Damat Mehmed Ali Pasha

Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire from 1852 to 1853

Damat Mehmed Ali Pasha (1813–1868) was an Ottoman statesman and diplomat. He served as the Grand Vizier from October 3, 1852, to May 14, 1853, on the eve of the Crimean War. Along with Fuad Pasha, Mehmed Emin Âli Pasha and Mustafa Reşid Pasha, he was one of the main reformers of the Tanzimat period.

Mehmed Ali Pasha was born in 1813 in Hemşin, a city along the Black Sea coast in modern Turkey, and was of ethnic Hemshin descent. His father was Hacı Ömer Agha. His grandfather, Hacı Ali Agha, was a hazelnut dealer. It was while accompanying his father to Istanbul that Mehmed Ali Pasha opened to himself the doors of a brilliant career. His father was appointed Galata Başağası, or head functionary of the imperial palace of Galata. Mehmed Ali was hired by Ahmed Pasha Pabuççuzâde, grand admiral of the Ottoman fleet from 1828 to 1840. Mehmed Ali made his career in the Palace, which led him to occupy, among others, the
function of grand admiral five times between 1845 1847, 1848–1849, 1851 1852, 1855–1858, and 1858–1863. Between 1849–1851, and 1853–1854, he served as serasker. Between 1852 1853, he served as grand vizier.

Mehmet Ali Pasha had a brother Mehmed Bey, and a sister Fatma Hanım, who married Mehmed Cemil Pasha, son of grand vizier Mustafa Reşid Pasha. His first wife was Saliha Hanım. With her, he had a son Mahmud Edhem Pasha. Edhem married Refia Sultan, daughter of Sultan Abdulmejid I and Gülcemal Kadın on 23 April 1857. After her death in 1880, he married Fatma Nazlı Hanım. With her, he had a son, Mehmed Ali Bey, who died on 6 October 1887. Edhem died on 7 February 1886. His third wife was Nevkevser Hanım. With her he had a daughter, Hatice Hanım, who married Cemal Bey.