Ferhad Pasha Sokolović


Ferhad Pasha Sokolović was an Ottoman general and statesman from Bosnia. He was the first beylerbey of Bosnia.

Origin

Born into the Sokolović family, he was, like his close relative Grand Vizier Sokollu Mehmed Pasha abducted as part of the devşirme system of collection of Christian boys to be raised to serve in the janissary corps, Islamized and recruited into Ottoman service. While one part of the family became Islamized, the other stayed Orthodox; notably, another relative, Makarije Sokolović, was appointed as the Serbian Patriarch by Mehmed Pasha, who with the support of the Sultan had revived the Patriarchate of Peć.

Sanjakbey of Klis

Ferhad Pasha was governor of the Sanjak of Klis between 1566 and 1574.

Sanjakbey of Bosnia

Then he moved back to Bosnia, and was one of the founding fathers of Banja Luka, the second largest city in modern Bosnia and Herzegovina. There, he built over 200 buildings ranging from artisan and sales shops to wheat warehouses, baths and mosques. Among more important commissions were the Ferhadija and Arnaudija mosques during which construction a plumbing infrastructure was laid that served surrounding residential areas. He moved the seat of Bosnia from Travnik to Banja Luka.
In 1576–77, he conquered the towns of Mutnica, Ostrožac, Podzvizd, Kladuša, Peći, and other towns to the Kupa. Already by springtime 1577, he settled Serb families from Bosnia around reconstructed towns in those areas.

Beylerbey of Bosnia

In 1580, he became the first governor of the Bosnia Eyalet, as beylerbey. The Bosnia Eyalet comprised a total of ten sanjaks: Sanjak of Bosnia, Sanjak of Herzegovina, Sanjak of Vučitrn, Sanjak of Prizren, Sanjak of Klis, Sanjak of Krka, Sanjak of Pojega and Sanjak of Pakrac. The sanjakbey of the Sanjak of Pakrac was Ali-beg, brother of Ferhad Pasha Sokolović.

Siege of Gvozdansko

Ferhad Pasha Sokolović with 10,000 soldiers organized three major assaults and tried to take Gvozdansko Castle in the Kingdom of Croatia in the Habsburg Monarchy. Finally, when the Ottomans entered the castle gates, all the defending forces were already dead of wounds, hunger and cold. The Siege of Gvozdansko ended with an Ottoman victory on 13 January 1578. Ferhat Pasha was so moved by their bravery that they were conceded a Christian burial and the local population freed from taxes.

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