Statesman and writer (b. 1823, İstanbul
- d. 2 April 1891). After completing his elementary education in İstanbul, he
attended the Paris Saint Louis High School as his father had been appointed as
the Ambassador to France. When he returned to İstanbul, he worked at the Office
of Translation. Later, he was appointed to important positions at home and
abroad with the support of Mustafa Reşit Paşa, who was a close friend of his
father. He worked as a secretary at the embassy in London (1840), as a member
of the Council for Education and Science (1851), as the Ambassador to Tehran
(1855), the Minister of Law Proceedings (1857), the Ambassador to France
(1891), the Minister of Foundations and the Chairman of the Court of Auditors
(1862). He was appointed as Anatolian Troop inspector in Bursa in 1864 but was
dismissed from this office on complaints by the people of Bursa. He became the
Undersecretary of the Prime Ministry (1872), the Minister of Education (1872),
member of the Council of State, a Member of Parliament with the title of “Paşa”
(1878), the Minister of Education for a second time, the Minister of Internal
Affairs and Grand Vizier (1878) in the period of Sadrazam Mahmud Nedim Paşa.
After these positions, he became the Governor of Bursa and Grand Vizier for the
second time (1882), a post that only lasted for three days.
Ahmet Vefik Paşa was an interesting and
important person with his wit, statesmanship and the literary side of his
character. It is said that his hard-to-understand humor played an important
role in his frequent change of jobs. It is claimed that he sold the land where
the old Robert College (later the Boğaziçi University) was built to American
missionaries because of his debts that accumulated as a result of his excessive
expenditure when he was ambassador in Paris. As a result, he was criticized by
Abdülhamit II. (Osman Ergin, History of Education, 3rd Volume, p. 856). His
theater works are based on translations and adaptations. He is also famous for
his studies on language and history.
WORKS:
HISTORY and
LANGUAGE: Salnâme (Almanac, 1846-47,
1848-49), Müntebahât-ı Durûb-ı Emsâl (Turkish
Proverbs, 1852), Hikmet-i Tarih (History
of Philosophy, lecture notes, 1863),
Şecere-i Türkî (Genealogy of the Turks, translation from Ebul Gazi Bahadır
Han, 1864), Fezleke-i Tarih-i Osmanî (Summary
of Ottoman History, text book, 1876).
ADAPTATION PLAY: Azarya (Azarya from L. Avvare, 1933), Yorgaki Dandini (Yorgaki Dandini from Georges Dandin, 1869, 1927), Zoraki Tabib (Unwilling Doctor, 1869), Dekbazlık (Fakery), Tabib-i Aşk (Love Doctor, 1933).
In addition, he translated plays and
novels.