Sokollu Mehmed Pasha |
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35th Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire | |
In office 28 June 1565 – 11 October 1579 |
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Sultan |
Suleiman I Selim II Murad III |
Preceded by | Semiz Ali Pasha |
Succeeded by | Şemsi Pasha |
Personal details | |
Born |
(possibly) Bajica 1506 Rudo, Bosnia Eyalet, Ottoman Empire |
Died | 11 October 1579 (aged 72–73) Constantinople, Ottoman Empire |
Nationality | Ottoman |
Spouse(s) | Ismihan Sultan |
Children | Sultanzade Ibrahim |
Alma mater | Enderun School |
Ethnicity | Serb |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Ottoman Empire |
Service/branch |
Ottoman Army Ottoman Navy |
Years of service | 1541–1579 |
Rank | Commander of the Imperial Guard (1543–1546) Kapudan Pasha (Grand Admiral; 1546–1551) Governor-General of Rumelia (1551–1555) Third Vizier (1555–1561) Second Vizier (1561–1565) Grand Vizier (1565–1579) |
Battles/wars |
Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–73) Ottoman–Hungarian Wars Russo-Crimean War (1571) Croatian-Ottoman Wars Ottoman–Safavid War (1532–55) Ottoman–Safavid War (1578–90) |
Sokollu Mehmed Pasha (Ottoman Turkish: سوکلو محمد پاشا, Sokollu Mehmet Paşa in modern Turkish; Serbian: Мехмед-паша Соколовић, Arebica: مەحمەد-پاشا سۉقۉلۉوٖىݘ, pronounced [měxmet pâʃa sokǒːloʋit͡ɕ]; 1506 – 11 October 1579) was an Ottoman statesman. Born in Ottoman Bosnia into an Orthodox Christian family, Mehmed was taken away at an early age as part of the Ottoman devşirme system of collection of Christian boys to be raised to serve as a janissary. These boys were converted to Islam, raised and educated, but in turn were offered great opportunities to excel and to rise within the Ottoman imperial system; Sokollu Mehmed Pasha is one of many that made the best of their careers (reaching Grand Vizier rank).
He rose through the ranks of the Ottoman imperial system, eventually holding positions as commander of the imperial guard (1543–1546), High Admiral of the Fleet (1546–1551), Governor-General of Rumelia (1551–1555), Third Vizier (1555–1561), Second Vizier (1561–1565), and as Grand Vizier (1565–1579, for a total of 14 years, three months, 17 days) under three sultans: Suleiman the Magnificent, Selim II, and Murad III. He was assassinated in 1579, ending his near 15-year rule as de facto ruler of the Ottoman Empire.