Midhat Pasha

Midhat Pasha (born October 1822, Constantinople, Ottoman Empire [now Istanbul, Tur.]—died May 8, 1883, Al-Ṭāʾif, Arabia [now in Saudi Arabia]) was twice the Ottoman grand vizier who was known for his honest ability, his administrative reforms, and his initiation of the first constitution of the Ottoman Empire (1876).

Son of a qāḍī (judge), Midhat was trained for an administrative career. He joined the office of the grand vizier, eventually becoming the second secretary to the Grand Council. His enemies arranged for him to be given (1854) the nearly impossible task of halting the revolt and brigandage rampant in Rumelia, in the Balkans, where he achieved startling success. After restoring order to Bulgaria (1857), he spent six months’ study leave in Europe.

In 1861 Midhat was made a vizier and entrusted with the government of Niš, where his reforms were so successful that Sultan Abdülaziz charged him to help prepare a scheme for their adoption in other parts of the empire. After reorganizing the Council of State, he was made governor of Baghdad (1869), where his success was as impressive as at Niš. Midhat took a bold step in 1872. In an interview with the absolutist sultan, he expressed opposition to the grand vizier Mahmud Nedim’s antireform policies. The sultan thereupon appointed him grand vizier in place of Mahmud Nedim. Too independent for the court, however, Midhat remained in power only three months. He was later made minister of justice and then president of the Council of State.

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Understanding the Ottoman Empire

Deteriorating conditions in the empire in 1876 led to a coalition of Midhat, the grand vizier, and the minister of war that deposed Sultan Abdülaziz on May 30 and placed his nephew Murad V on the throne; Murad’s insanity led to his deposition in August, and he was replaced by his brother Abdülhamid II. Midhat again became grand vizier, and, mainly at his urging, the empire’s first constitution was promulgated on December 23, guaranteeing a broad range of democratic freedoms. In the following February, however, he was dismissed and ordered to leave the country. He was recalled again the next year and appointed governor of Smyrna. In May 1881 the sultan again ordered his arrest, and, although he escaped and appealed to the European powers to intervene for him, he gave himself up shortly afterward. At his trial he was found guilty of having caused the death of the deposed Sultan Abdülaziz and sentenced to death. On British intercession the sentence was commuted to life banishment. Midhat spent the last days of his life in Al-Ṭāʾif, where he was probably murdered.