Mehmed Emin Ali Pasha

Mehmed Emin Âli Pasha (February 1815 – September 7, 1871), (also spelled Mehemed Emin Ali or Mehmet Emin Ali or Mehmed Emin Aali), was an Ottoman statesman. He was the principal architect of the Ottoman Reform Edict of 1856 (Ottoman Turkish: Islâhât Hatt-ı Hümâyûn-û‎), a crucial part of the Tanzimat reforms of the mid-19th-century Ottoman Empire, which he transformed from a tottering medieval potentate into a nation run along modern lines. His deft and subtle diplomacy made him one of the most famous statesmen of mid-19th-century Europe.

Mehmed Emin Aali Pasha was born in Istanbul and was the "son of a shopkeeper." Since he had a knowledge of French he was able to enter the diplomatic service of his country at an early age when he obtained a post in the Translation Office of the Ottoman Empire in 1833. He then became the secretary of legation in Turkey (1834–36) and then the secretary of the Embassy in Vienna. In 1840 he became the Minister of Foreign Affairs for a short time, before serving as ambassador to Great Britain in London (1841–44), and again Minister of Foreign Affairs under Koca Mustafa Reşid Pasha ( Reshid Pasha ) in 1846. In 1852 he was promoted to the post of Grand Vizier. He continued to represent the Ottoman Empire for most of the rest of his life, being Foreign Minister in 1857-8, July 1861 and November 1861 to 1867, and Grand Vizier in 1858-9, 1861 and 1867-71. A scholar and a linguist, he was a match for the diplomats of European powers, against whom he successfully defended the interests of his country. He was determined to steer Turkey into the 19th century, but he also was authoritarian and overbearing in his personal manner. He was a reformist politician and process of westernization took place in the Ottoman government in his period of prime ministry. He died in the immediate vicinity of Baghdad Avenue near Erenköy at Kadıköy, Istanbul in Asia Minor on 7 September 1871 after three months of illness.

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