Hajji Mustafa Pasha | |
|---|---|
 Hadži Mustafa Pasha's assassination by Kuchuk Alija, plate from 1802 | |
| Native name | Hacı Mustafa Şinikoğlu Paşa |
| Nickname | "Serbian mother" |
| Born | 1733 |
| Died | 27 December 1801 (aged 67–68) |
| Allegiance |  Ottoman Empire |
| Rank | pasha, vizier |
Hadji Mustafa Pasha (Serbo-Croatian:Hadži Mustafa-paša, Хаџи Мустафа-паша,Turkish:Hacı Mustafa Şinikoğlu Paşa; 1733 – 27 December 1801) was an Ottoman commander and politician ofGreek Muslim origin who lived inSanjak of Smederevo (in modern-daySerbia). He fought in theAustro-Turkish War (1788–1791) and theRusso-Turkish War (1768–1774). In the period between 1793 and 1801 he was Vizier of the Sanjak of Smederevo (also known asBelgrade Pashaluk). On 15 December 1801 he was murdered byKučuk-Alija, one of four rebelJanissary leaders (dahije) who took control over the sanjak.
Born in 1733, ofGreek Muslim origin,[1] he was surnamedŞinikoğlu (Serbo-Croatian:Šinikdžić).[2] Ashajji, he carried out a pilgrimage toMecca andMedina, and was also a member of theBektashi Order.[citation needed] He was among the notable Ottomans who had fought during theAustro-Turkish War (1788–1791) and theRusso-Turkish War (1768–1774) inBattle of Patras (1772)
Mustafa Pasha was the main government architect (bina emin) in the Pashalik of Belgrade before he becameVizier of theBelgrade Pashaluk in July 1793.[2] He closely collaborated withPetar Ičko and according to some sources both of them were members of onemasonic lodge.[2] As a friend of the Serb people, he was nicknamed the "Serbian mother".[2]
In 1793 and 1796Selim III proclaimedfirmans (decrees) which gave more rights to Serbs. Among other things, taxes were to be collected by local Serbian community leaders with the title ofobor-knez; freedom of trade and religion were granted and ordinary Serbs began to live in peace.Selim III also decreed that some unpopularJanissaries were to leave the Belgrade Pashalik as he saw them as a threat to the central authority of Mustafa Pasha. Many of those Janissaries were employed by or found refuge withOsman Pazvantoğlu, a renegade opponent of Sultan Selim III in theSanjak of Vidin. Fearing the dissolution of the Janissary command inSanjak of Smederevo, Osman Pazvantoğlu launched a series of raids against Serbian brigands without the permission of Sultan Selim III causing much volatility and fear in the region.[3]
Mustafa Pasha engaged mercenary forces in order to fight against Pazvantoğlu. To finance these forces Mustafa Pasha had to increase taxes. He accepted the proposal of local knezes to allow them to establish their own forces consisting of 16,000 Serbs led by Serb officers, commanded byStanko Arambašić from Veliko Selo, to prevent the rebellion because of the increased taxes.[4]
In the summer of 1797 the sultan appointed Mustafa Pasha on position ofbeylerbey ofRumelia Eyalet and he left Serbia forPlovdiv to fight against the troops of Pazvantoğlu.[2] During the absence of Mustafa Pasha the forces of Pazvantoğlu together with Janissaries captured Požarevac and besieged the Belgrade fortress.[2] At the end of November 1797 the ober-knezes fromValjevo,Aleksa Nenadović,Ilija Birčanin andNikola Grbović, brought their forces to Belgrade and forced the besieging Janissary forces to retreat toSmederevo.[5][2]
In January 1798 Mustafa Pasha sent his troops together with the Serbian militia commanded byIlija Birčanin to attack the Janissaries in Smederevo.[4] However, on January 30, 1799, the court of Sultan Selim III allowed the Janissaries to return, referring to them plainly as local Muslims from theSanjak of Smederevo. Initially the Janissaries accepted the authority of Mustafa Pasha. Then two Janissaries in Šabac, Bego Novljanin and Ćurt-oglija, demanded from a Serb a surcharge and murdered the Serb when he refused to pay. Fearing the worst, Mustafa Pasha marched onŠabac with a force of 600 to ensure that the Janissaries were brought to justice and order was restored. On 27 December three of the 200 of those guarding Mustafa Pasha's quarters entered his room and after a short exchange one of the three,Kučuk-Alija, shot Mustafa. The body of the Pasha was then displayed through the streets of Belgrade.[6] Before his death Mustafa Pasha allegedly instructed his son, Dervish Bey, to unite his forces with Serb forces and capture Belgrade from theDahije.[7]
{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help)На чело српског одреда, у који се пријавило 16.000 Срба, био је постављен Станко Арамбашић. То је био зачетак српске народне војске која је иступила у одбрану Београдског пашалука од јаничара крајем новембра 1797.
Ваљевски кнезови Алекса Ненадовић, Илија Бирчанин и Никола Грбовић довели су своју војску у Београд и учествовали у оштрој борби са јаничарима који су се побеђени повукли.
| Preceded by | Vizier of Belgrade 1793–1801 | Vacant Title next held by Bekir Pasha |
| Preceded by | Beylerbey of Rumelia 1797 | Succeeded by |