THE LIFE OF MIDHAT PASHA

From a Photograph.

The Typographic Etching Co. Ph. Sc.

Midhat Pasha.

THE LIFE OF
MIDHAT PASHA

A RECORD OF HIS SERVICES,
POLITICAL REFORMS, BANISHMENT,
AND JUDICIAL MURDER

DERIVED FROM PRIVATE DOCUMENTS AND
REMINISCENCES
BY HIS SON ALI HAYDAR MIDHAT BEY

WITH PORTRAITS

LONDON
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET, W.
1903

vii

PREFACE

As the Son of Midhat Pasha I was for fifteen yearscompelled to reside as an exile in Smyrna, but findingthe physical and moral sufferings to which I was theresubjected greater than I could endure, I succeeded inquitting the territories of the Sultan, and came to takeup my residence in this hospitable land, and among thisgreat and free people.

In the following pages I have endeavoured tocarry out a duty which has long been incumbent onme, by letting the public, and especially the Englishpublic, know the true story of my father’s career, andof his death.

The record is based mainly on documents and notesleft by him. In obedience to requests from highquarters I abstain from publishing certain documentsand correspondence which, bearing as they do onInternational affairs, might be calculated to causeembarrassment and do harm.

It is possible that some of my father’s paperswhich I have now printed, and which were written inTurkish, may have lost some of their original brightnessin the process of translation, but at least, most scrupuviiilouscare has been taken to give the sense of themaccurately.

There can be no doubt that at the present timeTurkey is suffering from a Reign of Terror, and is ina state of anarchy. I hope that the narrative containedin these pages may afford some evidence of themethods by which this condition of affairs has beenproduced.

My readers will learn how the Sovereign of theOttoman Empire, in order to carry out his own systemof Government, has suppressed every effort for reform,and has removed those men, who by their force ofcharacter, by their uprightness, and by their popularity,seemed capable of thwarting his designs, and amendingthe condition of the country and of the people.

I wish to state here that I have a profound respectfor the Imperial Throne, and it is this considerationalone, I repeat it, and the honour of my country, whichmakes me regard it as a duty to humanity to exposethe nefarious system of Sultan Abdul Hamid.

In conclusion, I would beg to offer my thanks tothe Proprietors of the Times newspaper for giving mepermission to reprint the excellent report of my father’strial which appeared in their columns.

ALI HAYDAR MIDHAT.

Eastbourne, August 6, 1903.

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CONTENTS