Iskender Çelebi

Iskender Çelebi was the Minister of Finance in the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent

Iskender Çelebi (Turkish pronunciation: [iskɛnˈdɛɾ tʃɛlɛˈbi]; died 1535) was a long-serving Minister of Finance of the Ottoman Empire during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent. Possibly the most notable events which befell him took place during the Iranian Campaign of Suleiman the Magnificent against the Safavid Empire, known as the Ottoman–Safavid War of 1532–55. He was ordered to accompany Ismail Pasha who was the general of the field army who was heading to the Safavid border from Istanbul in October 1532. Until the campaign, Ibrahim Pasha saw Iskender Çelebi as a father figure who could provide him with valuable knowledge about his craft. (Ibrahim Pasha later became Minister of Finance himself.)

Iskender Çelebi was in favour with the Sultan, who personally cautioned Ibrahim Pasha not to go against him. Because of this Iskender Çelebi became a dominant figure in the campaign. He was even able to order the Grand Vizier who was traveling from Aleppo to Baghdad, to go to Azerbaijan instead. Although this act went against Isbrahim Pasha he did not object, as Iskender Çelebi was appointed by the Sultan. This led to the cooling of relations between both parties. Ibrahim Pasha believed that he was being overruled when he himself was the supreme leader of the campaign (second to the Sultan).

The second incident, which sealed Iskender Çelebi's fate, was in fact in Azerbaijan, where he overruled the Grand Vizier and Ibrahim Pasha, saying "The army will stay put, it is the will of the Sultan". However, when Suleiman the Magnificent arrived in Tabriz, he was astounded to see the field army in the middle of enemy territory. He would not tolerate any behavior which could endanger the army and ultimately himself. Iskender Çelebi's response to this question was not satisfactory, and led to him falling out of favour with the Sultan and his ultimate death in Baghdad, where he was hanged in March 1535.^[1]

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