A power struggle in the 18th century: The faction of Morali Beşir Ağa and the purges of 1752

Beşir Ağa of Morea, who had held the position of Chief Eunuch of the Imperial Harem since 1746, was executed in 1752. Despite Beşir Ağa's political power and strong patronage, his execution, which occurred ten days after Köse Bâhir Mustafa Pasha became Grand Vizier, marks an important moment in the 18th-century Ottoman political history. Following the execution of Beşir Ağa, a process of purging his close circle began. This process revealed a faction led by Beşir Ağa, possessing political and financial power. This thesis, which defines Beşir Ağa's faction, argues that the incident of his execution and the subsequent exile or execution of his men cannot be considered independently of their past activities. The activities of this faction, which differed in structure from the pasha households that had dominated the political landscape since the previous century, the wealth of its members, and its place in the 18th-century Ottoman Empire are the primary research questions of this thesis.