Grand Vizier

Classic Period: Divan (Porte) • Grand Vizier
Constitutional Period: Imperial Government

Grand Vizier, in Turkish Vezir-i Azam or Sadr-ı Azam (Sadrazam) (in Ottoman Turkish: صدر اعظم or وزیر اعظم), deriving from the Arabic word vizier (وزير), was the greatest minister of the Sultan, with absolute power of attorney and, in principle, dismissable only by the Sultan himself.[1] He held the imperial seal and could convene all other viziers to attend to affairs of the state; the viziers in conference were called "Kubbealtı viziers" in reference to their meeting place, the Kubbealtı ('under the dome') in Topkapı Palace. His offices were located at the Sublime Porte. "Grand Vizier" (Vazīr-e Azam) is also the official Urdu title of the Pakistani Prime Minister (ministers are titled "vizier").

During the nascent phases of the Ottoman state, "Vizier" was the only title used. The first of these Ottoman Viziers who was titled "Grand Vizier" was Çandarlı Kara Halil Hayreddin Pasha. The purpose in instituting the title "Grand Vizier" was to distinguish the holder of the Sultan's seal from other viziers. The initially more frequently used title of vezir-i âzam was gradually replaced by sadrazam, both meaning grand vizier in practice. Throughout Ottoman history, the grand viziers have also been termed sadr-ı âlî ('high vizier'), vekil-i mutlak ('absolute attorney'), sâhib-i devlet ('holder of the state'), serdar-ı ekrem, serdar-ı azam and zât-ı âsafî ('vizieral person').

In the Köprülü Era (1656–1703) the Empire was controlled by a series of powerful grand viziers. The relative ineffectiveness of the sultans and the diffusion of power to lower levels of the government was a feature of the Köprülü Era.

After the Tanzimat period of the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century, the grand viziers came to assume a role more like that of the prime ministers of contemporary Western monarchies.

References

  1. ^ Diplomatic documents relating to the outbreak of the European war, Volume 2. By Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. P.1411

See also

Central System
(Military administration)
Government:
Classic Period
Divan (Porte)

Grand Vizier (list) · Viziers · Finance
Constitutional Period
Imperial Government
(Parliament)
Lower house (Meclis-i Mebusan)
... see also: Political parties
Upper house (Heyet-i Ayan)
Provincial System
(Civil administration)
Central
Millets (Muslims (Sheikh ul-Islam) · Christians (Orthodox Patriarch · Armenian Patriarch · Syriac Orthodox) · Jews)
Local
Beylerbey · Bey · Elder (Meclis-i Umumi)
Grand Viziers of the Ottoman Empire
Grand Viziers of the Ottoman Empire – Rise (1299–1453)
Grand Viziers of the Ottoman Empire – Growth (1453–1606)
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)
Grand Viziers of the Ottoman Empire – Stagnation (1606–1699)

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)
Grand Viziers of the Ottoman Empire – Decline (1699–1792)

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)
Grand Viziers of the Ottoman Empire – Dissolution (1792–1922)
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)