Life Style and Standard of a Dynasty’s Son-in-Law: Ahmed Fethi Pasha’s Estate

Abstract

Ahmed Fethi Pasha (1801-1858) who comes from a rich, Rhodian family received a very good education compared to his contemporaries. With his quick progress in the State’s positions, the pasha aroused Sultan Mahmud II’s attention and became a son-in-law in the palace. Thus, Ahmed Fethi Pasha, who gained a different status in his professional career and private life, marked the Tanzimat period thanks to these stations and activities. Additionally, he has become one of the richest men in the empire. His remarkable colossal wealth and luxurious lifestyle became the subject of harsh criticism by his political rivals. In this article in which his estate is discussed, issues such as Ahmed Fethi Pasha’s commercial and social networks, reading and spending habits and fondness for luxury were tried to bring to light with reference to his wealth. In addition, the problems related to the determination and payment of debts in the large sums he left behind were examined by using archival sources. Thus, by introducing the life style and standard of a high-level bureaucrat in the Ottoman Empire, his biography was contributed by clues obtained about his character. In addition, there was a chance to get some clues about the class to which the pasha belongs and some consumption habits that changed during Tanzimat period.