) and Lahja-i-Osmani, respectively" 
  9. ^ Macfie, A. L. (1998). The end of the Ottoman Empire, 1908-1923. Longman. p. 85. ISBN 0582287634. "In 1876 Ahmed Vefik Pasha, the grandson of a Greek convert to Islam, and a keen student of Turkish customs, published the first Turkish-Ottoman dictionary" 
  10. ^ Taher, Mohamed (1997). Encyclopaedic survey of Islamic culture. Anmol Publications PVT. LTD. p. 97. ISBN 8174884874. "Ahmad Vefik Pasha) (grandson of a Greek convert) published influential works : Les Turcs Anciens et Modernes ( 1 1 69) and Lahja-i-Osmani, respectively" 
Preceded by
Ahmed Hamdi Pasha		 Grand Vizier
4 February 1878 - 18 April 1878		 Succeeded by
Mehmed Sadık Pasha
Preceded by
Mehmed Said Pasha		 Grand Vizier
1 December 1882 - 3 December 1882		 Succeeded by
Mehmed Said Pasha
Zagan Pasha (1453–1456) • Veli Mahmud Pasha (1456–1466) • Rum Mehmed Pasha (1466–1469) • Ishak Pasha (1469–1472) • Veli Mahmud Pasha (1472–1474) • Gedik Ahmed Pasha (1474–1477) • Karamani Mehmed Pasha (1477–1481) • Ishak Pasha (1481–1482) • Davud Pasha (1482–1497) • Hersekzade Ahmed Pasha (1497–1498) • Çandarlı Ibrahim Pasha (2nd) (1498–1499) • Mesih Pasha (1499–1501) • Hadim Ali Pasha (1501–1503) • Hersekzade Ahmed Pasha (1503–1506) • Hadim Ali Pasha (1509–1511) • Koca Mustafa Pasha (1511–1512) • Dukakinzade Ahmed Pasha (1512–1515) • Hersekzade Ahmed Pasha (1515–1516) • Hadim Sinan Pasha (1516–1517) • Yunus Pasha (1517) • Piri Mehmed Pasha (1517) • Pargalı Ibrahim Pasha (1523–1536) • Ayas Mehmed Pasha (1536–1539) • Lûtfi Pasha (1539–1541) • Hadim Suleiman Pasha (1541–1544) • Rüstem Pasha (1544–1553) • Kara Ahmed Pasha (1553–1555) • Rüstem Pasha (1555–1561) • Semiz Ali Pasha (1561–1565) • Sokollu Mehmed Pasha (1565–1579) • Şemsi Pasha (1579–1580) • Lala Kara Mustafa Pasha (1580) • Koca Sinan Pasha (1580–1582) • Siyavush Pasha (1582–1584) • Özdemiroğlu Osman Pasha (1584–1585) • Hadim Mesih Pasha (1585–1586) • Siyavush Pasha (1586–1589) • Koca Sinan Pasha (1589–1591) • Ferhad Pasha (1591–1592) • Siyavush Pasha (1592–1593) • Koca Sinan Pasha (1593–1595) • Ferhad Pasha (1595) • Lala Mehmed Pasha (1595) • Koca Sinan Pasha (1595–1596) • Damat Ibrahim Pasha (1596) • Cigalazade Yusuf Sinan Pasha (1596) • Damat Ibrahim Pasha (1596–1597) • Hadim Hasan Pasha (1597–1598) • Cerrah Mehmed Pasha (1598–1599) • Damat Ibrahim Pasha (1599–1601) • Yemişçi Hasan Pasha (1601–1603) • Yavuz Ali Pasha (1603–1604) • Sokolluzade Lala Mehmed Pasha (1604–1606)

Dervish Mehmed Pasha (1606) • Kuyucu Murad Pasha (1606–1611) • Nasuh Pasha (1611–1614) • Kara Mehmed Pasha (1614–1616) • Damat Halil Pasha (1616–1619) • Kara Mehmed Pasha (1619–1619) • Güzelce Ali Pasha (1619–1621) • Ohrili Hüseyin Pasha (1621) • Dilaver Pasha (1621–1622) • Kara Davud Pasha (1622) • Mere Hüseyin Pasha (1622) • Lefkeli Mustafa Pasha (1622) • Gürcü Hadim Mehmed Pasha (1622–1623) • Mere Hüseyin Pasha (1623) • Kemankeş Kara Ali Pasha (1623–1624) • Çerkes Mehmed Pasha (1624–1625) • Filibeli Hafız Ahmed Pasha (1625–1626) • Damat Halil Pasha (1626–1628) • Gazi Ekrem Hüsrev Pasha (1628–1631) • Hafiz Ahmed Pasha (1631–1632) • Topal Recep Pasha (1632) • Tabanıyassı Mehmed Pasha (1632–1637) • Bayram Pasha (1637–1638) • Tayyar Mehmed Pasha (1638) • Kemankeş Mustafa Pasha (1638–1644) • Civankapıcıbaşı Sultanzade Semiz Mehmed Pasha (1644–1645) • Nevesinli Salih Pasha (1645–1647) • Kara Musa Pasha (1647) • Hezarpare Ahmed Pasha (1647–1648) • Mevlevi Mehmed Pasha (1648–1649) • Kara Dev Murad Pasha (1649–1650) • Melek Ahmed Pasha (1650–1651) • Siyavush Pasha (1651) • Gürcü Mehmed Pasha (1651–1652) • Tarhoncu Ahmed Pasha (1652–1653) • Bıyıklı Koca Derviş Mehmed Pasha (1653–1654) • Ipşiri Mustafa Pasha (1654–1655) • Kara Dev Murad Pasha (1655) • Ermeni Süleyman Pasha (1655) • Gazi Hüseyin Pasha (1656) • Zurnazen Mustafa Pasha (1656) • Siyavush Pasha (1656) • Boynuyaralı Mehmed Pasha (1656) • Köprülü Mehmed Pasha (1656–1661) • Köprülü Fazıl Ahmed Pasha (1661–1676) • Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha (1676–1683) ) • Bayburtlu Kara Ibrahim Pasha (1683–1685) • Sarı Süleyman Pasha (1685–1687) • Abaza Siyavuş Pasha (1687–1688) • Ayaşlı İsmail Pasha (1688) • Tekirdağlı Bekri Mustafa Pasha (1688–1689) • Köprülü Fazıl Mustafa Pasha (1689–1691) • Bahadırzade Arabacı Ali Pasha (1691–1692) • Merzifonlu Çalık Hacı Ali Pasha (1692–1693) • Bozoklu (Bıyıklı) Mustafa Pasha (1694) • Sürmeli Ali Pasha (1694–1695) • Elmas Mehmed Pasha (1695–1697) • Köprülü Amcazade Hacı Hüseyin Pasha (1697–1702)

Daltaban Mustafa Pasha (1702–1703) • Rami Mehmed Pasha (1703) • Sührablı Kavanoz Nişancı Ahmed Pasha (1703) • Moralı Damat Hasan Pasha (1703–1704) • Kalaylıkoz Hacı Ahmed Pasha (1704) • Baltaci Mehmed Pasha (1704–1706) • Çorlulu Ali Pasha (1706–1710) • Köprülü Numan Pasha (1710) • Baltaci Mehmed Pasha (1710–1711) • Gürcü Ağa Yusuf Pasha (1711–1712) • Silahdar Süleyman Pasha (1712–1713) • Kel Hoca Ibrahim Pasha (1713) • Silahdar Damat Ali Pasha (1713–1716) • Hacı Halil Pasha (1716–1717) • Tevkii Nişancı Mehmed Pasha (1717–1718) • Nevşehirli Damat Ibrahim Pasha (1718–1730) • Silahdar Damat Mehmed Pasha (1730–1731) • Kabakulak Ibrahim Pasha (1731) • Topal Osman Pasha (1731–1732) • Hekimoğlu Ali Pasha (1732–1735) • Gürcü Ismail Pasha (1735–1736) • Silahdar Seyyid Mehmed Pasha (1736–1737) • Muhsinzade Abdullah Pasha (1737) • Yeğen Mehmed Pasha (1737–1739) • Hacı İvazzade Mehmed Pasha (1739–1740) • Nişancı Ahmed Pasha (1740–1742) • Hekimoğlu Ali Pasha (1742–1743) • Seyyid Hasan Pasha (1743–1746) • Tiryaki Hacı Mehmed Pasha (1746–1747) • Boynueğri Seyyid Abdullah Pasha (1747–1750) • Divitdar Mehmed Emin Pasha (1750–1752) • Çorlulu Köse Bahir Mustafa Pasha (1752–1755) • Hekimoğlu Ali Pasha (1755) • Naili Abdullah Pasha (1755) • Silahdar Bıyıklı Ali Pasha (1755) • Yirmisekizzade Mehmed Said Pasha (1755–1756) • Çorlulu Köse Bahir Mustafa Pasha (1756–1757) • Koca Ragıp Pasha (1757–1763) • Tevkii Hamza Hamid Pasha (1763) • Çorlulu Köse Bahir Mustafa Pasha (1763–1765) • Muhsinzade Mehmed Pasha (1765–1768) • Silahdar Hamza Mahir Pasha (1768) • Yağlıkçızade Nişancı Hacı Mehmed Emin Pasha (1768–1769) • Moldovancı Ali Pasha (1769) • Ivazzade Halil Pasha (1769–1770) • Silahdar Mehmed Pasha (1770–1771) • Muhsinzade Mehmed Pasha (1771–1774) • Safranbolulu Izzet Mehmed Pasha (1774–1775) • Moralı Derviş Mehmed Pasha (1775–1777) • Darendeli Cebecizade Mehmed Pasha (1777–1778) • Kalafat Mehmed Pasha (1778–1779) • Silahdar Karavezir Seyyid Mehmed Pasha (1779–1781) • Safranbolulu Izzet Mehmed Pasha (1781–1782) • Yeğen Hacı Mehmed Pasha (1782) • Halil Hamid Pasha (1782–1785) • Hazinedar Şahin Ali Pasha (1785–1786) • Koca Yusuf Pasha (1786–1789) • Kethüda Meyyit Hasan Pasha (1789) • Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Pasha (1789–1790) • Çelebizade Şerif Hasan Pasha (1790–1791) • Koca Yusuf Pasha (1791–1792)
Damad Melek Mehmed Pasha (1792–1794) • Izzet Mehmed Pasha (1794–1798) • Kör Yusuf Ziyaüddin Pasha (1798–1805) • Hafiz Ismail Pasha (1805–1806) • Ibrahim Hilmi Pasha (1806–1807) • Çelebi Mustafa Pasha (1807–1808) • Alemdar Mustafa Pasha (1808) • Çavuşbaşı Memiş Pasha (1808–1809) • Kör Yusuf Ziyaüddin Pasha (1809–1811) • Laz Aziz Ahmed Pasha (1811–1812) • Hursid Pasha (1812–1815) • Mehmed Emin Rauf Pasha (1815–1818) • Dervish Mehmed Pasha (1818–1820) • Seyyid Ali Pasha (1820–1821) • Benderli Ali Pasha (1821) • Hacı Salih Pasha (1821–1822) • Deli Abdullah Pasha (1822–1823) • Silahdar Ali Pasha (1823) • Mehmed Said Galip Pasha (1823–1824) • Mehmed Selim Pasha (1824–1828) • Darendeli Mehmed Pasha (1828–1829)  • Reşid Mehmed Pasha (1829–1833)  • Mehmed Emin Rauf Pasha (1833–1839)  • Husrev Pasha (1839–1840) • Mehmed Emin Rauf Pasha (1840–1841)  • Darendeli Mehmed Pasha (1841–1842)  • Mehmed Emin Rauf Pasha (1842–1846)  • Mustafa Reshid Pasha (1846–1848) • Ibrahim Sarim Pasha (1848)  • Mustafa Reshid Pasha (1848–1852)  • Mehmed Emin Rauf Pasha (1852)  • Mustafa Reshid Pasha (1852)  • Mehmed Emin Aali Pasha (1852) • Damad Mehmed Ali Pasha (1852–1853) • Mustafa Naili Pasha (1853–1854)  • Kıbrıslı Mehmed Emin Pasha (1854)  • Mustafa Reshid Pasha (1854–1855)  • Mehmed Emin Aali Pasha (1855–1856) • Mustafa Reshid Pasha (1856–1857) • Mustafa Naili Pasha (1857)  • Mustafa Reshid Pasha (1857–1858)  • Mehmed Emin Aali Pasha (1858–1859)  • Kıbrıslı Mehmed Emin Pasha (1859)  • Mehmed Rushdi Pasha (1859–1860)  • Kıbrıslı Mehmed Emin Pasha (1860–1861)  • Mehmed Emin Aali Pasha (1861)  • Mehmed Fuad Pasha (1861–1866)  • Yusuf Kamil Pasha (1863)  • Mehmed Fuad Pasha (1863–1866)  • Mehmed Rushdi Pasha (1866–1867)  • Mehmed Emin Aali Pasha (1866–1871)  • Mahmud Nedim Pasha (1871–1872)  • Midhat Pasha (1872)  • Mehmed Rushdi Pasha (1872–1873)  • Ahmed Esad Pasha (1873)  • Şirvanlızade Mehmed Rüşdi Pasha (1873–1874)  • Hüseyin Avni Pasha (1874–1875)  • Ahmed Esad Pasha (1875)  • Mahmud Nedim Pasha (1875–1876)  • Mehmed Rushdi Pasha (1876–1876)  • Midhat Pasha (1876–1877)  • Ibrahim Edhem Pasha (1877–1878)  • Ahmed Hamdi Pasha (1878)  • Ahmed Vefik Pasha (1878)  • Mehmed Sadık Pasha (1878)  • Mehmed Rushdi Pasha (1878)  • Saffet Pasha (1878)  • Hayreddin Pasha (1878–1879)  • Ahmed Arifi Pasha (1879)  • Mehmed Said Pasha (1879–1880)  • Kadri Pasha (1880)  • Mehmed Said Pasha (1880–1882)  • Abdurrahman Nureddin Pasha (1882)  • Mehmed Said Pasha (1882)  • Ahmed Vefik Pasha (1882)  • Mehmed Said Pasha (1882–1885) • Kâmil Pasha (1885–1891)  • Ahmed Cevat Pasha(1891–1895)  • Mehmed Said Pasha (1895)  • Kâmil Pasha (1895)  • Halil Rifat Pasha (1895–1901)  • Mehmed Said Pasha (1901–1903)  • Mehmed Ferid Pasha (1903–1908) • Mehmed Said Pasha (1908)  • Kâmil Pasha (1908–1909) •  • Hüseyin Hilmi Pasha (1909)  • Ahmed Tevfik Pasha (1909) • Hüseyin Hilmi Pasha (1909–1910) • Ibrahim Hakki Pasha (1910–1911)  • Mehmed Said Pasha (1911–1912)  • Gazi Ahmed Muhtar Pasha (1912)  • Kâmil Pasha (1912–1913) • Mahmud Shevket Pasha (1913) • Said Halim Pasha (1913–1917)  • Mehmed Talat Pasha (1917–1918)  • Ahmed Izzet Pasha (1918)  • Ahmed Tevfik Pasha (1918–1919)  • Damad Ferid Pasha (1919)  • Ali Riza Pasha (1919–1920)  • Salih Hulusi Pasha (1920) • Damad Ferid Pasha (1920) • Ahmed Tevfik Pasha (1920–1922)