Hersekzade Ahmed Pasha

Hersekzade / Hersekli ⋅ Damat
Ahmed
Pasha
Hersekzade / Hersekli ⋅ Damat Ahmed Pasha
19th Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire
	In office; 1497–1498
Monarch	Bayezid II
Preceded by	Koca Davud Pasha
Succeeded by	Çandarlı Ibrahim Pasha the Younger
	In office; 1503–1506
Monarch	Bayezid II
Preceded by	Hadım Ali Pasha
Succeeded by	Hadım Ali Pasha
	In office; 1511–1511
Monarch	Bayezid II
Preceded by	Hadım Ali Pasha
Succeeded by	Koca Mustafa Pasha
	In office; 1512 – November 28, 1514
Monarch	Selim I
Preceded by	Koca Mustafa Pasha
Succeeded by	Dukakinzade Ahmed Pasha
	In office; 8 September 1515 – 26 April 1516
Monarch	Selim I
Preceded by	Dukakinzade Ahmed Pasha
Succeeded by	Hadım Sinan Pasha
Personal details
Born	Stjepan Hercegović; 1456; Novi, Kingdom of Bosnia
Died	21 July 1517 (aged 60–61); Kızılçöl, Dulkadir Eyalet, Ottoman Empire
Nationality	Ottoman
Spouse	Hundi Sultan
Children	Sultanzade Musa Bey; Sultanzade Mustafa Bey; Kamerşah Sultan; Hümaşah Sultan; Aynışah Hanimsultan; Mahdümzade Hanimsultan
Parents	Stjepan Vukčić Kosača (father); Jelena Balšić (mother);
Military service
Allegiance	Ottoman Empire
Branch/service	Ottoman Navy
Rank	Kapudan Pasha (grand admiral)

Hersekzade or Hersekli Ahmed Pasha ("Ahmed Pasha, son of the Herzog"; Serbo-Croatian: Ahmed-paša Hercegović; Aхмед-паша Херцеговић; 1456 – 21 July 1517), born as Stjepan Hercegović, was an Ottoman Bosnian general and five-times grand vizier of the Ottoman Empire.

He was the youngest son of the Herceg Stjepan Vukčić. Between late 1473 and early 1474 he departed from Novi (today Herceg Novi) to Istanbul, where he adopted Islam along with the peculiar way of life of the Ottoman court, which made possible his advancement through the Ottoman government and military ranks, eventually occupying top offices of the Empire's government and military as a statesman and navy's grand admiral.

Early life

Stjepan was born into the Kosača family in 1456. He was third and youngest son of Herceg Stjepan Vukčić, at the time most powerful Bosnian noblemen. Stjepan's half-siblings from his father's first marriage included Queen Katarina, wife of King Stjepan Tomaš, Vladislav Hercegović, and Vlatko Hercegović, their father's successor. Stjepan's family belonged to the Bosnian Church, but were "shaky Christians" like most of their countrymen. His half-sister, Catherine, converted to Roman Catholicism upon marriage and became pious follower of the church.^[1]^[2]

Stjepan himself left Novi and departed for Istanbul in early 1474, at the latest, where he adopted Islam and changed his name to Ahmed.^[3]

Career

After settling in Istanbul at the Bayezid II's court, he assumed various high offices, and after marrying Bayezid II's daughter, Hûndi-Hâtûn,^[4] he reached the very top of the empire's government and military in a 40-years long career.^[5] Hersekli Ahmed Pasha^[1] was a five-time Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire and Grand Admiral to the sultan, serving five times as Grand Vizier in the period from 1497 to 1515. He died on 21 July 1517 of natural causes, toward the end of the reign of Selim I.^[5]^[6]

Family

He married Hundi Sultan, a daughter of Sultan Bayezid II by his concubine Bülbül Hatun, in 1484. They had two sons and four daughters:^[4]

Sultanzade Musa Bey
Sultanzade Mustafa Bey
Kamerşah Hanımsultan
Hümaşah Hanımsultan
Aynışah Hanimsultan
Mahdümzade Hanimsultan

References

^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Fine, John Van Antwerp (1994). The Late Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest. Michigan: The University of Michigan Press. p. 589. ISBN 0472100793.
^ Pinson, Mark (1996). The Muslims of Bosnia-Herzegovina: their historic development from the Middle Ages to the dissolution of Yugoslavia. Harvard CMES. p. 33. ISBN 9780932885128.
^ Vrankić, Petar (October 5, 2017). "Stjepan/Ahmedpaša Hercegović (1456.?-1517.) u svjetlu dubrovačkih, talijanskih i osmanskih izvora". Hercegovina: Časopis za kulturno i povijesno naslijeđe (in Croatian) (3): 33, 34, 35, 36. doi:10.47960/2712-1844.2017.3.9. ISSN 2566-3429. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Uluçay 1985, p. 50.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Vrankić, Petar (October 5, 2017). "Stjepan/Ahmedpaša Hercegović (1456.?-1517.) u svjetlu dubrovačkih, talijanskih i osmanskih izvora". Hercegovina: Časopis za kulturno i povijesno naslijeđe (in Croatian) (3): 9–67, 35, 36. doi:10.47960/2712-1844.2017.3.9. ISSN 2566-3429. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
^ Pinson, Mark (1996). The Muslims of Bosnia-Herzegovina: their historic development from the Middle Ages to the dissolution of Yugoslavia. Harvard CMES. p. 34. ISBN 9780932885128.

Bibliography

Uluçay, M. Çağatay (1985). Padişahların kadınları ve kızları. Türk Tarih Kurumu.

Political offices
Preceded by Koca Davud Pasha	Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire 1497–1498	Succeeded by Çandarlı Ibrahim Pasha
Preceded by Hadım Ali Pasha	Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire 1503–1506	Succeeded by Hadım Ali Pasha
Preceded by Hadım Ali Pasha	Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire 1511	Succeeded by Koca Mustafa Pasha
Preceded by Koca Mustafa Pasha	Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire 1512 – November 28, 1514	Succeeded by Dukakinzade Ahmed Pasha
Preceded by Dukakinzade Ahmed Pasha	Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire September 8, 1515 – April 26, 1516	Succeeded by Hadim Sinan Pasha

[Antwerp589-1] Jump up to: ^a ^b Fine, John Van Antwerp (1994). The Late Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest. Michigan: The University of Michigan Press. p. 589. ISBN 0472100793.

[Mark_Pinson33-2] Pinson, Mark (1996). The Muslims of Bosnia-Herzegovina: their historic development from the Middle Ages to the dissolution of Yugoslavia. Harvard CMES. p. 33. ISBN 9780932885128.

[Vrankić-2017-hrcak.srce.hr-pp.33,34,35,36-3] Vrankić, Petar (October 5, 2017). "Stjepan/Ahmedpaša Hercegović (1456.?-1517.) u svjetlu dubrovačkih, talijanskih i osmanskih izvora". Hercegovina: Časopis za kulturno i povijesno naslijeđe (in Croatian) (3): 33, 34, 35, 36. doi:10.47960/2712-1844.2017.3.9. ISSN 2566-3429. Retrieved April 30, 2023.

[FOOTNOTEUluçay198550-4] Jump up to: ^a ^b Uluçay 1985, p. 50.

[Vrankić-2017-hrcak.srce.hr-pp.9–67,35,36-5] Jump up to: ^a ^b Vrankić, Petar (October 5, 2017). "Stjepan/Ahmedpaša Hercegović (1456.?-1517.) u svjetlu dubrovačkih, talijanskih i osmanskih izvora". Hercegovina: Časopis za kulturno i povijesno naslijeđe (in Croatian) (3): 9–67, 35, 36. doi:10.47960/2712-1844.2017.3.9. ISSN 2566-3429. Retrieved April 30, 2023.

[Mark_Pinson34-6] Pinson, Mark (1996). The Muslims of Bosnia-Herzegovina: their historic development from the Middle Ages to the dissolution of Yugoslavia. Harvard CMES. p. 34. ISBN 9780932885128.

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v t e Seamen of the Ottoman Empire
Kapudan Pashas	Zagan Pasha Mahmud Pasha Gedik Ahmed Pasha Mesih Pasha Hersekzade Ahmed Pasha Süleyman Pasha Hayreddin Barbarossa Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Sinan Pasha Piyale Pasha Müezzinzade Ali Pasha Kılıç Ali Pasha Cigalazade Yusuf Sinan Pasha Kemankeş Mustafa Pasha Gazi Hüseyin Pasha Kara Musa Pasha Koca Musa Pasha Canım Hoca Mehmed Pasha Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha Mezzo Morto Hüseyin Pasha Baltacı Mehmet Pasha Koca Bekir Pasha Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Pasha Koca Hüsrev Mehmed Pasha Ahmed Fevzi Pasha
Other important seamen	Kemal Reis Selman Reis Mustafa Bayram Hoca Sefer Piri Reis Aydın Reis Sinan Reis Turgut Reis Kurtoğlu Muslihiddin Reis Salih Reis Seydi Ali Reis Murat Reis Sefer Reis Kurtoğlu Hızır Reis Uluç Ali Reis
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Early life

Career

Family

See also

References