Mehmed Emin Ali Pasha

Mehmed Emin Âli Pasha was born on March 5, 1815, in Istanbul into a modest family. He started his public service career at the age of 14 as a clerk in the Imperial Council. He later joined the Translation Office, where he learned French and became acquainted with the ideas of the Enlightenment. He rose through the ranks of the Ottoman bureaucracy and became the Minister of Foreign Affairs for a short time in 1840, and again in 1846. He became Grand Vizier for a few months in 1852, then again Foreign Minister in 1854. Between 1855 and 1871 he alternated between the two jobs, ultimately holding the position of Foreign Minister seven times and Grand Vizier five times in his lifetime. He was awarded the Order of the Red Eagle, 1st Class (for non-Christians) in 1851. Âli Pasha was the principal architect of the Ottoman Reform Edict of 1856, which aimed to modernize the empire and grant equal rights to all subjects regardless of their religion. He also played a key role in the Treaty of Paris (1856) that ended the Crimean War and secured the Ottoman Empire's territorial integrity and international recognition. He advocated for a western style of reform, including secularization of the state and improvements to civil liberties. He worked to pacify nationalist movements while at the same time fend off foreign aggressors that were trying to weaken Ottoman control. He advocated for an Ottoman nationalism that would replace diverse ethnic and religious loyalties. He was widely regarded as a deft and able statesman, and often credited with preventing an early break-up of the empire. Âli Pasha died of pneumonia on September 7, 1871, in Istanbul. He was buried in the Eyüp Cemetery, next to his son Mehmed Fuad Pasha, who had died two years earlier. He was survived by his wife Fatma Hanım and his children Mehmed Rüşdi Pasha, Mehmed Cemil Pasha, and three daughters. He was mourned by many Ottomans and foreigners alike, who praised his achievements and vision. He is considered one of the most influential figures of the Tanzimat (Reorganization) period in Ottoman history.