Statesman (b. 1821, Caucasus – d. 1890,
İstanbul). Coming from a Abkhasian family, he was brought to İstanbul from
Caucasus as a slave at a very early age and sold to Tahsin Bey who was from Nakibüleşraf, Cyprus. Then he was sold to Ahmet
Paşa, the Governor of the province
of Tunisia. There he
studied Islamic Law, Law, History and Mathematics and was instructed in French
during his Military Service. Having completed his education, he served as a
high-ranking official in Tunisia.
He was assigned as the Head Vizier in 1873. However, in 1877, due to a
disagreement with the Governor of Tunisia, he resigned and left for Paris. Being invited a
year later, he returned to İstanbul, then the capital of Ottoman
Empire. In İstanbul he was first nominated as a member of House of
Nobles, and then as the Head of the Financial Committee as a vizier. In those
years he was introduced to Sultan Abdülhamid II and his close circle of friends
and was much appreciated by the Sultan for his ideas and behavior. On the first
anniversary of his return to İstanbul, in 1878, he became the Grand Vizier.
During his time as a Grand Vizier, he tried his best to regulate the
state organization of the Ottoman Empire. He
put an end to the interference of palace personnel in state affairs. Because of
his views and efforts some statesmen from Abddülhamid’s close circle
disapproved of him. A group of high-ranking officials, including Ahmet Cevdet
Paşa, exaggerated their criticism and claimed that Hayreddin Paşa intended to found
an Arabian Empire. In July 1879 he left his position as Grand Vizier, the
duties of which he had performed for seven months. Although his resignation was
accepted by the Sultan, he was not allowed to leave İstanbul because Abdülhamid
wanted to keep him under his control as well as wanting to take his advice
concerning important political issues.
His mansion was in Teşvikiye, the prominent district of İstanbul, where
the mansions of other famous statesmen such as Ahmet Fehim Paşa, Grand Vizier
Kamil Paşa, Grand Vizier Halil Rifat Paşa and Mehmet Said Paşa were also
located.
Hayreddin Paşa, a distinguished statesman and intellectual from the late
period of Ottoman Empire, published his book Akvam’ül
Mesalik fi Ma’rifeti Ahval’il Memalik (The Attitudes of Societies in the
Study of Countries, 1876). Written in Arabian, it is related to his ideas on
issues concerning international politics.
REFERENCE: İbnülemin Mahmud Kemal İnal / Son
Sadrazamlar (4. bas. 1969), TDE Ansiklopedisi (c. 4, 1976), Atilla Çetin /
Tunuslu Hayreddin Paşa (1988) - Büyük Devlet Adamı Tunuslu Hayreddin Paşa (En Emin Yol içinde, sunuş yazısı, 2004), İhsan Işık / Yazarlar Sözlüğü (1990, 1998) - Türkiye
Yazarlar Ansiklopedisi (2001, 2004) – Encyclopedia of Turkish Authors (2005) -
Resimli ve Metin Örnekli Türkiye Edebiyatçılar ve Kültür Adamları Ansiklopedisi
(2006, gen. 2. bas. 2007) - Ünlü Fikir ve Kültür Adamları (Türkiye Ünlüleri
Ansiklopedisi, C. 3, 2013) - Encyclopedia of Turkey’s Famous People (2013), TDV
İslâm Ansiklopedisi (c. 17, 1998), Burak Çetintaş / Teşvikiye’yi Teşvik
Etmişlerdi (Hürriyet, 18.10.1999), Cemil Meriç / Tunuslu Hayreddin Paşa
(2001), Mustafa Armağan / Yahya Kemal ve Son ‘Baba’
Abdülhamid (Zaman, 15.1.2002), TDOE - TDE Ansiklopedisi (c. 4, 2004).
