Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha (1634-1683)

In this thesis, the historical biography of Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha, one of the statesmen who left his mark on the 17th century Ottoman and Western history, was examined. His life story begins after the death of his father Oruç Beg. Then he was adopted by Köprülü Mehmed Pasha. After being included in the Köprülü family, his political and military life, which started to rise and spread over a wide period of time, ended in 1683. Although many studies have been prepared about the life of the pasha, most of these studies have focused on the Siege of Vienna (1683). This important military campaign, as well as his polemics with Western representatives, unsurprisingly made him one of the most controversial and notorious figures of his time. Our thesis focuses on the political, military and diplomatic career of Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha, which was overshadowed by the Siege of Vienna in 1683, and the networks that emerged in relation to these aspects. The study also includes findings on the socio-cultural life of Pasha and his contributions in this field. In this study, which focuses on the life of Pasha from the perspective of biography, a holistic approach has been put forward. In this context, the main purpose of the study is to present a new perspective on the life and activities of a pasha who was an important figure in the 17th century Ottoman history. Keywords: Kara Mustafa Pasha, Merzifon, Sultan Mehmed IV, Köprülü, The Second Siege of Vienna.