THE ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF ISLAM

NEW EDITION
PREPARED BY A NUMBER OF
LEADING ORIENTALISTS

EDITED BY

C. E. BOSWORTH, E. VAN DONZEL, B. LEWIS AND CH. PELLAT

C. E. BOSWORTH, E. VAN DONZEL, W. P. HEINRICHS AND CH. PELLAT

UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF

VOLUME VI
MAHK—MID

LEIDEN
E.J. BRILL
1991
 MESIH MEHMED PASHA — MESIH PASHA 1025

I.H. Danismend, Osmanli tarihi kronolojisi, iii, Istan- dominated the Diwan, while Bayezid sent to the most
bul 19722/58, 76, 79, 88, 100-2; v, 22; I.A. Govsa, sensitive governorships his eunuch kapi-aghas from the
Turk meshurlan ansiklopedisi, Istanbul n.d., 159; seraglio (Yahya, Ya c kub, CA1T, KhalTl and FTruz).
Hammer-Purgstall, HEO, vii, 165, 405-6, 206, Supported by the seraglio, MesTh managed to survive
226; Mufassal Osmanli tarihi, iii, Istanbul 1959, 1390; BayezTd's bold decision to eliminate Gedik Ahmed,
c
Othmanzade Ahmed Ta°ib, Hadikat ul-wuzerdy whom he believed to be a threat to his throne. After
(photo reprint ed.) Freiburg 1969, 41; T. Oz, Istan- his execution (18 November 1482), a new era, that of
bul camileri, i, Ankara 1962, 83, 104, plate 75; the seraglio's direct control of government, began.
Ibrahim PecewT, Ta'rikh, ii, Istanbul 1283, 18-19; MesTh was second vizier in the Diwdn in 888/beg. 9
N. Poroy, tstanbul'da gomulu pasalar, Istanbul 1947, February 1483 (Anonymous chronicle, B.N. Paris, suppl.
19-20; I.H. Uzuncarsih, Osmanli devletinin saray 1047, fol. 93a; also Ya c kub Pasha's wakfiyya dated
teskilati, Ankara 19842, 28, 313, 354-7. awd^il Muharram 888/mid-February 1483, in Ep-
(A.H. DE GROOT) stein, 290). MesTh had replaced in this post DjazarT
MESIH PASHA, O t t o m a n G r a n d V i z i e r in Kasim Pasha, a bureaucrat famous as "the founder of
906/1501. MesTh and his elder brother Khass Murad the Ottoman bureaucratic tradition". When Ishak
were sons of a brother of Constantine IX Palaeologus Pasha, Grand Vizier and supporter of Gedik Ahmed,
(Babinger, Fine Verfugung). Apparently MesTh and had to leave the Diwdn (in the summer or early
Murad were captured during the conquest of Con- autumn 888/1483, see Reindl, 171, 236, 283), Dawud
stantinople and brought up as pages in Mehemmed Pasha, who was already second vizier in 887/beg. 20
IPs seraglio. February 1482, and apparently favoured by the
The Greek faction under this Sultan first came to seraglio faction, became Grand Vizier. It is suggested
power when he decided to conquer the Greek island of that MesTh succeeded Ishak in the grand vizierate
Euboea (Eghriboz) in 875/1470. MesTh distinguished (Reindl, 171, 236, 283, on the authority of the con-
himself for the first time during this campaign as san- temporary historian Ibn Kemal), and kept the posi-
djak begi of Gelibolu [q.v.} and admiral of the navy. tion until 890/1485. But MesTh is shown in the
But soon afterwards he offered, as Venetian Anonymous chronicle, fol. 93b, as second vizier and
documents testify, to surrender Gelibolu, the Dawud as Grand Vizier in 889/beg. 30 January 1484.
Ottoman naval base, and the fleet to the Venetians in In 890/beg. 18 January 1485, MesTh was suddenly
return for 40,000 gold ducats, aspiring to become dismissed from the vizierate by the sultan, who was
ruler over the Morea (Babinger, Mehmed, 290). MesTh infuriated at something which we cannot determine
appears to have been a vizier in late autumn 1476, or (Ibn Kemal, cited by Reindl, 283). He was first
in early 1477 (see discussion in Reindl, 280). Two banished to Filibe as its subashi, and then was transfer-
documents (Gokbilgin, 138, 148 n. 153) indicate that red to Kaffa [q.v.] as its sanaj_ak begi in 892/1487
he was already second vizier on 19 Shacban 882/26 (Kaffa, like Salonica, had become an exile for
November 1477 and also in 883/1478, Mehmed demoted viziers). The customs register of Kaffa dated
Pasha KaramanT [q. v. ] being Grand Vizier in both 892/1487 shows that MesTh then owned a ship which
cases. A contemporary source (Donado da Lezze, was active in the traffic between Istanbul and Kaffa
112) states that he was a newly-appointed fourth vizier and at that time his ketkhiidd took for him slaves at
when he was made commander-in-chief of the army Azak. MesTh apparently left Kaffa when Prince
and navy against Rhodes in the spring of 995/1480. Mehemmed was sent as its governor toward the end
Having failed at the siege, he was dismissed from the of 895/1489 (Reindl, 284). Next we find him in our
vizierate (Ibn Kemal, cited by Reindl, 281), but sources as sandjak begi of Akkerman (Akkerme) in
apparently left with the sandjak of Gelibolu as admiral RabTc II 903/beg. 27 November 1497. According to
of the navy. During the indecisive period after the the Anonymous chronicle, fols. 118b-121a, he played a
death of Mehemmed II (3 May 1481) MesTh, who major role in stopping a Polish army which invaded
belonged to the military dewshirme [q.v.] group of Moldavia in 1496-7, in cooperation with the
Gedik Ahmed, appeared as a vizier in the Diwdn. Rumelian and frontier forces and with the Moldavian
Bringing BayezTd II to the throne, the military Voyvode Stephen. MesTh took advantage of this
dewshirme faction had then full control of the achievement to gain the sultan's favour, sending him
government. 29 standards and enslaved Polish nobles.
While Gedik Ahmed, with the support of the The news was welcomed in Istanbul, and Venice
Janissaries, acted too independently, MesTh won the was informed as a warning (Sanuto, / Diarii, i, 845;
trust of the Sultan as an opponent of Djem [<?.£>.]: Fisher, 56). MesTh's pilgrimage in the summer of
when in early summer 887/1482 Gedik Ahmed, 904/1499 seems to be a calculated move to go to Istan-
suspected of being pro-Djem, was imprisoned in the bul and exploit his recent success in Moldavia.
Seraglio, the Janissaries invaded the palace and Actually, considering his experience in naval affairs,
threatened the Sultan, who sent a group of his knowledge of western politics and his family con-
dignitaries, including MesTh, to negotiate. He suc- nections with Venice (Reindl, 279), he was a man
ceeded in appeasing the soldiery by accepting all their who would be most useful in the war against Venice,
demands including the promise never to appoint which began in June 1499. Shortly after his return
viziers outside the dewshirme (da Lezze, 179-80). This from Mecca he was appointed a vizier (basso, in
convinced BayezTd that he was completely dependent, Sanuto, quoted by Reindl 285, does not mean
for his safety on the throne, on the military faction. necessarily Grand Vizier). In fact, in Radjab
MesTh, closely co-operating with the seraglio, demon- 905/February 1500, the Grand Vizier was Ya c kub
strated his diplomatic ability and loyalty once again Pasha, BayezTd II's first Grand Vizier of palace
when Djem took refuge with the Hospitallers of eunuchs, who came to this post following the death of
Rhodes. During negotiations, while Gedik Ahmed Candarlf IbrahTm Pasha at the end of Muharram
proved to be uncompromising, MesTh achieved an 905/August 1499. MesTh entered the Diwdn as second
agreement to the satisfaction of BayezTd, thus becom- vizier while his friend Hersek-oghlu occupied the post
ing the architect of BayezTd's policy in respect of the of third vizier (Anonymous chronicle, fols. 124a).
Djem question. Now members of the military Eunuchs (tawdshi) were never welcomed by the
dewshirme (Dawud, MesTh and Hersek-oghlu Ahmed) bureaucratic and military factions, but they estab-
1026 MESIH PASHA — MESIHI

lished supreme authority over government affairs and new protector, ended with a mention ofyeniceri aghasi
were particularly favoured by BayezTd II. In Muhar- Yunus Pasha (cf. I. Morina, Mesihi'nin Hadim Ali
ram 906/July-August 1500, MesTh was still mentioned Pasa'ya yazdigi mersiyesi, in Qevren, viii [1981], no. 31,
as second vizier (Reindl, 221-2, 354, believes MesTh 55-63). Based on the information given by c Ashfk
was made Grand Vizier immediately after Ibrahim's Celebi, it was formerly accepted that Mesihi did not
death in 1499), and in Ramadan 906/March-April succeed in gaining the protection of either Yunus
1501 he left Istanbul for Tash-ili in Karaman to Pasha or the Nishdndji TadjI-zade Dja c fer Celebi, that
quell the rebellion of the Warsak tribes which were he had to be content with a small fief in Bosnia and
supporting a Karamanid pretender by the name of that his attempts to gain the patronage of Selim I
Mustafa. There is no doubt that in the spring of 1501 failed likewise. This assumption should now be
Mesih was appointed Grand Vizier for the first time revised insofar as Sehi's statement that Mesihi was in
to lead this important campaign (details in Idrls the service of Yunus Pasha has been shown by
Bidllsl, Hesht bihisht, TKP Library, Hazine 1655). Menage to be the more reliable.
Combining the skills of a general and diplomat, MesThl's place in Ottoman diwan poetry is that of a
Mesih was able to persuade the tribal chieftains not to highly gifted and original poet without an extensive
give their support to the Karamanid pretender. Soon oeuvre. His language is relatively plain and clear, his
after his return to Istanbul, a joint Franco-Venetian manner devoid of affectation. Some poems and
invasion of the island of Mytilene (Midilli [q. v.]) passages of his captivate through their lyricism. There
infuriated the sultan, who struck his Grand Vizier is wealth of charming new images, associations and
with his bow (September 1501). Soon afterwards, ideas. A touch of Rumelian dialect here and there is
Mesih was wounded attending a fire in Ghalata, and of linguistic interest.
died five days later (Djumada I 907/November 1501). MesThl's lifework comprises: (1) His not especially
The mosque bearing his name in Istanbul was con- voluminous Diwdn has not yet been printed. Critical
verted from a church and is at present in need of editions in typescript form exist, however: Mine
repair. Its wakfyya is dated Rablc I 907/October 1501 Ozogul, The Divan of the 15th century Ottoman poet
(Ayverdi and Barkan, 142, no. 799). For the awkdffor Mesihi, Ph. D. thesis, Edinburgh University 1969,
his mosque and madrasa in Gelibolu, see Golbilgin, and S. Jaber, Mesihi'nin hayati ve divdnmm tenkitli metni,
439. Its wakfyya is dated 888/1478. The names of his Ph.D. thesis, Istanbul 1953. Best known in Europe is
three sons, CA1T Beg, Mahmud Celebi and Bali Beg, his murabba^ on spring which Sir William Jones pub-
are known. The latter was sanajak begi of Vulcitrin in lished with a Latin translation in Poeseos Asiaticae com-
Rablc I 9097 August-September 1503. mentariorum libri sex, Leipzig 1774, and which was
Bibliography: Anonymous, Tawdrikh-i Al-i thereafter repeatedly translated into German, French,
C
0thmdn, B.N. ms. Supplement turc 1047; Donado Italian, English, Russian and Serbian (cf. F.
da Lezze (J. Maria-Angiolello), Historia Turchesca, Bayraktarevic, Mesihi'nin dilnya edebiyatmda yer alan
ed. I. Ursu, Bucharest 1910, 106, 112, 179, 259, "Bahariye"si, in Istanbul Universitesi Edebiyat Fakilltesi
260 (Misit Bassa); Ibn Kemal (Kemal Pasha-zade), Turk Dili ve Edebiyati Dergisi, xxii [1974-6], 213-9; I.
see Reindl, 19; S.N. Fisher, The foreign relations of Eren, "Bahariye"nin Fransizca, Rusfa ve Sirpfa (evirileri,
Turkey, 1481-1512, Urbana 1948; Idris-i BidlTsI, in ibid., 221-7. (2) The methnewiShehr-engiz ("rouser of
Hesht bihisht, TKP, Hazine 1655; M.T. Gokbilgin, the city") is MesIhT's most original work. It is a
Edirne ve Pasa hvdsi, Istanbul 1952; F. Babinger, humorous description of the handsome youths of
Fine Verfugung des Paldologen Chdss-Murdd, in Aufsdtze Edirne, all of whom have Muslim names and are of
und Abhandlungen, i, Munich 1962, 344-54; E.H. the lower middle class, with mention of their or their
Ayverdi and O.L. Barkan, Istanbul vakiflan tahrir father's profession. (Except for four of the total of 47,
deften, Istanbul 1970; F. Babinger, Mehmed the Con- two verses are dedicated to each youth.) Cf. on the
queror and his time, ed. W.C. Hickman, Princeton text, I. Morina, XV y.y. buyiik Turk sairi Pristine'It
1978; R.F. Kreutel, Der Fromme Sultan BdyezTd, Mesihi (1470-1513} [sic], in Qevren, viii (1981), no. 30,
Graz, Vienna and Cologne 1978; M.A. Epstein, 39-56. Its language is plain, unpretentious and easily
The Ottoman Jewish communities and their role in the fif- understandable. MesThi's Shehr-engiz became popular
teenth and sixteenth centuries, Freiburg 1980; H. and he had numerous followers in this poetic genre.
Reindl, Manner um Bayezid. Eine prosopographische It is generally but not unanimously accepted that the
Studie uber die Epoche Bdyezids II. (1481-1512], Berlin shehr-engiz by DhatI would appear to date from just
1983._ _ (HALIL INALCIK) about the same time, and that it had no Persian model
MESIHI, an important O t t o m a n poet of Bayezid (cf. Mine Mengi, Mesihi'nin hayati, sairligi ve eserleri, in
IPs time (886-918/1481-1512), who died after Turkoloji Dergisi, vi [1974], no. ' l , 109-19; A.S.
918/1512, possibly even after 924/1518 (see V.L. Levend, Turk edebiyatmda sehr-engizler ve sehr-engizlerde
Menage, An Ottoman manual of provincial correspondence, Istanbul, Istanbul 1958; and M. Izzet, Turk edebiyatmda
in WZKM, Ixviii [1976], 3-45, and idem, art. on Gul-i sehrengizler, unpubl. Ph.D. thesis, Istanbul 1936). (3)
sad-berg in Osmanli Arastirmalan, forthcoming). His Gul-i sad-berg ("the many-petalled rose") is an inshd^
given name was c lsa. Born in Pristina, he came in his collection of elegant stylistic samples not without
youth to Istanbul, where he became a medrese student historic interest. Only a very few mss. of this have
and also soon distinguished himself as a calligrapher. been reported to exist (cf. the article by Menage cited
He was able to find favour with the Grand Vizier above).
Khadfm C AU Pasha, whose diwan secretary he Bibliography (in addition to the titles cited
became. However, his patron had frequent cause to above): The tedhkires of Sehl, Latlff, c Ashfk Celebi,
be annoyed with him because of his undisciplined, Kinalf-zade Hasan Celebi, BeyanI and RiyadI;
C
pleasure-oriented life and his lack of conscientiousness A1I, Kiinh al-akhbdr; Sidjill-i ^Othmdni, iv, 369; H.
in the performance of his official duties, and is Hiisam al-Dln, Amasya tdrikhi, Istanbul 1927, iii,
reported to have spoken of him as a sheher oghlam 260; Mustakim-zad_e, Tuhfe-yi khattdtin, Istanbul
("street arab"). He nevertheless held this position 1928, 566; Nedjlb c Asfm, Mesihidiwdni, in TOEM,
until Khadfm CA1T Pasha fell in 917/1511 fighting the i (1911), 300-8; ^Othmdnli mu^elliflen, ii, 410; Ham-
ShTcI rebels under Shah Kuli. Mesihi composed a mer, Geschichte der osman. Dichtkunst, i, 297-302;
deeply-felt elegy on his death but, having need of a Gibb, Ottoman Poetry, ii, 226-56; Nesrin, Mesihi,