sokollu mehmed pasha

Sokollu Mehmed Pasha (1506 – 1579) was an Ottoman statesman. Born in Ottoman Herzegovina into a Serbian 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 opportunities to work 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 h…more