Part 17

In Anatolia, Abáza Páshá reduced the strength of the disaffected Janissaries and Sipáhís by numerous executions. The remainder of the rebels desiring to be enrolled amongst the troops, were sent into the provinces, where they gradually disappeared: some having been executed, others became students, porters or dervíshes, and others migrated. In the year 1033 (1623) the Shaikh ul Islám Yehiyá Efendí was degraded at the instigation of the grand vezír Kemán Kesh Alí Páshá, and Ahmed Efendí was appointed to succeed him. The vezírs Khalíl and Gúrjí Mohammed were imprisoned in the same year, but were liberated on the Sultán’s being convinced that they were not concerned in the rebellion of Abáza Páshá. But Kemán Kesh, presuming upon his having been the means of raising the Sultán to the throne, lost sight of the respect due to his sovereign, and engaged in many disputes with him: he was therefore imprisoned in a part of the palace, called the Sircheh-seráï, and afterwards put to death. Cherkess Mohammed Páshá was named commander-in-chief against Abáza Páshá, and marched towards Wán. He was a most faithful and amiable man, and was unequalled by any vezír. The same year he gave battle to Abáza Páshá near Cæsarea, and forced him to retreat to Erzerúm, where he took up his residence. Cherkess Mohammed died in 1034, and was buried at Márdín. His successor, Háfiz Ahmed Páshá, appointed Khosrau Páshá Aghá of the Janissaries. In the same year Karchagháï Khán was routed by the prince of Georgia, and brought before Háfiz Ahmed Páshá, then at Díárbekr, whence he was sent, with all the drums and standards which had been taken, to Sultán Murád. Mauro, the prince of Georgia, was invested with a robe of honour.

The siege of Baghdád having commenced, the Moslem troops had the city before them, and behind, the camp of the prince I’ísá, the son of the Persian Sháh. The latter found means to throw twenty thousand Mazanderání rotops into the castle, and made a night attack upon the Moslems. The Ottoman army being thus between two fires, suffering from the greatest scarcity of provisions, and surrounded by deserts, was glad to avail itself of an opportunity to make a safe retreat to Díárbekr. The Sultán being highly displeased at this movement, dismissed Háfiz Páshá, and gave the seals a second time to Khalíl Páshá. Whilst the troops were in winter quarters at Tokát, intelligence was received that Akhiska had fallen into the hands of the enemy. Khalíl Páshá immediately despatched Díshlen Husain Páshá with ten thousand chosen men, and wrote at the same time by the express orders of the emperor to Abáza Páshá, directing him to march with Husain Páshá to relieve Akhiska. Abáza, however, fearing the whole was a plot, and supposing that Husain was sent against him, invited him to a feast in the castle, where he murdered him, and attacked his troops, many thousands of whom quaffed the cup of martyrdom, and the remainder fled naked and in the greatest distress to Tokát. The news having reached Constantinople, and Abáza’s rebellion being evident, an imperial order was issued to all the vezírs and Páshás to besiege Abáza Páshá in Erzerúm, under the direction of the grand vezír Khalíl Páshá. As, however, they had not much artillery, the Ottoman army suffered great inconvenience from the frequent attacks of Abáza from the city, and many thousands of the Janissaries fell. In this state, a tremendous storm of snow buried the tents, and a general disaffection arising among the troops, the siege was raised, and they retreated, pursued by Abáza’s men. At Habs and Mámákhátún they were overtaken by the enemy, who cut off the hands and feet of many thousands of the Ottomans, and threw them into a well, which to this day is called the well of hands and feet (Cláh Dast ú Pá). This well is near the tomb of Mámákhátún. Sultán Murád was greatly displeased with this news, and in 1038 (1628) transferred the seals of office to Khosrau Páshá the Bosnian. Abáza Páshá (not the rebel, but the salihdár or sword-bearer of the Sultán) was named ághá of the Janissaries, and sent against Abáza the rebel, to demand the evacuation of Akhiska. He stopped before Erzerúm to prevent any communication, and to guard the trenches, lest Abáza, when hard pressed, should evince any inclination to deliver the fortress to the Persians. Forty thousand brave warriors were employed in attacking it, with seven batteries of heavy guns. Many of the garrison now began to come over to the Ottoman camp, where they were received with great kindness. This kind treatment had so good an effect, that the whole garrison surrendered, and claimed the powerful protection of the Osmánlís. The ulemá and all the inhabitants now came out of the city and implored Khosrau Páshá to spare them, according to the saying, “Pardon is the choicest flower of victory.” On the 9th of Moharrem the victorious army entered the city, and before winter set in they repaired all the walls. Kana’án Páshá was left to keep it with a garrison of fifty thousand men. By the assistance of Mauro Khán the fortress of Akhiska was also reduced; and the government of Childer was given to Sefer Páshá.

When the news of these splendid victories reached the imperial ear, orders were given to bring the rebel Abáza Páshá before the imperial stirrup. It was on the day of a grand diván, when many thousands were assembled before their august emperor. The emperor said: “O thou infidel! wherefore hast thou for so many years cruelly oppressed the faithful, and by thy obstinacy and rebellion caused the destruction of so many thousands of brave men?” Abáza Páshá kissed the ground three times, and said: “My emperor! for the sake of the holy prophet, and by the souls of thy illustrious ancestors, I beseech thee to show favour to me, and pardon me whilst I lay before thee the grief of my heart.” The emperor having graciously granted this request, Abáza proceeded as follows: “My emperor! at the time your brave brother Othmán of glorious memory, actuated by a zeal for the true faith, undertook the campaign of Hotín, in order to be avenged on his enemies, he saw that the Janissaries, though few in number, were well paid. He wished to review them, but they would not consent. Afterwards, when with a thousand difficulties the emperor opened the trenches, the Janissaries made it as plain as day that they were the enemies of the faith, inasmuch as they constantly associated with the infidels, to whom they sent food, and received wine in return. The governor of Bude, Kara Kásh Páshá, was killed, and his army dispersed, without their offering the least assistance; and they even sent to the Tátár Khán, who was coming to the assistance of the imperial army, requesting him to slacken his march instead of accelerating it. Some of the vezírs seized several spies who were paid by the Janissaries, brought them into the presence of your brother Othmán, and killed them before his eyes. It was in this manner that the siege of so small a fortress as Hotín was abandoned by their taking to flight. Seven thousand purses, and many hundred thousands of Ottoman subjects were lost, together with the glory of the Sultán, against whom they rebelled on his return to Islámbol. When Sultán Othmán went to their mosque, the Orta-jáme’, he was assailed with the most abusive language; and when he held by one of the windows on the left side of the mehráb, whilst he earnestly appealed for assistance from the people of Mohammed, an abject wretch, worse than an infidel, and of the ignominous name of Pehleván, thus insulted him: ’Othmán Chelebí! you are a fine boy; come along with us to Yúsuf Sháh’s coffee-house or to our barracks.’ Othmán Khán not accepting this impudent invitation, the audacious fellow struck the arm with which the emperor held the window a blow which broke it. From the mosque they carried him in a cart to the Seven Towers, where he was barbarously treated, and at last most cruelly put to death by Pehleván. Whilst his sacred body was exposed upon an old mat, the Jebbehjí-báshí, Káfir Aghá cut off his right ear, and a Janissary one of his fingers, for the sake of the ring upon it. The former brought the ear and the finger to Dávud Páshá, who rewarded the bearer of such acceptable news with a purse of money. The Jebbehjí-báshí said to Dávud Páshá: ’My lord, may your name be everlasting in the world, and may the family of the Dávuds always be in power. For this wish he was rewarded with the place of ághá of the Janissaries, and actually entered into a plan to raise his own son, Soleïmán Beg, to the throne of the Ottomans; and promised the Janissaries that, instead of the blue cloth of Salonik, they should wear fine scarlet cloth. This story having circulated throughout the city, it raised the indignation and excited the greatest grief in the hearts of all true believers and faithful subjects. A mob of Ajem-oghláns and Janissaries assembled at the mosque of Sultán Mohammed II., and there killed many thousands of the learned and worthy divines, and threw their bodies into the wells: the houses also of many honest men were entirely pillaged. On hearing of these dreadful events, I endeavoured to alleviate the grief of my heart, caused by the martyrdom of such a monarch as Sultán Othmán. It was then that a zeal to show I was deserving of his bread and salt, took possession of your lálá (tutor) Abáza, and I instantly resolved upon avenging the innocent blood of Sultán Othmán. Having at that time been appointed governor of Erzerúm by your uncle Sultán Mustafá, I was in the habit of offering up my daily prayers in the mosque of the late Láleh Páshá. I heard the rebellious Janissaries saying, ‘Abáza Láleh, you go to the kilísíá (church) of your nearest relation Láleh.’ Thus they dared to call that noble mosque a church! When I went through the city, they cried out ‘oush! oush!’ as if they were speaking to barking dogs; but it was intended for me. I pretended, however, to take no notice of it, and continued to show them many favours. Still, my emperor, I was insulted in a thousand ways. They brought kabáb (roast meat) and wine to the diván, and said, ‘Abáza, we are come to your play-house to make a feast, to dance and sing to your music.’ I suffered even this profanation of the imperial diván, and provided them with refreshments. They then began to plunder the houses and shops of the wealthy, and I have, my emperor, the legal attestations of the depredations they committed in this way.” Here Abáza handed over to the Sultán the legal documents. “My emperor,” he continued, “this mutinous state of the Janissaries did not escape the notice of the Persian sháh, who taking advantage of it, besieged the fortress of Akhiska. I immediately resolved to relieve it: but not a single Janissary would move from the wine tavern, or the buzá-house; and the consequence was, that the Persians took possession of this noble fortress, which had been so gloriously taken by Sultán Selím. My beglerbegs being like myself disgusted with the dastardly conduct of the Janissaries, united themselves with me by solemn oath to avenge the blood of Sultán Othmán, and each swore to subdue the Janissaries under him. On an appointed day I fulfilled my oath, took possession of the interior fortress of Erzerúm, subdued the Janissaries, and became their master. In the mean time the begs and vezírs, who had taken the same obligation, deserted me. From that hour my affairs have every day become worse. This, my emperor, is a true statement of my conduct. Whatever I have done has been from a pure zeal, for the best interests of the Sublime Porte. Your servant Abáza, a poor slave bought for seventy piastres, is not ambitious to obtain dominion in the world through rebellion.”

Thus did Abáza, without fear, boldly detail all the particulars of his conduct, in the presence of the emperor and many thousand spectators. He then kissed the ground, crossed his hands over his breast, bowed his head, and was silent. The emperor listened to his discourse with the greatest attention, and when reminded of the melancholy martyrdom of Sultán Othmán he shed tears of blood, and sighed so deeply, that all who were present lost their senses. The Sultán proceeded to ask him: “But after the battle with my lálá Cherkess Mohammed Páshá at Cæsarea, when I not only pardoned you, but gave you the government of Erzerúm, why did you kill so many excellent men that were sent with Díshlen Husain Páshá? why did you make war against my lálá, Khalíl Páshá? and why did you not give up the castle, and come to rub your forehead on my stirrup? Abáza replied: “My Sultán! not one of those generals who were sent against me, knew how to keep their troops in proper discipline. They plundered wherever they went, like the notorious rebels, Yázíjí Kalender Oghlí and Sa’íd Arab; they crowded every day round the tent of their general with some new claims; they were all a seditious set, to whom I was afraid to trust myself; and instead of devoting myself to a rebellious multitude, who knew no law, I thought it much safer to oppose them as open enemies. When, however, I heard that Lálá Khosrau Páshá was coming from Tokát with an imperial commission, and my spies unanimously bearing witness to his justice, and his determined opposition to the villains, I knew that he was a perfect man, and I was overawed by his power and dignity. He came to Erzerúm like a wolf against a sheep, opened the trenches, and attacked the fortress with seven batteries. Night and day I kept my eyes on the trenches, but never saw a single man leave them to go to plunder the villages, the camp being abundantly supplied with provisions by the peasants in the surrounding villages. I saw none of the villages on fire; but every evening the fátihat (the first chapter of the Korán) was read in every tent, and the prayers were offered up at the five appointed hours. Former commanders never maintained any discipline in their camp; the neighbouring villages were destroyed by fire; and when after three months they effected an entrance into the trenches, they fired a few guns and returned to riot in their tents, from which were heard, night and day, the sound of musical instruments, and the shouts of Armenian women and boys. Observing this state of affairs, I made numerous nocturnal excursions, from which I generally returned with plenty of plunder, and a great number of Janissaries heads with which I adorned the towers of the castle. As winter came on they deserted their commander, and returned to their homes. When, however, I saw the just and upright character of Khosrau Páshá, I said, “Here is a commander who justly deserves the name!” and I hastened to his camp to offer my obeisance. Praise be to God, I was not mistaken in my good opinion of him, for after so long a stay in the midst of an army numerous as the waves of the sea, I have been conducted in safety to the presence of my emperor, whose commands I now wait. “Behold what my zeal for your glory has urged me to do! The sword hangs over my neck: I have come from Erzerúm as your devoted victim!” Saying this, he knelt down with his face directed towards the kibla, and began to recite the confession of faith. When the whole court, the vezírs, the ulemá, the muftí Yahia, and the grand vezír Khosrau Páshá, perceived that the emperor was pleased with Abáza’s humble submission, and that his anger had subsided, they threw themselves at the foot of the throne, beseeching pardon for Abáza. This intercession had the desired effect: the emperor not only pardoned Abáza, but appointed him governor of Bosnia. The vezírs, emírs, and senior officers of the army that had undertaken the expedition against Abáza, were rewarded with robes of honour. Abáza was soon after removed from the government of Bosnia, to that of Silistria. After an unsuccessful expedition against Kamienik he was recalled to Islámból, where he soon became the most confidential adviser of the Sultán. One day when the Janissaries were dissatisfied with the Sultán and would not eat their soup, Abáza said, “Give me leave, my emperor, and I will make them eat not only their soup, but even the dishes.” Sultán Murád having given him permission, he appeared in the diván; on which a murmur was heard from the ranks of the Janissaries, who began to eat their soup with such avidity as if they would have swallowed the very dishes: so great was the awe which his appearance and name excited amongst the Janissaries. When an expedition against Erzerúm was proposed, a report was spread amongst the Janissaries that Abáza was kept only to ruin them. “If the emperor wishes to conquer Erzerúm,” said they, “let him do so with Abáza.” This mutinous spirit of the Janissaries at last forced the Sultán to submit to them, and to give up Abáza, who was one morning dressed in a white shirt and delivered over to the Bostánjí Báshí, by whom he was put to death. His body was publicly interred near the mosque of Sultán Báyazíd, not far from the ink-makers’ row in the district of Murád Páshá. Thus he received according to his actions. May God have mercy upon him!

_A curious Anecdote._

In the year 1056 (1646), when Soleïmán Páshá was governor of Erzerúm, and I, the humble Evliyá, was with him, Abáza Páshá again made his appearance on his return from Persia. Soleïmán Páshá immediately assigned him an allowance, and reported the case to the Sublime Porte. Abáza began to find out his old acquaintances, and soon became the chief of a party to whom he related all his remarkable adventures. According to his account, Sultán Murád being obliged to yield to the Janissaries, who refused to march to Erzerúm so long as Abáza was in the camp, took another man, whom he dressed in a white shirt, and had him executed instead of Abáza, by the Oják Bostánjí-báshí. Abáza himself was taken in a galley to Gallipolí, whence he sailed on board an Algerine ship-of-war. He soon afterwards obtained the command of that ship, and for seven years was a formidable pirate in the Archipelago. On the very day on which Sultán Murád died, he was beaten at the Cape of Temenis by a Danish ship, and remained seven years a prisoner amongst the Danes. He was then sold to the Portuguese, with whom for three years he sailed about in the Indian ocean, and touched at the Abyssynian coast, where he lost his ship. He thence went to India, China, the country of the Calmucks, Khorásán, Balkh, Bokhárá, Isfahán, and Erzerúm, to the governor of which town he related the whole of his adventures, in a manner which excited my greatest astonishment. Soleïmán Páshá’s report having reached the emperor Sultán Ibrahím, he asked the Oják Bostánjí Báshí (the chief executioner) whether he recollected having executed Abáza in the time of Sultán Murád. The executioner replied that he had executed a person in a white shirt whose name was said to be Abáza, that the usual ablutions after his death were performed by the imám of the imperial garden, and that the body was interred at the monument of Murád Páshá. A thousand strange reports having been raised by this story, a Kapíjí-báshí was immediately dispatched with a khat-sheríf (imperial warrant); and on his arrival at Erzerúm, he seized Abáza at the gate of the music chamber of the lower diván, severed his head from his body, and carried it to Constantinople. Soleïmán Páshá was removed from Erzerúm, and his government was given to Mohammed Páshá, the son of Mustafá Páshá, who was hanged. Derzí Mustafá Aghá came in his stead as Musallim, and he appointed me the inspector of the charcoal to a caravan proceeding to Eriván, for which place I set out. Farewell.