Ferhad Pasha Sokolović

Ferhad Pasha Sokolović
Ferhad Pasha Sokolović
Born	Sanjak of Bosnia, Ottoman Empire
Died	1586
Allegiance	Ottoman Empire
Battles	Siege of Gvozdansko
Relations	Relative of Sokollu Mehmed Pasha

Ferhad Pasha Sokolović (Turkish: Sokollu Ferhad Paşa, Bosnian: Ferhad-paša Sokolović) (died 1586) was an Ottoman general and statesman from Bosnia. He was the first beylerbey of Bosnia.

Origin

Born into the Sokolović family, he was, like his close relative^[a] Grand Vizier Sokollu Mehmed Pasha (Mehmed-pasha Sokolović)^[1] abducted as part of the devşirme system of collection of Christian boys to be raised to serve in the janissary corps, Islamized and recruited into Ottoman service.^[2] While one part of the family became Islamized,^[3] the other stayed Orthodox; notably, another relative (possibly Mehmed's brother^[2]), Makarije Sokolović, was appointed as the Serbian Patriarch by Mehmed Pasha, who with the support of the Sultan had revived the Patriarchate of Peć.

Sanjakbey of Klis

Ferhad Pasha was governor of the Sanjak of Klis between 1566 and 1574.^[1]

Sanjakbey of Bosnia

Ferhat Pasha Mosque was destroyed in the city of Banja Luka during the Bosnian War (1992-95).

Then he moved back to Bosnia, and was one of the founding fathers of Banja Luka, the second largest city in modern Bosnia and Herzegovina. There, he built over 200 buildings ranging from artisan and sales shops to wheat warehouses, baths and mosques. Among more important commissions were the Ferhadija and Arnaudija mosques during which construction a plumbing infrastructure was laid that served surrounding residential areas.^[1] He moved the seat of Bosnia from Travnik to Banja Luka.

In 1576–77, he conquered the towns of Mutnica, Ostrožac, Podzvizd, Kladuša, Peći, and other towns to the Kupa.^[4] Already by springtime 1577, he settled Serb families from Bosnia around reconstructed towns in those areas.^[4]

Beylerbey of Bosnia

In 1580, he became the first governor of the Bosnia Eyalet, as beylerbey (also referred to as "pasha").^[5] The Bosnia Eyalet (or Pashaluk) comprised a total of ten sanjaks: Sanjak of Bosnia (central province), Sanjak of Herzegovina, Sanjak of Vučitrn, Sanjak of Prizren, Sanjak of Klis, Sanjak of Krka, and Sanjak of Pakrac.^[5] The sanjakbey of the Sanjak of Pakrac was Ali-beg, brother of Ferhad Pasha Sokolović.^[6]

Siege of Gvozdansko

Ferhad Pasha Sokolović with 10,000 soldiers organized three major assaults and tried to take Gvozdansko Castle in the Kingdom of Croatia in the Habsburg Monarchy. Finally, when the Ottomans entered the castle gates, all the defending forces were already dead of wounds, hunger and cold. The Siege of Gvozdansko ended with an Ottoman victory on 13 January 1578.^[7] Ferhat Pasha was so moved by their bravery that they were conceded a Christian burial and the local population freed from taxes.^[7][8]

Annotations

1. ^ He was possibly the male first cousin of Sokollu Mehmed Pasha.^[9]

See also

• Mehmed Pasha Sokolović
• Mustafa Pasha Sokolović

References

1. Kolovos, Elias (2007). The Ottoman Empire, the Balkans, the Greek lands: toward a social and economic history : studies in honor of John C. Alexander. Isis Press. p. 192. ISBN 975-428-346-X. ISBN 9789754283464.
2. Mitja Velikonja (5 February 2003). Religious Separation and Political Intolerance in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Texas A&M University Press. pp. 72–. ISBN 978-1-58544-226-3.
3. Vasa Čubrilović (1983). Odabrani istorijski radovi. Narodna knjiga. Док једна грана братства Соколовића, као потурчењаци, седе на највишим положајима Турског Царства: Мехмед-паша Соколовић као велики везир 1565 — 1579, Ферхат-паша Соколовић и Мустафа-паша Соколовић као ...
4. Serbian ethographic series. Srpska akademija nauka i umetnosti. 1928. У току 1576. и 1577. год. бо- сански паша Ферхат Соколовић заузео је ...
5. Istorisko društvo Bosne i Hercegovine (1952). Godišnjak 4. ... босанског ејалета именован је Ферхад-паша Соколовић (1580 — 1588) који је дотле био санџак-бег босански (1574 — 1580). Поред босанског санмака под власт босанског беглербега подвргнуто је још девет санџака који су дотле били у саставу румелиског или будим- ског ејалета. Уз босански санџак који је сада постао централна облает босанског пашалука овоме су ејалету одмах припојени сан- џаци: херцеговачки, вучитрнски, призренски, клишки, крчки и па- крачки, који су тада били издвојени из румелиског ејатета, и зворнички и пожешки, који су били издвсјени избудмскогејалета.Тако се босански беглербеглук, ејалет или пашалук у почетку свога оп- стојања састојао од десет санџака.
6. Klaić, Vjekoslav (1974). Četvrto doba: Vladanje kraljeva iz porodice Habsburga '1527-1740). Matica hrvatska. p. 432.
7. "Zrinske utvrde u hrvatskom Pounju" [Fortresses built by Zrinski family in Croatian pounje region] (PDF). Građevinar (in Croatian) (Zagreb: Croatian Society of Civil Engineers) 55: 304–307. 2003. Retrieved 2011-02-16.
8. Tkalčić, Ivan Krstitelj (1861). Hrvatska povjesnica (in Croatian). Bizotiskom Dragutina Albrechta. p. 127.
9. Dušan Baranin (1969). Сабрана дела. Vuk Karadžić. Ферхат-паша Соколовић, Мехмедов стричевић, био је најпре виши коњички официр, али је доцније на- предовао до беглербега будимскога.