Some More Particulars Belonging to This Year
In the month of Sefer, the commandant of Brúsa, Mustafa Páshá, was called to fill the office of káímakám in the city of Constantinople. On the 10th of Rabia II. Yemenlí Hasan Páshá was removed from the government of Egypt, and returned with the fleet which conveyed the annual taxes. By the same conveyance also, seventeen begs and four beglerbegs, who had been removed from office by the advice of Mohammed Páshá, the válí of Egypt, arrived at Constantinople. Hasan Páshá, however, was again, in Jemadi II., reinstated in his vezírship, and died on the 9th of Rajab. On the 11th of Shevál Nukásh Hasan Páshá was appointed commandant of Brúsa (probably when he was sent after the notorious Kalander Oghlí). On the 28th of this month, after having received the very distressing and afflicting intelligence of the progress and success of the insurgents, and of their having nearly reached Brúsa, a general council of the great men of the state was summoned for the purpose of consulting what methods ought to be adopted for stopping the further progress of the rebellion. It was immediately agreed to fortify Brúsa; and to send vezír Dávud Páshá to Nicomedia, and Khezer Páshá to Scutari, to see these places fortified also; and to which they repaired. On the 22d of Shevál, Háfiz Ahmed Aghá, chief of the falconers, in consequence of the splendid talents he possessed, both as a man of science and a soldier, arrived at the dignity of becoming the emperor’s favourite. This led to a vezírship, when he became lord high admiral, in room of the European, Ja’fer Páshá.
On the 16th of Dhu’l Kadah of this year, the khán of the Crimea, Ghází Gheráí, departed this life. The messengers who brought this intelligence to Constantinople informed the Ottoman government, that Toktamish Gheráí, the khán’s son, had, in virtue of his deceased father’s will, at least under this pretext, and without waiting for the sanction of the Turkish government, assumed the regal authority. This stretch of authority manifested by the presuming youth did not at all please the emperor, who, it would appear, intended to confer the khánship on Salámet Gheráí. This Salámet Gheráí was, at one time, the accomplice of Delí Hasan, of notorious memory, who although he repented, suffered four years’ imprisonment in the fortress of Romeili. Out of this condition the emperor raised him, and now conferred on him the khánship of the Crimea, become vacant by the death of Ghází Gheráí. His brother, Kalkái Mohammed Gheráí, who had been his fellow-prisoner, was also raised to a participation in the khánship, and both were sent off for the Crimea. On the 21st of this same month, after having kissed the emperor’s hand, they commenced their journey: Salámet went by sea, and Kalkái by land.
Whilst Toktamish Gheráí was waiting with anxiety for the return of the messengers from the Sublime Porte, who, he hoped, would bring him intimations of the emperor’s approbation, his expectations were suddenly blasted by receiving, through some other channel, the unexpected news that his uncle, Salámet Gheráí, had been declared his father’s successor. Thinking to save his own life, he set out for Turkey, accompanied by his next eldest brother, Sefer Gheráí. On passing the river Uzí, and arriving at Akkerman, he employed the utmost precaution to avoid falling in with Kalkái, who was travelling by land: yet notwithstanding all his watchfulness, he actually did meet with him, when instantly a combat ensued, in which encounter the followers of Toktamish were all dispersed. He himself, and his brother, fell into the hands of Kalkái, and were murdered, but not before they had slain a host of their antagonists.
Kalkái, pursuing his journey, arrived in the Crimea, and took possession of the high office assigned him; but soon began to manifest symptoms of corruption most derogatory to his exalted station; and for which Salámet Gheráí meditated his death. Kalkái was some way or other informed of his brother’s intentions, and, to escape what he had thus reason to fear, set out with his brother, Sháhin Gheráí, to the Circassian country, where he wandered about as an outlaw, and where he was afterwards visited by retributive justice for the murder of Toktamish: but we shall have to return to his history afterwards.
In the meantime, the new khán, Salámet Gheráí, was not allowed to enjoy his elevation for any length of time, having been carried off by death. He was succeeded in the khánship by Jánbeg Gheráí.
Hasan Beg Zádeh observes with respect to this portion of history, that it was no sooner known that Toktamish had usurped the regal dignity, than the admiral of the Crimean sea, Háfiz Ahmed Páshá, and the son of the emperor’s tutor or chaplain, represented to his majesty, that Toktamish Gheráí was not acceptable to the people, and that they wished Salámet Gheráí to be made their khán. The pure and disinterested mufti, deceived by Etmekjí Zádeh, spoke to the emperor in favour of Ghází Gheráí’s son, Toktamish, and assured his majesty, that the Tátárs would not accept of Salámet Gheráí as their khán. It turned out, however, that, after Salámet Gheráí, accompanied by a cup-bearer, had arrived in the Crimea, and succeeded to the possession of the Tátár throne, without any opposition having been offered, the emperor, hearing of it, and urged by an imperfect judgment, contrary to every principle of rectitude, deprived the mufti, Siná-allah Effendí, of his high office, and gave it to Mohammed Effendí, a son of his own chaplain. This office continued long afterwards to be occupied by one of his sons.