Tarhoncu Ahmet Paşa
Encyclopedia
Tarhoncu Ahmed Pasha was an Albanian
statesman and Grand Vizier
of the Ottoman Empire
from 20 June 1652 until 21 March 1653, when he was executed because of the economic reforms he initiated.
Tarhoncu Ahmed Pasha was born in the area of modern Mat District
, northern Albania
in the early 17th century. He was initially a tarragon salesman(tarhoncu) before joining the Ottoman administration. He served as governor of Egypt
before attaining the vezirate. During his brief tenure in the middle of the reign of Sultan
Mehmet IV (r. 1648–1687), he attempted to forestall decline and reform the Ottoman bureaucracy. Tarhoncu Ahmed was the first grand vizier to draft an annual budget in advance of the coming fiscal year. However, his reforms threatened the conservative forces in the Ottoman élite, who secured his execution on 21 March 1653 by spreading the false rumour that he intended to depose the sultan. This effectively ended the attempts at reform for several years.
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
statesman and Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier, in Turkish Vezir-i Azam or Sadr-ı Azam , deriving from the Arabic word vizier , was the greatest minister of the Sultan, with absolute power of attorney and, in principle, dismissable only by the Sultan himself...
of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
from 20 June 1652 until 21 March 1653, when he was executed because of the economic reforms he initiated.
Tarhoncu Ahmed Pasha was born in the area of modern Mat District
Mat District
The District of Mat is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Dibër County. It is named after the Mat River, that flows through the district. It has a population of 48,803 , and an area of 1,029 km². Its capital is Burrel...
, northern Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
in the early 17th century. He was initially a tarragon salesman(tarhoncu) before joining the Ottoman administration. He served as governor of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
before attaining the vezirate. During his brief tenure in the middle of the reign of Sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
Mehmet IV (r. 1648–1687), he attempted to forestall decline and reform the Ottoman bureaucracy. Tarhoncu Ahmed was the first grand vizier to draft an annual budget in advance of the coming fiscal year. However, his reforms threatened the conservative forces in the Ottoman élite, who secured his execution on 21 March 1653 by spreading the false rumour that he intended to depose the sultan. This effectively ended the attempts at reform for several years.