Hagop Kazazian Pasha
Encyclopedia
Hagop Kazazian Pasha (1833–1891) was a high-ranking Ottoman
official of Armenian
origin who served as the Minister of Finance and the Minister of the Privy Treasury during the reign of Sultan Abdul Hamid II
.
, a post that allowed him to forge ties to the Palace. After uncovering a case of malpractice at the bank, he was recommended by Forster, the General Director of the Ottoman Bank to Sultan Abdulhamid II, who was looking to put the affairs of the Privy Treasury into order.
A bachelor all his life, Hagop Kazazian lived in the Yeniköy
district of İstanbul
with his mother.. There is little information available about his extended family. Since Kazazian was awarded the order of Saint-Grégoire by the Pope (an award rarely given to non-Catholics) it is possible that he had connections with the Armenian Catholic Church, a small minority within the Armenian community that was considered a separate religious millet by the Sublime Porte.(http://www.hyeetch.nareg.com.au/religion/history_p3.html)
An influential man in his time, Kazazian interceded successfully on behalf of Sarkis Balyan
, a famed architect who had been exiled to France because of political accusations. Kazazian also served as a member of the Armenian National Assembly
, which was established in 1863 and regulated the temporal matters of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire, under the Millet
system.
Kazazian was given the title of Pasha
, an honorific reserved for the highest elite of the Empire as well as a number of decorations
by the Sultan with whom he was a favorite. He was also awarded the order of Saint-Grégoire
by Pope Pius IX
.
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
official of Armenian
Armenians in the Ottoman Empire
Armenians in the Ottoman Empire or Ottoman Armenians were ethnic Armenian people of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Armenian Catholic Church or the Armenian Protestant Church who lived in the Ottoman Empire...
origin who served as the Minister of Finance and the Minister of the Privy Treasury during the reign of Sultan Abdul Hamid II
Abdul Hamid II
His Imperial Majesty, The Sultan Abdülhamid II, Emperor of the Ottomans, Caliph of the Faithful was the 34th sultan of the Ottoman Empire...
.
Life and early career
Despite Hagop Kazazian's lack of higher education (as this is in dispute, some documentation of his lack of education is needed) he was able to rise in the bureaucracy of the Ottoman State through the intelligence and diligence he showed in financial matters. During the early years of his career, he served as the head of the translation department for the Ottoman BankOttoman Bank
The Ottoman Bank was founded in 1856 in the Galata business section of İstanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, as a joint venture between British interests, the Banque de Paris et des Pays-Bas of France, and the Ottoman government.The opening capital of the Bank consisted of 135,000 shares,...
, a post that allowed him to forge ties to the Palace. After uncovering a case of malpractice at the bank, he was recommended by Forster, the General Director of the Ottoman Bank to Sultan Abdulhamid II, who was looking to put the affairs of the Privy Treasury into order.
A bachelor all his life, Hagop Kazazian lived in the Yeniköy
Yenikoy
Yenikoy is a small village in the Region of Afyonkarahisar in Turkey. It is a traditional Anatolian village. Its local government is a Muhtarlik...
district of İstanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
with his mother.. There is little information available about his extended family. Since Kazazian was awarded the order of Saint-Grégoire by the Pope (an award rarely given to non-Catholics) it is possible that he had connections with the Armenian Catholic Church, a small minority within the Armenian community that was considered a separate religious millet by the Sublime Porte.(http://www.hyeetch.nareg.com.au/religion/history_p3.html)
Posts and awards
Sultan Abdulhamid appointed Kazazian as the Director of the Privy Treasury in 1879, and as Minister the following year, when the Privy Treasury was re-organized as a ministry. Under Kazazian, the Privy Treasury was greatly reformed, expenditures were cut and the income of the treasury improved significantly. In 1887, he was appointed as the Minister of Finance, holding both posts simultaneously. Carrying out reforms and expenditure cuts in the Finance Ministry, Kazazian was opposed in his measures, which prompted him to offer his resignation. The Sultan refused the resignation and supported Kazazian in his reform attempts. As Minister of Finance, Kazazian showed great ability at raising Ottoman loans and easing payment of its debts.An influential man in his time, Kazazian interceded successfully on behalf of Sarkis Balyan
Balyan family
The Balyan family was a dynasty of famous Ottoman imperial architects. They were of Armenian ethnicity. For five generations in the 18th and 19th centuries, they designed and constructed numerous major buildings, including palaces, kiosks, mosques, churches and various public buildings, mostly in...
, a famed architect who had been exiled to France because of political accusations. Kazazian also served as a member of the Armenian National Assembly
Armenian National Assembly (Ottoman Empire)
Armenian National Assembly was the governing body of the Armenian Millet established by Armenian National Constitution of 1863 under Ottoman Empire....
, which was established in 1863 and regulated the temporal matters of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire, under the Millet
Millet (Ottoman Empire)
Millet is a term for the confessional communities in the Ottoman Empire. It refers to the separate legal courts pertaining to "personal law" under which communities were allowed to rule themselves under their own system...
system.
Kazazian was given the title of Pasha
Pasha
Pasha or pascha, formerly bashaw, was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire political system, typically granted to governors, generals and dignitaries. As an honorary title, Pasha, in one of its various ranks, is equivalent to the British title of Lord, and was also one of the highest titles in...
, an honorific reserved for the highest elite of the Empire as well as a number of decorations
Order (decoration)
An order or order of merit is a visible honour, awarded by a government, dynastic house or international organization to an individual, usually in recognition of distinguished service to a nation or to humanity. The distinction between orders and decorations is somewhat vague, except that most...
by the Sultan with whom he was a favorite. He was also awarded the order of Saint-Grégoire
Order of St. Gregory the Great
The Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great , was established on September 1, 1831, by Pope Gregory XVI, seven months after his election.It is one of the five orders of knighthood of the Holy See...
by Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX
Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...
.
Death and afterward
Famed at the time for his loyalty to Sultan Abdulhamid II, he received a state funeral after he died in 1891 from a horse-riding accident on the grounds of Kalender Kasrı while riding a horse that had been a gift from the Sultan. Kazazian Pasha was succeeded as the Minister of the Privy Treasury by two other Armenians, Mikael Portukal Pasha, who served until 1897 and was, in turn, succeeded by Ohannes Pasha.See also
- List of Ottoman Ministers of Finance
- History of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire