Koçi Bey

Mustafa Bey Koçi (or Mustafa Bey Qoči ), full name Kuricali Koƈ u Mustafa Bey, also known as Kuricali, Göriceli, Koƈ u ' or Koƈ i know (* probably in Korçë, Ottoman Empire, present-day Albany, † 1650 or 1654 in Istanbul, buried in Korçë ) was an Ottoman statesman and reformer of Albanian origin at the court of the Ottoman Empire.

Life and work

Koçi Bey enjoyed as originally baptized Christian boy in the boys reading ( Ottoman دوشيرمه Devşirme ) an education in the elite and the Palace School ( Enderun ) of Istanbul and entered the service of the court of Sultan Ahmed I. a.

His most important work was the memorandum Risale -i Koçi Bey (Treatise of Koçi Bey ), which he described as a counselor in the years 1630/1631, in a chaotic phase of Ottoman policy, the young Sultan Murad IV taught. The writing is one of the most important works of the Ottoman political literature of the 17th century and is a brilliant study of the causes of the decline of Ottoman power. In it, he analyzes the problems of the political system and submit proposals for drastic reforms to usher in a Golden Age as the reign of Suleiman I. again.

In contrast to similar memoranda of later and earlier times, the author did not spare harsh criticism and clear words, when he underwent a critical analysis based on statistics, events and facts Ottoman rule. 1574, the year of death of Selim II, he considered the decisive change of epoch: until then the Lehnsheer ( Timar system) had been the mainstay of military power and have paid the expansion of the Ottoman Empire; with the strengthening of the resident at the court clique gathered around the harem and the Grand Vizier, and however, the palace troops of Janissaries was since there was a Minion and prebend economy emerged that, and the soldierly skills and virtues of Sipahis ( cavalry ) the preference of relatives friends of the courtiers had sacrificed. The clergy and the judiciary related would be enhanced through science and education, the protection mischief and especially the power hostile seniority would also differ here. The tax burden for the population is too high.

Due to his radical memorandum Koçi Bey took a prominent position among the counselors of the young, as dynamic as it cruel ruler Murad IV a, an honorary rank he also under his successor, Sultan Ibrahim I., retained. Him he should in 1640 have devoted another language and content over the first treatise, however, much weaker memorandum When overthrow Ibrahim Bey Koçi were banished from court.

Because of its critical, fact- rich approach Koçi Bey is also referred to as the " Montesquieu of the Ottomans ", with whom he also - connects pessimistic attitude from the historic decline ( Dekadenzgedanke ), here on the idealized time of Suleiman the Magnificent, there on the - largely unauthorized Roman antiquity based.