The Role of Korča Mehmed Pasha in the Vienna War (1683-1699)

Abstract

This paper considers the role of Korča Mehmed Pasha in the Vienna war (1683-1699). Mehmed Pasha was a distinguished Ottoman official who served at the position of governor of the Bosnia Eyalet from late 1691 until his sudden death in 1697. During the aforementioned period Mehmed Pasha regularly spearheaded the Spahis in battles of the Sultan’s army at the Hungarian border. Despite numerous problems, he was also highly dedicated to defending Bosnian towns and villages that had been continuously exposed to military threats by the Habsburg Monarchy and the Venetian Republic. It can be argued that Mehmed Pasha was taking care of military needs of the entire population in the Bosnia Eyalet (soldiers, merchants, the general public etc.). Historical records generally portray him as a very brave and devoted person. Besides, he was inclined towards folk tradition. Korča Mehmed Pasha can therefore be considered as one of the most distinguished Bosnian Valis of the entire Ottoman era.