Mehmed Rushdi Pasha
| Mehmed Rushdi Pasha | |
|---|---|
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Assumed office 24 December 1859 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 1811 Ayancik |
| Died | 1882 (aged 70–71) |
| Religion | Islam |
| Military service | |
| Rank | Colonel,Pasha,Grand Vizier |
Mehmed Rushdi Pasha (Turkish: Mehmed Rüşdi Paşa or Mütercim Rüşdi Paşa , 1811, Ayancik - 1876, Manisa) was an Ottoman statesman. Mutercim Rushdie Pasha served as Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire during five separate terms. He was preceded by Midhat Pasha. Mutercim Rushdie Pasha was a reformist supporter of the Tanzimat. He served as a Translator of Military texts as well as a Military Colonel in his youth. He was born in 1811, and died on 27 March 1882.
Mutercim Rushdie Pasha was born to a poor boatman in 1811 in the town of Ayancik. When he was three years old his family moved to Istanbul circa 1814. In Istanbul Rushdie Pasha studied in the local school system. As he got older he was recruited by the military and studied under a man named Lord Tanase. Under the guidance of Lord Tanase he mastered the ability to read write and speak the French language. After working together with Lord Tanase, Rushdie Pasha was discovered to be an asset to the Ottoman Empire. He caught the eye of Sultan Abdulhamid. Sultan Abdulhamid assigned Rushdie Pasha a translation position with some of the best translators in the Ottoman Empire. Rushdie became very well known in the Empire for his translations. Two of his most important translated texts were manuals of French military tactics and military training. After these translations he was once again promoted and sent along to England to study and translate more western works. Rushdie was surrounded by western ideas similar to his reformist colleagues that would later push for Tanzimat reforms.
In 1839 at the age of 28 he was promoted to the rank of Colonel. Rushdie Pasha continued his military career and in 1843 he became a leader in the military council. He continued to contribute his talents to the military until he resigned from his position at the age of 42 in 1853. He was nominated to be the Governor of Damascus but Rushdie Pasha denied the position. He even declined other government positions to avoid working with Mehmed Ali Pasha.
On 24 December 1859, Mutercim Rushdie Pasha was appointed as the Grand Vizir of the Ottoman Empire under Sultan Abdulmecit for the first time. Rushdie Pasha was constantly involved in internal conflicts having to do with the policy of the Ottoman government. There was a notable friction between Rushdie Pasha and Mehmed Pasha as well as other officials who wanted to do things differently from Rushdie Pasha. This internal drama made it difficult for Rushdie Pasha to hold on to his position of Grand Vizier for very long and was replaced on 28 May 1860. This will continue to me a motif in Rushdie Pasha's service; his controversial viewpoints and strong will lead to other short lived terms as the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire. After his first stressful service as Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire, Rushdie Pasha took an excursion to Berlin in 1860. Shortly after visiting Berlin, he visited Paris and even toured other European countries. In 1861 Rushdie Pasha returned to Istanbul.
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