Abaza Siyavuş Pasha

This article is about the grand vizier in 1687–88. For the grand vizier in 1651 and 1656, see Abaza Siyavuş Pasha I.
Abaza
Siyavuş
Pasha
Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire
In office
18 September 1687  23 February 1688
Monarch Süleyman II
Preceded by Sarı Süleyman Pasha
Succeeded by Ayaşlı Ismail Pasha
Personal details
Died 23 February 1688
Istanbul, Ottoman Empire
Nationality Ottoman
Religion Sunni Islam

Abaza Siyavuş Pasha (died 23 February 1688) was a short term Ottoman grand vizier of the Ottoman Empire who held the post during one of the most chaotic periods of the empire.

Early years

He was of Abkhazian origin. He was a servant of Köprülü Mehmed Pasha, an able grand vizer who died in 1661. By marrying to Köprülü Mehmed Pasha's daughter, he became a relative of the powerful Köprülü family. Together with his brothers-in-law (Köprülü Fazıl Ahmet Pasha and Köprülü Fazıl Mustafa Pasha), he participated in a number of military campaigns. In 1684, Buda (a part of Budapest, the capital of modern Hungary, then a part of Ottoman Empire) had been sieged by the Austrians under the commanship of Maximilian. Siyavuş Pasha stormed the Austrians and forced them to lift the siege. This was one of the few Turkish victories in the Great Turkish War.[1]

As a grand vizier

Ottoman sultan Mehmet IV ("the Hunter") was inattentive to state affairs, especially in the war. The soldiers as well as the other subjects of the empire accused him as well as grand vizier Sarı Süleyman Pasha of the failures in the war. In 1687, the army returned from the front and staged a coup in which both the sultan and the grand vizier were forced to abdicate and resign, respectively. Siyavuş became the new grand vizier on 18 September, and Süleyman II became the new sultan on 8 November. However, Siyavuş was not successful as a grand vizier. He failed to control the troops which encamped in the outskirts of İstanbul. The soldiers demanded for the payment of bonus sallary (traditional payments of the new sultans, Turkish: Cülus bahşişi). But the treasury was unable to make the payment and the soldiers caused unrest in the city. Although, Siyavuş was their candidate for the post, they soon began to oppose Siyavuş and his brother in law Köprülü Mustafa Pasha. The Janissaries raided his house and killed him on 23 February 1688.[2]

See also

References

  1. Ayhan Buz: Osmanlı Sadrazamları, Neden Kitap, İstanbul,009, ISBN 978-975-254-278-5, pp 129–130
  2. Prof. Yaşar Yüce-Prof. Ali Sevim: Türkiye tarihi Cilt III, AKDTYKTTK Yayınları, İstanbul, 1991 p 199-201
Political offices
Preceded by
Sarı Süleyman Pasha
Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire
18 September 1687 – 23 February 1688
Succeeded by
Ayaşlı Ismail Pasha