Lala Mustafa Pasha
| Lala Kara Mustafa Pasha | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire | |
|
In office 28 April 1580 – 7 August 1580 | |
| Monarch | Murat III |
| Preceded by | Şemsi Pasha |
| Succeeded by | Koca Sinan Pasha |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
c. 1500 Sokolovići, Sanjak of Bosnia, Ottoman Empire |
| Died |
7 August 1580 Constantinople, Ottoman Empire |
| Nationality | Ottoman |
| Relations | Sokollu Mehmed Pasha (relative) |
| Religion | Islam |
Lala Mustafa Pasha (c. 1500 – 7 August 1580), also known by the additional epithet Kara, was an Ottoman general and Grand Vizier from the Sanjak of Bosnia.
Life
He was born around 1500, apparently near the Glasinac Plateau in Bosnia, the younger brother of Deli Husrev Pasha, who apparently helped him rise through the system's ranks more quickly.
Mustafa Pasha briefly served as kaymakam (acting governor) of Egypt Eyalet in 1549.[1] He had risen to the position of Beylerbeyi of Damascus and then to that of Fifth Vizier.
The honorific "Lala" means "tutor to the Sultan"; he was tutor to Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent's sons, including Şehzade Bayezid. Apparently, he was in agreement with Bayezid's decision to rebel against his father, although he did not openly support him in a financial or military way. He also had a long-standing feud with his cousin, Sokollu Mehmed Pasha. [2]
He commanded the Ottoman land forces during the conquest of previously Venetian Cyprus in 1570/71, and in the campaign against Georgia and Persia in 1578. During the campaign on Cyprus, Lala Mustafa Pasha, who was known for his cruelty towards vanquished opponents, ordered the Venetian commander of Famagusta Marco Antonio Bragadin and other Venetian military officers flayed alive, even though he had promised safe passage upon surrendering the city to the Turkish army. This was a response to Bragadin's murder of a convoy of Muslim pilgrims whose safety he had promised. It also meant that Mustafa had indicated his aggressive intentions to the Sultanate. (reference The Great Sea, David Abulafia)
[3] In 1575,he became a Damat ("bridegroom") to the dynasty through his marriage to Hümaşah Sultan,a granddaughter of Suleiman the Magnificent. In the final three months of his life, he was Grand Vizier from 28 April 1580 until his death. He is buried in the courtyard of the Eyüp Sultan Mosque in Istanbul. His tomb was designed by Ottoman architect Sinan.
Legacy
He has a street named after him in cities including Larnaca,[4] Cyprus. His invasion and brutal treatment of the Venetian leaders in Cyprus led to Pope Pius V promoting a Roman Catholic coalition against the Ottomans which turned into the Battle of Lepanto in 1571.[5]
See also
References
- ↑ Hamilton Alexander Rosskeen Gibb; Johannes Hendrik Kramers; Bernard Lewis; Charles Pellat; Joseph Schacht (1992). The Encyclopaedia of Islam. Brill. p. 721.
- ↑ http://www.biyografi.info/kisi/lala-mustafa-pasa
- ↑ Kinross, Lord (2002). Ottoman Centuries. Harper Perennial. ISBN 978-0-688-08093-8.
- ↑ Road & Tourist Map of Larnaka. SELAS LTD. ISBN 978-9963-566-92-1.
- ↑ Setton, Kenneth Meyer (1984). The Papacy and the Levant, 1204-1571, Volume 161. Philadelphia.
Sources
- Bradford, Ernle (1999) [1961, published by Hodder & Stoughton]. The Great Siege: Malta 1565. Wordsworth. ISBN 1840222069.
- Bicheno, Hugh. Crescent and Cross: the Battle of Lepanto 1571. Phoenix, London, 2003. ISBN 1-84212-753-5.
- Currey, E. Hamilton, Sea-Wolves of the Mediterranean,, London, 1910
- Foglietta, U. The sieges of Nicosia and Famagusta. London: Waterlow, 1903.
- Pickles, Tim. Malta 1565, Last Battle of the Crusades; Osprey Campaign Series #50, Osprey Publishing, 1998. ISBN 1-85532-603-5.
- Spiteri, Stephen C.. The Great Siege: Knights vs. Turks, 1565. Malta, 2005.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Davud Pasha as Governor |
Ottoman Governor of Egypt (acting) 1549 |
Succeeded by Semiz Ali Pasha as Governor |
| Preceded by Şemsi Pasha |
Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire 28 April 1580 – 7 August 1580 |
Succeeded by Koca Sinan Pasha |
