The mufti, in the mean time, sent an account of the whole affair, by means of Dervísh Aghá, chief of the falconers, to his imperial majesty. The emperor, however, was so much displeased at the high-mindedness of the pontiff, who had said he would wander away to the utmost bounds of the empire if Bákí Effendí was not deposed, that on the night of the 28th of Rajab he issued his royal mandate for deposing the mufti, and appointed Zekeríá Effendí military judge of Romeili, to succeed him in the sacred office. Bákí Effendí succeeded Zekeríá in Romeili: the mufti’s brother was deposed from his office in Constantinople, and was succeeded by Siná-allah Effendí of Adrianople, who was succeeded by Abú-saúd Zádeh Mohammed Effendí.
This same year, however, on the 7th of Shevál, Bákí Effendí lost his situation, which was conferred on Menlá Ahmed, the late Mollah of Anatolia; and the jurisdiction of Anatolia was conferred on Siná-allah Effendí, cazí of Constantinople: and Shemish Effendí, of Adrianople, succeeded Siná-allah Effendí. Mohammed Aghá, one of the Kapújí báshís, on the day preceding the last-mentioned date was appointed ághá of the Janissaries, and his predecessor, Khalíl Aghá, was created beg of Kostamúní (in Anatolia).
In consequence of the late tumult which had taken place in Erzerúm, and which had been the cause of Ferhád’s removal from office, as before observed, the new grand vezír appointed a number of fierce Janissaries to accompany a Kapújí báshí to Erzerúm, and require an explanation. On the arrival of this body, and in consequence of the authority with which they were invested, they caused several of the inhabitants to be executed, and transmitted a number of others to Constantinople, where they met with that punishment which their crimes had merited.
Disturbance on the confines of Bosnia and Hungary.—Movements of the Infidels.
The Beglerbeg of Bosnia, Hasan Páshá, a brave and active man, continued unremittingly to harass the enemy’s territories; on which account, the Emperor of Austria sent his ambassador praying to have this officer removed, or otherwise an end was to the existing peace. The ambassador was told in reply, that it belonged to the grand vezír and to Dervísh Páshá, the emperor’s favourite, to repel their aggressions against the Ottoman empire; that, he was told, was a sufficient answer. Hasan Páshá, elated by the encouragement which this laconic answer afforded him, marched his Bosnian forces against Bihka, and after a siege of eight days, took it. After having placed a sufficient garrison in Bihka, he erected two other fortresses in its vicinity; the command of which he conferred on Rustam Beg, an officer who had had the command of Ferhád’s militia.
In the month of Jemadi I., Hasan Páshá again assembled his forces, a considerable host: erected a bridge across the Koopa, in the vicinity of Yení Hissár, and penetrated into the country of Croatia. The most famous of the Croatian frontier chiefs, the governors of castles, the Bani of Transylvania and the Croatian generals opposed him with a mighty army, and gave him battle. The conflict was not long doubtful: the Moslems were victorious; the infidel troops were broken, and obliged to retreat. A great number of the fugitive host perished by the edge of the sword: the whole of their fortifications, their stores, six large cannon and other warlike apparatus fell into the hands of the victorious Moslems. After having obtained this splendid victory, the Páshá sent out parties to scour the country, who returned with an immense number of captives and a great deal of spoil. Two thousand heads, and two hundred living infidels were sent under guard of cannon into the interior of the empire as trophies of the Moslem victors. A proclamation was issued by the Páshá, that if ever the infidels should again assemble such another host, they should meet with a similar or severer fate; but it had no effect.
News from the East.
The ungrateful Sháh of Persia marched this year, with a numerous army, from Kazvín, in Irák, against Abdulmumin, Khán of Uzbek, and proceeded as far as Khorassan. The Khán advanced to the borders of Jiorján to meet the invading army; but finding his troops not sufficiently strong to give the Sháh battle, he retreated to Nishapúr. The Sháh followed him as far as Damghan, and after having reduced the cities of Sebzevár and Isfaráyan in the district of Nishapúr, he returned victorious to Kazvín.
Concerning learned Men.
Al Mevleví Mustafa ben Mohammed.—Mustafa ben Mohammed, one of the most learned men of the age in which he lived, was born in the month of Ramazán 940 of the Hijrah, when his father was cazí of Ipek, in Romeili; and after having studied under the learned Kází Zádeh and Sachlí Emír, he attended, in 963, Abúlsa’úd Effendí, and was appointed head of an academy in 967, with a salary of twenty akchés attached to his office. In ten years afterwards he was salaried by Alí Páshá. In Shabán, A.H. 993, he fell into a lingering illness, which for some time prevented him from active duty. In 998 he was so far recovered as to be able to take upon himself the office of cazí of Tripoli. In the month of Sefer of this year he was deposed, and soon afterwards died at Aksheher, of a severe cold he had caught. He was much celebrated for his great learning, and was a man of generous and mild dispositions. He made a collection of all the common errors, and translated into Turkish Kútb Mekín’s History of Yemen (Arabia Felix). He left behind him also several poems in Turkish.