Ali Pasha Rizvanbegović
Ali Rizvanbegović (1783-1851) was the Ottoman administrator of Stolac from 1813 to 1833 and semi-independent ruler (vizier) of Herzegovina from 1833 to 1851. He was of Serbian origin and the traditional slava (family patron) of his family was St. John the Baptist
Life
He was born in Begovina, Stolac in 1783. Because of his large military success, Ottoman Sultan gave to Ali-paša the vizier title as a prize and asked him to say which territory he wanted to rule. Ali-paša then said that he would like the sultan to separate Herzegovina from Pashaluk of Bosnia and that he would like to become hereditary Vizier of the newly formed Pashaluk of Herzegovina. The Sultan fulfilled his wish, and in 1833, the new vizier of Herzegovina came to Mostar, announcing to the people: "Our honest emperor loves me and therefore made me a third near himself. He offered me to become a vizier of wherever I wanted, but I did not want to be a Vizier of anything but of Herzegovina, separated from the Pashaluk of Bosnia. These are the counties of Herzegovina: Prijepolje, Taslidža with Kolašin and Šaranci with Drobnjak, Čajniče, Nevesinje, Nikšić, Ljubinje-Trebinje, Stolac, Počitelj, Blagaj, Mostar, Duvno and half of the county of Konjic which is on this side of Neretva. This was given to me, my children and my kin, and I have done this to prevent that some bad pasha rule over Herzegovina. I thought that it is better that I, as native, should rule over Herzegovina, instead some alien - nobody could be fiend to his own house. I will judge everybody by justice..." Ali-paša then said: "From today, nobody need ago any longer to the emperor in Istanbul. Here in Mostar is your Istanbul, and here in Mostar is your emperor."
Sources
- Dr. Lazar Tomanović, Petar Drugi Petrović - Njegoš kao vladalac, Novi Sad - Srbinje, 2004.
- Andric, Ivo. The Damned Yard and Other Short Stories. Belgrade: Dereta, 2007.
See also
- Alipasini Izvori
- Pashaluk of Herzegovina
- Herzegovina
- History of Herzegovina
- History of Bosnia and Herzegovina