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Ibrahim Pasha:
Loved And Killed
Life and
death of Suleiman the Magnificent’s childhood friend
and Grand Vizier, Ibrahim Pasha
This article is taken from
Wikipedia
Greek by birth, born in the town of
Parga, he was
sold as a slave at the age of six to the Ottoman palace for future sultans
situated in
Manisa in
Western Anatolia. There he befriended Suleiman who was of the same age,
and later, upon Suleiman's accession, was awarded various posts, the first
being falconer to the Sultan. He was so rapidly promoted that at one point
he begged Suleiman to not promote him too rapidly for fear of arousing
jealousy. Pleased with this display of modesty, Suleiman purportedly swore
that he would never be put to death during his reign. Later, after being
appointed Grand Vizier, he continued to receive many gifts from the
sultan, and his power in the Ottoman Empire was absolute, just as his master's. Amongst many titles, he was also
unofficially known as "the most beautiful man in the empire".
Although he married Suleyman's
sister and was as such a bridegroom to the Ottoman dynasty (Damat),
this title is not frequently used in association with him, possibly in
order not to confuse him with other illustrious grand viziers who were
namesakes Damat Ibrahim Pasha (a Bosniak) and Nevsehirli Damat Ibrahim Pasha (Turkish). He is usually referred to as "Pargali Ibrahim
Pasha" or "Frenk (the European) Ibrahim Pasha" due to his tastes
and manners. Yet another name given by his contemporaries was "Makbul
Maktul (loved and killed) Ibrahim Pasha".
His magnificent palace still
standing in Istanbul is called Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum. Attribution of Slavic, Italian (more precisely Genoese) or
even Albanian or Jewish origins to this accomplished polyglot, mainly of speculative value, have been put forth, but many clues referring to his period of power, such as
the fact that he chose to build his palace in immediate view of Atmeydani (today Sultanahmet Square) in Istanbul (the famed Hippodrome of
the Byzantine emperors, facing Saint Sophia), clearly indicate that he was Greek. Built according to a design which is unmistakably defensive in concept (he had
fearsome rivals), his palace is the only residence built by someone outside the Ottoman dynasty that deserves to be designated as a palace.
Ibrahim Pasha Palace (Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts) seen from Hippodrome (left)
and from the terrace of the hotel (right)
On the diplomatic front Ibrahim's
work with Western Christendom was a complete success. Portraying himself
as "the real power behind the Ottoman Empire", Ibrahim used a variety of
tactics to negotiate favorable deals with the leaders of the Catholic
powers. The Venetian diplomats even referred to him as "Ibrahim the Magnificent", a play on
Suleiman's usual sobriquet. In 1533, he
convinced Charles V to turn Hungary into an Ottoman vassal state. In 1535, he
completed a monumental agreement with Francis I that gave France favorable trade rights within the Ottoman empire in
exchange for joint action against the Habsburgs. This agreement would set the stage for joint Franco-Ottoman naval
maneuvers, including the basing of the entire Ottoman fleet in southern
France (in Nice) during the winter of 1543.
A skilled commander of Suleiman's army, he eventually fell from grace after an imprudence committed during a
campaign against the Persian Safavid Empire, when he awarded himself a title including the word Sultan. This
incident launched a series of events which culminated in his execution in
1536, thirteen years after having been promoted as Grand Vizier. It has also been suggested by a number of sources that Ibrahim Pasha had been a
victim of Hurrem Sultan's (Roxelana, the sultan's wife) rising influence on the sovereign, especially in view
of his past support for the cause of Sehzade Mustafa, Suleiman I's first son and heir to the throne, who had been strangled to
death by his father on 6 October 1533, through a series of plots put in motion by Roxelana.
Since Suleiman had sworn not to take
Ibrahim's life during his reign, he acquired a fetva, which permitted him
to take back the oath by building a mosque in Istanbul. He announced the fetva one week before
Ibrahim's execution and dined alone
with him seven times before the final move, so to give his life-long friend a
chance to flee the country or to take the sultan's own life. It was later discovered in Ibrahim's letters that he was perfectly
aware of the situation but nevertheless decided to stay true to Suleiman.
Suleiman later greatly regretted Ibrahim's execution
and his character changed dramatically, to the point where he became
completely secluded from the daily work of governing. His regrets are
reflected in his poems, in which even after twenty years he continually
stresses topics of friendship and of love and trust between friends and
often hints on character traits similar to Ibrahim's.
Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent (reigned during 1520-1566) at younger and older
age and his wife Hurrem Sultan (Roxelana)
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