This is a list of the top officials in charge of the finances of the Ottoman Empire

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...

, called Defterdar (book-holder) between 14th-19th centuries and Maliye Naziri (Minister of Finance) between 19th and 20th centuries.

History of the Office

The exact date of the formal establishment of the office is unknown. According to some sources, the first defterdar was the Kadı (judge) of Mihaliç, Çelebi bin Mehmed, appointed in 1359-1360, during the reign of Murad I

Murad I

Murad I was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1361 to 1389...

. During the reign of Bayezid I

Bayezid I

Bayezid I was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1389 to 1402. He was the son of Murad I and Valide Sultan Gülçiçek Hatun.-Biography:Bayezid was born in Edirne and spent his youth in Bursa, where he received a high-level education...

 (1389-1402), the poet Zahiri is mentioned as the defterdar.

Rank and title

In the classical period, the finances of the Empire were organized under a single Defterdar, literally the main book holder, in charge of a single imperial treasury (Hazine-i Amire). Starting in 1793, smaller treasuries independent of the imperial treasury were organized, each with a separate defterdar in charge. In 1837, a modern ministry was founded under the name of Maliye Nezareti, merging most of the independent treasuries back to the Imperial Treasury. In 1840, the merging of the remaining independent treasuries was completed.

Ministers of Finance in the classical period were called Defterdar, were members of the Divan

Divan

A divan was a high governmental body in a number of Islamic states, or its chief official .-Etymology:...

 and held rank higher than agha (military commander of the central organization, situated in Istanbul) and bey

Bey

Bey is a title for chieftain, traditionally applied to the leaders of small tribal groups. Accoding to some sources, the word "Bey" is of Turkish language In historical accounts, many Turkish, other Turkic and Persian leaders are titled Bey, Beg, Bek, Bay, Baig or Beigh. They are all the same word...

 (provincial governor), lower than vizier

Vizier

A vizier or in Arabic script ; ; sometimes spelled vazir, vizir, vasir, wazir, vesir, or vezir) is a high-ranking political advisor or minister in a Muslim government....

 and kadıasker (chief judge). Starting from 1837, Ministers of Finance were called Maliye Nazırı, held the rank of vizier

Vizier

A vizier or in Arabic script ; ; sometimes spelled vazir, vizir, vasir, wazir, vesir, or vezir) is a high-ranking political advisor or minister in a Muslim government....

 and were titled 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...

.

Reign of Sultan Mehmed II

Mehmed II

Mehmed II , was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire for a short time from 1444 to September 1446, and later from...

• Titrek Sinan Çelebi (1452-1459)
• Hekim Yakup Pasha (1459)
• Osman Çelebi (1461)
• Fenarı-zade Ahmed Çelebi (1474-1479)
• Nureddin Hamza Ibn-i Ali Efendi(Leys Çelebi) (1479-1482)

Reign of Sultan Bayezid II

Bayezid II

Bayezid II or Sultân Bayezid-î Velî was the oldest son and successor of Mehmed II, ruling as Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1481 to 1512...

• Feylezof-zade Ahmed Çelebi (1482-1485)
• Isa Fakih (1485-1486)
• Nureddin Hamza Ibn-i Ali Efendi (Leys Çelebi) (1486-1492), appointed 2nd time
• Cendereci-zade/Çandarlı Şemseddin (1492-1495)
• Nureddin Hamza Ibn-i Ali Efendi (Leys Çelebi) (1495-1499), appointed 3rd time
• Ahmed Çelebi (1499-1501)
• Hüseyin Çelebi (1501-1502)
• Taci Bey (1502)
• Nureddin Hamza Ibn-i Ali Efendi (Leys Çelebi) (1502-1504), appointed 4th time
• Cezeri-zade Koca Kasım Safı Çelebi (1504)
• Hüsameddin Çelebi (1511)
• Piri Mehmed Çelebi (1511)

Reign of Sultan Selim I

Selim I

Selim I, Yavuz Sultân Selim Khan, Hâdim-ül Haramain-ish Sharifain , nicknamed Yavuz "the Stern" or "the Steadfast", but often rendered in English as "the Grim" , was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1512 to...

• Piri Mehmed Çelebi (1512-1520), continued from previous reign
• Şemsi Bey/Pasha (1514-1516)
• Iskender Çelebi (1516-1517)
• Çömlekçi-zade Kemalettin Çelebi (1517-1518)
• Hoca-zade Mehmed Çelebi (1518-1519)
• Abdülkerim-zade Abdülvahhab Hayali Çelebi (1519)
• Cezeri-zade Koca Kasım Safı Çelebi/Pasha (1519), appointed 2nd time
• Ahmed Çelebi (1519-1520), restored 2nd time

Reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent

Suleiman the Magnificent

Suleiman I was the tenth and longest-reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1520 to his death in 1566. He is known in the West as Suleiman the Magnificent and in the East, as "The Lawgiver" , for his complete reconstruction of the Ottoman legal system...

• Ahmed Çelebi (1520-1521), continued from previous reign
• Mehmed Çelebi (1521-1525)
• Abdülselam Çelebi (1525)
• Iskender Çelebi (1525-March 1535 )
• Mustafa Çelebi (1534-1536)
• Ramazan-zade Yeşilce Mehmed Çelebi (1536-1537)
• Nazlı Mahmud Çelebi (1537-1542)
• Ibrahim Çelebi/Pasha (1542-1544)
• Nazlı Mahmud Çelebi (1544-1546), appointed 2nd time
• Sinan Çelebi Pasha (1546-1548)
• Çivi-zade Abdullah/Abdi Çelebi (1548-1553)
• Lütfi Bey/Çelebi (1553-1556)
• Hasan Çelebi (1556-1557)
• Muytab-zade Ahmed Çelebi (1557)
• Eğri Abdi-zade Mehmed Bey/Çelebi (1557-1561)
• Baba Nakkaş-zade Derviş Çelebi (1561-1562)
• Murad Çelebi (1562-1566)

Reign of Sultan Selim II

Selim II

Selim II Sarkhosh Hashoink , also known as "Selim the Sot " or "Selim the Drunkard"; and as "Sarı Selim" or "Selim the Blond", was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1566 until his death in 1574.-Early years:He was born in Constantinople a son of Suleiman the...

• Murad Çelebi (1566), continued from previous reign
• Ebu'l-fazl Mehmed Çelebi (1566-1569)
• Baba Nakkaş-zade Derviş Çelebi (1569-1573), appointed 2nd time
• Lale-i izar/Lalezar-zade/Laleli-zade Mehmed Çelebi (1573-1574)

Reign of Murad III

Murad III

Murad III was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1574 until his death.-Biography:...

• Kara Üveys Pasha (1574-1578)
• Lale-i izar/Lalezar-zade/Laleli-zade Mehmed Çelebi (1578-1581), appointed 2nd time
• Kara Üveys Pasha (1581-1582), appointed 2nd time
• Okçu-zade Mehmed Pasha (1582)
• Hacı Ibrahim Efendi/Pasha (1582-1583)
• Mahmud Efendi/Çelebi (1583-1585)
• Hüsrev Bey (1585)
• Burhaneddin Efendi/Pasha (1585-1586)
• Kara Üveys Pasha/Hoca Pasha (1586-1587), appointed 3rd time
• Ramazan Efendi/Pasha (1587)
• Hacı Ibrahim Efendi/Pasha (1587-1588)
• Ramazan Efendi/Pasha (1588), appointed 2nd time
• Mahmud Efendi/Çelebi (1588-1589), appointed 2nd time
• Şerif/Seyyid/Emir Mehmed Efendi/Pasha (1589-1593)
• Hacı Ibrahim Efendi/Pasha (1593-1594)
• Nuh Pasha (1594-1595)

Reign of Sultan Mehmed III

Mehmed III

Mehmed III Adli was sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1595 until his death.-Biography:...

• Baş-Hasan Efendi/Pasha (1595)
• Şerif/Seyyid/Emir Mehmed Efendi/Pasha (1595), appointed 2nd time
• Mezbeleturpu Mahmud Efendi/Pasha (1595-1596)
• Hacı Ibrahim Pasha (1596)
• Ali Çavuş/Efendi (1596-1597)
• Tophaneli Mahmud Efendi/Pasha (1597)
• Ali Çavuş/Efendi (1597)
• Tophaneli Mahmud Efendi/Pasha (1597-1598), appointed 2nd time
• Tezkireci-zade Mahmud Pasha (1598-1599)
• Burhaneddin Pasha (1599-1600)
• Tophaneli Mahmud Efendi/Pasha (1600-1603)appointed 3rd time

Reign of Sultan Ahmed I

Ahmed I

Ahmed I or Ahmed Bakhti was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1603 until his death in 1617.-Biography:...

• Tophaneli Mahmud Efendi/Pasha (1603), continued from previous reign
• Musa Çelebi-zade Mehmed Pasha (1603-1604)
• Hafız Mahmud Efendi (1604-1605)
• Tophaneli Mahmud Efendi/Pasha (1605-1606), appointed 4th time
• Etmekçi/Ekmekçi-zade Ahmed Pasha (1606-1613)
• Lanka-zade Mustafa Efendi (1614-1615)
• Abdülbaki/Baki Efendi/Pasha (1614-1615)
• Lanka-zade Mustafa Efendi (1615-1616), appointed 2nd time
• Rizeli Hasan Pasha (1617)

First Reign of Sultan Mustafa I

Mustafa I

Mustafa I Deli , son of Mehmed III, was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1617 to 1618 and from 1622 to 1623. His mother was Valide Sultan Handan Sultan, an ethnic Greek originally named Helena....

• Rizeli Hasan Pasha (1618), continued from previous reign
• Yahnikapan Abdulkerim Efendi/Pasha (1618)

Reign of Sultan Osman II

Osman II

Sultan Osman II or Othman II was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1618 until his death on 20 May 1622...

• Yahnikapan Abdulkerim Efendi/Pasha (1619), continued from previous reign
• Rizeli Hasan Pasha (1620-1621), appointed 2nd time
• Abdulbaki/Baki Pasha (1621-1622), appointed 2nd time

Reign of Sultan Murad IV

Murad IV

Murad IV Ghazi was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1623 to 1640, known both for restoring the authority of the state and for the brutality of his methods...

• Abdulbaki/Baki Pasha (1624-1625), appointed 3rd time
• Yahnikapan Abdulkerim Pasha (1625), appointed 2nd time
• Ebubekir Efendi/Pasha (1625)
• Ömer Pasha (1625-1626)
• Ebubekir Pasha (1626-1629), appointed 2nd time
• Softa Mustafa Pasha (1629-1632)
• Hüseyin Efendi (1632)
• Prevezeli Mustafa Pasha (1632-1633)
• Mostarlı Ibrahim Pasha (1633-1636)
• Sofu Mehmed Pasha (1636-1639)
• Defterdarzade Ibrahim Pasha (1639)

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...

• Ahmed Zühtü Pasha
• Agop Kazazyan Pasha
  Hagop Kazazian Pasha
  Hagop Kazazian Pasha 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....
  
  (1887–1891)
• Hüseyin Tevfik Pasha