Soldier, statesman, grand vizier
(B. 1820, Gelendost /Şarkîkaraağaç/ Isparta – D. June
15th 1876, Istanbul). His father was Odabaşızade Ahmed Effendi. He came to Istanbul when he was ten years old. He started
his madrasah education next to his uncle who was working as a mudarris in the
Çorlulu Ali Paşa Madrasah and he was transferred to Military School in 1837. He
became a master sergeant by having won the qualifying examination he entered in
1839 and he became a lieutenant in 1842. He graduated with the rank of senior
staff captain from Erkân-ı Harbiye (Military School) in 1849 where he had
entered in 1847. Then, he was appointed as the assistant teacher of art of war
and the teacher of the expeditionary and internal laws at the Military School.
He was sent to Shumen in 1852 by being promoted to the rank of a colonel. He
was changed with the strengthening of the Balkan gates in the Sofia side until
the Crimean War. He was promoted to the rank of colonel upon his success here.
After the Battle of Kars, he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General.
After participating wars in Crimea, Danube and Caucasus fronts, he became the
Military Commander and Chairman of the Military Council, and later the
Commander of the First Army with the rank of marshal in 1863 and the Governor
of Seraskier.
There is conflicting information
from different sources about his personality. Hüseyin Avni Pasha, whose
personality was claimed to be rude, uncouth and non-serious in some sources, and
was also claimed to have been an honest person as well as being passionate
person.
According to some sources he was
dismissed because of an outrageous behavior by the Sultan Abdülaziz in 1865 and
after being jobless for a period of time, he was appointed to the governorates
of Crete in 1867 and then to the governorates of Thessaly and after this date
he started to feel extreme rage towards the Sultan Abdülaziz. In various
sources, it is said that he worked against Sultan Abdülaziz until the end of
his life due to the rage he felt, he put efforts for the crown prince Murad to
take over him and ultimately reaching the goal, he promoted the dethroning of
Abdülaziz and substitution of him by Murad V.
In 1868 he was appointed as the
seraskier by Ali Pasha upon the proposal of Fuad Pasha. Even though he
attempted poisoning the Sultan during his service, he couldn’t succeed. He was
dismissed from the seraskier position and exiled to Isparta during the period
of Nedim Pasha, the Grand Vizier in 1871. He was amnestied after having stayed eleven
months in Isparta. He was appointed as the governor of Aydın (Izmir) in 1872.
He was appointed to the Naval Forces in 1873 and he was appointed as the seraskier
in the same year.
Hüseyin Avni Pasha was appointed
to the prime minister office in 1874 while remaining in the seraskier duty; he
couldn’t remain in this position as long as he hoped. He was sent to the
governorate of Aydın (Izmir) again by being dismissed from the grand vizierate
and seraskier position in 1875. He asked for the permission from the state to
go to France with the excuse of receiving treatment. It is claimed that he had
meetings in London, where he passed from France, in order to dethrone the
Sultan.
Even though the Pasha, who was
appointed to the governor of Konya, was appointed as the seraskier for the
third time in 1875 after his return to home, he was dismissed after a short
time and sent to the governor of Bursa. Pasha, who was appointed as the seraskier
for the last time on May 13th 1876, took part in the encapsulation of
the Dolmabahçe Palace by taking several military students along, with the
excuse of protecting the Sultan from the assassination on May 30th
1876 and upon the dethroning of Abdülaziz, Prince Murad Efendi got ascended the
throne with the title of Sultan Murad Khan V.
He was murdered as a result of
an attack made by senior captain Hasan Bey (Çerkez Hasan) to the mansion of the
Mithat Pasha in Bayezid when the pashas, who got Sultan Abdülaziz killed,
gathered together. According to some sources, it was claimed that Çerkez Hasan
was the brother-in-law of the Sultan Abdülaziz and he attacked in order to take
the revenge of the sultan and according to some, he was a person who acted with
a private grudge. The funeral of Hüseyin Avni Pasha was buried the next day,
next to the tomb of his friend Ali Pasha, near the Süleymaniye Mosque. Çerkez
Hasan, who was caught as injured was executed the next day in the Bayezid
Square.
