Köse Bahir Mustafa Pasha Explained

Bahir Mustafa
Honorific-Suffix:Pasha
Office1:Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire
Term Start1:12 July 1752
Term End1:17 February 1755
Predecessor1:Divittar Mehmet Pasha
Successor1:Hekimoğlu Ali Pasha
Office2:Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire
Monarch2:Osman III
Term Start2:1 April 1756
Term End2:3 December 1756
Predecessor2:Yirmisekizzade Mehmet Sait Pasha
Successor2:Koca Ragıp Pasha
Office3:Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire
Monarch3:Mustafa III
Term Start3:1 November 1763
Term End3:30 March 1765
Predecessor3:Tevkii Hamza Hamit Pasha
Death Date:1765
Death Place:Lesbos, Ottoman Empire
Nationality:Turkish
Blank1:Origins
Profession:Civil servant

Köse Bahir Mustafa Pasha was an Ottoman grand vizier. His epithet Köse means "beardless". He was also known as Çorlulu Bahir Mustafa Pasha referring to his home town Çorlu. Before being grand vizier he was an imrahor ("governor of the royal stables").

First term

He was appointed as the grand vizier by the sultan Mahmut I on 1 July 1752. But the Sultan died on 14 December 1754. The new sultan Osman III dismissed Köse Bahir Mustafa Pasha from the post on 17 February 1755. He was exiled to Midilli (Lesbos, now a Greek island). Later he was moved to Morea (now in Greece).[1]

Second term

His second term as the grand vizier was quite short. He was appointed on 30 April 1756 and was dismissed on 3 December 1756. He was exiled to Rhodes (now a Greek island) But the new grand vizier Koca Ragıp Pasha was a friend of Köse Bahir Pasha and he helped him to be appointed to various posts in Midilli and Eğriboz (Euboea, now a Greek island). On 11 June 1758 he was appointed as the governor of Egypt, a seat he kept till 1762. Although he was appointed to the governorship of Aleppo (now in Syria) he refused to go the Aleppo.[1]

Third term

His last term as the grand vizier began on 1 November 1763 during the reign of Mustafa III. However he was accused of corruption. He was dismissed on 30 March 1765. The next month he was executed in Midilli.[1]

Notes and References

  1. Ayhan Buz:Osmanlı Sadrazamları,, p.239–242