Çenebaz Osman Efendi
Encyclopedia
Çenebaz Osman Efendi formally named as Yenişehirli Osman Efendi (either from Yenişehir
near Bursa, or from Giannitsa
, now in Greece
, which was also called "Yenişehr-i Fener" in Ottoman times) in Ottoman
sources, was an Ottoman diplomat who was the first plenipotentiary
in the first peace conference, held in Focşani
, today in Romania
, starting August 19, 1772, among the several that were organised during the ten month truce (May 10, 1772 - March 21, 1773) in the course of the Russo-Turkish War (1768-1774). His Russian counterparts were Grigory Grigoryevich Orlov
, Catherine II's lover and counsellor, and Aleksey Mikhailovich Obreskov (1720–1787), Russia
's peacetime ambassador in İstanbul
.
His name remains a byword until this day, and this thanks to his highly original perception of international relations and the very unusual methods he developed while conducting diplomatic negotiations. He re-gained notoriety in Turkey
's everyday culture following an anecdote
on him told in a book by the Turkish
novelist Kemal Tahir
.
He started by burying an amulet
into the ground on the way the members of the Russian delegation were to walk each day to render themselves to the conference hall. He also kept by his side a large sack full of gold coins at all times during the pourparlers, shuffling the coins noisily and gazing at his interlocutors with meaningful eyes, to the great puzzlement of the Russian negotiators. Proud of his rhetorical skill, he thought he could wear down the Russians with his diatribe of words and he sometimes just shouted at them meaninglessly to keep the pace of his speech. A first-hand Ottoman witness, named below, wrote that, in the end, the Russians had got used to listening to him as they would listen to a kaval
.
Russian Field-Marshal Count Peter Rumyantsev
noted in his memoirs: "If we say this efendi is crazy, it would be improper, so let us just say that he is smart but his is not like any other intelligence, we have ever experienced.". In his account of the war, Ahmed Resmi Efendi
, a fervent advocate of immediate peace, placed the blame for the failure of the first round of negoatiations, centered around the question of Crimea
, squarely on Çenebaz Osman Efendi's shoulders.
The same Ahmed Resmi Efendi was to be the one to appose his signature on the 1774 Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca
, disastrous for the Ottomans, at the end of the second round of the war resumed in March 1773.
Yenişehir
Yenişehir or Yeni Şehir can refer to:* Yenişehir, Mersin, a district of Mersin Province, Turkey* Yenişehir, Bursa, a district of Bursa Province, Turkey* Yenişehir, Diyarbakır, a district of Diyarbakır Province, Turkey...
near Bursa, or from Giannitsa
Giannitsa
Giannitsa is the largest town and a former municipality in Pella regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Pella, of which it is a municipal unit...
, now in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, which was also called "Yenişehr-i Fener" in Ottoman times) in Ottoman
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...
sources, was an Ottoman diplomat who was the first plenipotentiary
Plenipotentiary
The word plenipotentiary has two meanings. As a noun, it refers to a person who has "full powers." In particular, the term commonly refers to a diplomat fully authorized to represent his government as a prerogative...
in the first peace conference, held in Focşani
Focsani
Focşani is the capital city of Vrancea County in Romania on the shores the Milcov river, in the historical region of Moldavia. It has a population of 101,854.-Geography:...
, today in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, starting August 19, 1772, among the several that were organised during the ten month truce (May 10, 1772 - March 21, 1773) in the course of the Russo-Turkish War (1768-1774). His Russian counterparts were Grigory Grigoryevich Orlov
Orlov
Orlov is the name of a Russian noble family which produced several distinguished statesmen, diplomatists and soldiers. The family first gained distinction in the person of four Orlov brothers, of whom the senior was Catherine the Great's paramour, and the two junior were notable military...
, Catherine II's lover and counsellor, and Aleksey Mikhailovich Obreskov (1720–1787), Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
's peacetime ambassador in İstanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
.
His name remains a byword until this day, and this thanks to his highly original perception of international relations and the very unusual methods he developed while conducting diplomatic negotiations. He re-gained notoriety in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
's everyday culture following an anecdote
Anecdote
An anecdote is a short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person. It may be as brief as the setting and provocation of a bon mot. An anecdote is always presented as based on a real incident involving actual persons, whether famous or not, usually in an identifiable place...
on him told in a book by the Turkish
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
novelist Kemal Tahir
Kemal Tahir
Kemal Tahir was a prominent Turkish novelist and intellectual. Tahir spent 13 years of his life imprisoned due to political reasons and wrote some of his most important novels during this time...
.
He started by burying an amulet
Amulet
An amulet, similar to a talisman , is any object intended to bring good luck or protection to its owner.Potential amulets include gems, especially engraved gems, statues, coins, drawings, pendants, rings, plants and animals; even words said in certain occasions—for example: vade retro satana—, to...
into the ground on the way the members of the Russian delegation were to walk each day to render themselves to the conference hall. He also kept by his side a large sack full of gold coins at all times during the pourparlers, shuffling the coins noisily and gazing at his interlocutors with meaningful eyes, to the great puzzlement of the Russian negotiators. Proud of his rhetorical skill, he thought he could wear down the Russians with his diatribe of words and he sometimes just shouted at them meaninglessly to keep the pace of his speech. A first-hand Ottoman witness, named below, wrote that, in the end, the Russians had got used to listening to him as they would listen to a kaval
Kaval
The kaval is a chromatic end-blown flute traditionally played throughout Azerbaijan, Turkey, Hungary, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, southern Serbia , northern Greece , Romania , and Armenia...
.
Russian Field-Marshal Count Peter Rumyantsev
Rumyantsev
The Rumyantsev family were Russian counts prominent in Russian imperial politics in the 18th and early 19th centuries. The family claimed descent from the boyar Rumyanets who broke his oath of allegiance and surrendered Nizhny Novgorod to Vasily I of Moscow in 1391.The first Rumyantsev to gain...
noted in his memoirs: "If we say this efendi is crazy, it would be improper, so let us just say that he is smart but his is not like any other intelligence, we have ever experienced.". In his account of the war, Ahmed Resmi Efendi
Ahmed Resmî Efendi
Ahmed Resmî Efendi , also called Ahmed bin İbrahim Giridî , was an Ottoman statesman, diplomat and author of the late 18th century...
, a fervent advocate of immediate peace, placed the blame for the failure of the first round of negoatiations, centered around the question of Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
, squarely on Çenebaz Osman Efendi's shoulders.
The same Ahmed Resmi Efendi was to be the one to appose his signature on the 1774 Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca
Treaty of Kucuk Kaynarca
The Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca was signed on 21 July 1774, in Küçük Kaynarca , Dobruja between the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire after the Ottoman Empire was defeated in the...
, disastrous for the Ottomans, at the end of the second round of the war resumed in March 1773.