1840 print LIBRARY OF KOCA RAGIP PASHA, ISTANBUL, #31

Print from steel engraving titled Bibliotheque de Raghib Pacha, published in a volume of L'Univers Pittoresque, Paris, approx. page size 21 x 13 cm,  approx. image size 14 x 9 cm, nice hand coloring.

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Koca Ragip Pasha

Koca Ragip Pasha (or more formally Koca Mehmet Ragip Pasha) (1698 Istanbul, also known as Constantinople - 1763 Istanbul) was an Ottoman (Turkish) grand vizier. He is also known as a good poet.

Early years

After completing his education, he worked in various parts of the empire as a civil servant. He worked as the chief treasurer in Bagdat, Iraq (then a part of the Ottoman Empire), as the secretary of the grand vizier, as the chief secretary of the porte ( a post equivalent to modern foreign minister) in 1740 and as the governor of Egypt (then a part of the Ottoman Empire) in 1743.

As a grand vizier

He was appointed as a grand vizier in 12 January 1757 by the sultan Osman III. Ten months later, Osman III died and he continued under the new sultan Mustafa III with whom he had very good relations. He married to the sultan’s sister and gained the title damat. ( English: bridegroom).

Ragip’s term was a part of Ottoman decline. But he did his best to reform Ottoman administration and treasury. He was an adherent of peace policy and Ottoman Empire lived its last peaceful days during his term. He died on 8 April 1763 while still on duty. Upon his death Mustafa III wrote an elegy (Turkish: agit) expresing his sorrow.

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