Ahmed Vefik Pasha

Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox officeholder Ahmed Vefik Pasha (Template:Langx) (3 July 1823 Template:Snd2 April 1891) was an Ottoman statesman, diplomat, scholar, playwright, and translator during the Tanzimat and First Constitutional Era periods.<ref name=brit>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> He was commissioned with top-rank governmental duties, including presiding over the first Ottoman Parliament in 1877.<ref name=brit/> He also served as Prime Minister for two brief periods. He also established the first Ottoman theatre<ref name=brit/> and initiated the first Western style theatre plays in Bursa and translated Molière's major works. His portrait was depicted on the Turkish postcard stamp dated 1966.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Biography

Ahmed Vefik Pasha was born of Greek extraction,<ref name="Berkes, Niyazi – Ahmad, Feroz 1998 29">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> his ancestors having previously converted to Islam, like many other Greek Muslims particularly from Crete (Cretan Turks) and Southern Macedonia in what is now northwestern Republic of Greece (see Vallahades).<ref name="Berkes, Niyazi – Ahmad, Feroz 1998 29"/> He started his education in 1831 in Constantinople and later went to Paris with his family, where he graduated from Saint Louis College.

In 1844 Ahmed Vefik was appointed to review claims of special exemptions from the jizya tax. Under some agreements, European officials had started to extend their extraterritorial privileges to "proteges" - Ottoman Christians of Maltese and Ionian origins. Concerned with the massive revenue loss from unpaid jizya taxes in İzmir Province, where around two thirds of the tax had become uncollectable, Ahmed Vefik was chosen to assess over 1,500 claims of British protection.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Ahmed Vefik was twice made the Minister of Education of the Ottoman Empire. Though he was twice appointed Head of Government, he was appointed with the title "Prime Minister" instead of "Grand Vizier".<ref name="ozkul">Barış Özkul,"Tanzimat Döneminde Tercüme Odasında Yetişine Bir Çevirmen-Aydın: Ahmet Vefik Paşa", İstanbul Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Yüksek Lisans Tezi, İstanbul 2009]</ref> He built a theatre in Bursa when he was made the governor of the city. In 1860, he became the Ottoman ambassador to France. He wrote the first Turkish dictionary and is considered to be among the first Pan-Turkists.

Further reading

• Template:Cite EB1911 This contains a more detailed biography, although comparison with the newer Encyclopædia Britannica entry suggests the information about his early life is in error.