#cicalazade

It all started with Mihrimah and Rustem’s Wedding: Held between November 26th-December 4th 1539, together with Prince Beyazid and Prince Cihangir’s circumcision celebrations. Her Mahr was 100.000 gold coins. The couple lived in various locations at At Meydani, Üsküdar, and İskender Çelebi farmlands.

Prior to the wedding, Rustem Pasha was appointed Anadolu Beylerbeyi in 1538 and he was already in the Divan by acquiring the position of fourth vizier by summer of 1539.

Their daughter Ayse Sultan was born on August 25th, 1547 (Source: Zahit Atcil)

A letter written on August 26, 1547, from Habsburg ambassador Johann Maria Malvezzi, gives the news of Ayse’s birth: “…yesterday, a daughter was born to Rustan Bassa…”

According to his recorded waqf deeds, the administration of Rüstem’s waqfs was to pass to his daughter Ayşe Sultan, and his representative, Mehmed Kethüda, was to assist her in this matter.

Semiz Ahmed Pasha was appointed Rumeli Beylerbeyi on October 4th 1561. He married Mihrimah’s daughter Ayse on November 28th, 1561. Rustem Pasha had passed away earlier that year in July. (Source: Feridun Emecen)

According to Gerlach, Mihrimah had a daily income of 2,000 ducats and sent 2,000 ducats to her daughter and son-in-law every week. She never remarried.

1563-1566: On July 4th, 1563, Semiz Ahmed Pasha was appointed the sixth Vizier. In 1566 he was on duty in Siege Zsivetgar, nearby Suleyman.

1571: Under Selim II’s rule, shortly before the fleet set sail for the Mediterranean during the conquest of Cyprus, on April 29, 1571 he took command of the land campaign against the Dalmatian coast. With 1,500 Janissaries and 600 slingers under his command, he met up with Rumeli Beylerbey Hüseyin Pasha and fought against rebellious Albanians along the Venetian coast; and, in parallel with the fleet’s coastal operations, participated in the conquest of several Venetian-controlled fortresses, which were aligned from north to south along the Montenegrin coast.

1573 — Dispute with Sokollu and Piyale Pasha (Gevherhan’s husband): After returning to Istanbul, Ahmed Pasha was dismissed from Vizierate along with Vezir Hüseyin Pasha, likely due to his dispute with Sokollu Mehmed Pasha in March 1573). His objection to the appointment of Piyale Pasha (Gevherhan’s first husband) as second vizier likely played a significant role in this. Selaniki notes that on this occasion, he was dismissed from the vizierate for about twenty-five days and retired with 300,000 akçe, but Mihrimah Sultan intervened and had her son-in-law reinstated to the vizierate. Thus, Ahmed Pasha was forced to accept Piyale Pasha’s precedence over him and continue in his role as third vizier. It is likely that this incident led him to align himself with the faction opposed to Sokullu. (And likely we can assume from 1573, Ayse Sultan and Mihrimah Sultan would clash with Sokollu & Ismihan Sultan, and Piyale Pasha & Gevherhan Sultan, both princesses whom were Selim II’s daughters, at least until Sokollu’s death in 1579 and Piyale Pasha’s death in 1578. Gevherhan would gain more influence with her second husband Cerrah Pasha who would personally circumcise Murad III’s son Mehmed. From onward 1574, Nurbanu Sultan was given the title of valide sultan and she also formed her own faction with Canfeda, Chief White Eunuch Gazanfer, Kira Esther and Joseph Nasi & Lala Mustafa Pasha who passed away in 1580)

The Venetian ambassador Garzoni mentions that during these years, Third Vezir Semiz Ahmed Pasha sided with Vezir Mustafa Pasha and the Sheikh al-Islam against Sokullu Mehmed Pasha’s faction. Gerlach reports that on November 21, 1573, his son—born to the sultan’s sister (he meant niece?)—passed away. He lost another son on April 29, 1576.

1576: According to Gerlach on November 8, 1576, Semiz Ahmed married his daughter from Ayse Sultan to Cigalazâde (Cicalazade) Sinan Ağa who was the Janissary Agha at the time and on November 15, he had his other two sons circumcised with a large ceremony. After Piyale Pasha’s death in January 1578, he became the second vizier. (Total of four sons in ambassador reports)

An ambassador report about Cicalazade Sinan Aga:

“Sultana Vecchia, who is spending a vast sum on preparing her dowry for this wedding. In addition to the most honorable gifts of goods, sending the groom another 30,000 gold coins to be put to good use, so that through this marriage he may have his affairs so well established that he cannot fail to receive such honors—and even greater ones.”

This marriage provided Cicalazade Sinan Aga (likely born between 1543-48) a large dowry including gold and valuable clothes. But it also brought him protection from Mihrimah, Semiz Ahmed Pasha and Ayse Sultan’s political faction. Bailo Moro mentioned that Mihrimah Sultan’s (Ayse Sultan’s) protection of Cicalazade against his enemies inside the court such as Safiye, Ferhad, Damad Ibrahim and Halil Pasha.

1578: After Mihrimah’s death in 1578 Cicalazade failed to suppress a rebellion of the Sipahis due to strict regulations of wine consumption, and was sent away from the court to become the governor of Bassora in 1578. As the Venetian bailo reported Cicala lost his reputation inside the court and Cicala was unhappy about leaving his wife behind. (Source: Merve Biçer)

Sadly he couldn’t meet her again and Cicalazade lost his wife, who was Ayse Sultan’s daughter on December 9th 1580

“Last night, Cicala’s wife passed away; she was the daughter of the late Magnifico Acmat Bassà, and thus Cicala has lost the great favors he once enjoyed at this court.” (Again the report confused granddaughter for daughter) Dated December 10, 1580

1579: In the preceding years: Following the death of Selim II and the accession of Murad III to the throne, Ahmed Pasha emerged as a leading figure in the growing opposition to Sokullu Mehmed Pasha. Semiz Ahmed was appointed Grand Vizier the day after Sokullu’s assassination on October 13, 1579). However, his tenure as Grand Vizier was short-lived; he held the office for only six months and sixteen days until his death. During this period, he brought Siyavuş Pasha (Fatma’s husband) into Vizierate and replaced several key high-ranking officials.

French ambassador Jacques de Germigny’s 1579 reports document a pivotal harem alliance: Ayşe Sultan (daughter of Mihrimah Sultan) and Safiye Sultan (the favorite of Sultan Murad III) formed a powerful political faction to counter and oppose the dominant palace figure Valide Nurbanu Sultan. However, Safiye later clashed with Cicalazade, husband of Ayse Sultan’s two (!) daughters, (one of whom passed away before his marriage to the second one) clashed with Safiye and this faction most likely suffered.

“He is about 45 years old; (Cicalazade was born between 1543-48) his wife is the daughter of Rusten Bassa, and his mother-in-law, who is still alive—having been born to Sultan Suleiman—is held in high esteem by those in the inner circle and maintains his reputation, contrary to the wishes of his rivals, who would gladly see him brought down.” (Ambassadorial report mistakes granddaughter for daughter, the opposing political faction would be: Safiye, Ferhad, Damad Ibrahim and Halil Pasha.) (Source: Merve Biçer)

1581: In Jan 1581 Cicalazade made a comeback by marrying another one of Ayse Sultan’s daughters and regained his position at the capital. However, despite Ayse Sultan’s efforts, he couldn’t stay there for long and was sent to Safavid frontier in 1581. He clashed with Ferhat Pasha, and Ferhad Pasha wanted him to stay in Revan for 2 years and told him he could only come back to the capital after this duty. Ferhad Pasha likely wanted to keep his rival away from the capital.

Ambassador report dated January 21, 1580: (But I think the author made a mistake and it’s dated 1581, since Cicalazade’s wife died in Dec 1580)

“Cicala arrived in Constantinople last week, and they say he will take as his wife the younger sister of his late wife, which, once accomplished, will restore him to his former standing—… by virtue of the authority of the sultana who was the wife of Acmat Pasha and the daughter of Rustem Pasha. The Emperor’s ambassador, who has come to reside at the Just Gate, made his entry last Thursday with a most honorable reception, and I sent my family to meet him to perform the customary courtesy, which was granted to him…”

Alberi would highlight the distrust in Cicalazade due to his “noble born” origins:

“He is considered a man of great valor and has distinguished himself in this war against Persia, but because he is Italian, they will never fully trust him.”

Cicalazade was not really recognized as a full noble due to his mom being a Muslim convert. (Source: Merve Biçer)

1583: Safiye is banished from the palace with the efforts of Ismihan-Nurbanu Faction. Ismihan was unmarried at the time. Upon the assassination of Sokollu Mehmed Pasha in 1579, İsmihan Sultan remarried in 1584 to a younger man, the handsome governor of Budin. By 1585, Ismihan passed away during childbirth. (Source: Gulru Necipoglu)

1584: Ibrahim pasa had been betrothed to the Sultan Murad’s daughter Ayse since 1582, but Nurbanu on the other hand was against this marriage. She preferred kapıcıbaşı Mahmud, who was still a child had been given to her by Selim II as an adoptive son. Ibrahim pasha was appointed beylerbeyi of Egypt. After Nurbanu passed away, Mahmud married the daughter of Semiz Ahmed Pasha, sister of Cicalazade Sinan’s wife by December 1584. (source: Maria Pedani)