RAMAZAN-ZADE (Mehmed).
Tarih-i Nisanci Mehmed Pasa. (The History of Nisanci Mehmed Pasha.)
First printed history of Sokollu Mehmed Pasha
An uncommon account of the life and times of Sokollu Mehmed Pasha (1506-1579), one of the most significant Ottoman statesmen of the sixteenth century. It appears to be his first printed biography, published by the famous Matbaa-i Âmire, which originated out of Ibrahim Müteferrika’s Darüttibaa, the first Muslim-run press working with moveable Arabic type in the Islamic world.
Born to a Christian Orthodox Serbian family he was among the most remarkable successes of the Ottoman ‘blood tax’ (devsirme) system of recruiting boys from its Balkan provinces to serve as soldiers and administrators. Such were his talents, which ranged from soldiery to polyglottism, that he rose rapidly from janissary to commander, and then on to increasingly important official positions within the Ottoman imperial system. These positions included Governor-General of Rumelia (1551-1555), Third Vizier (1555-1561) and Second Vizier (1561-1565). He was instated as Grand Vizier in 1565 and held the position for fourteen years, only to be assassinated after falling out of favour with Sultan Murad III. Perhaps the greatest testament to his longevity is the quick succession of men that followed his death, with the Sultan switching Grand Vizier ten times over sixteen years.
A modern biography did not appear until 1924, when Ahmet Refik Altinay’s (1881-1937) Sokollu was published in Istanbul.
Provenance: The first seal impression is that of the press, reading ‘Tabhâne-yi Âmire’. The second reads ‘Es-Seyyid Mehmed Kâmil’ and is likely a mark of contemporary private ownership.
Özege, 19880.
