by Sead Jasavic. Translation Petrit Latifi

This Serbian publication from 1897 states that Cuprilic (Köprülü Mehmed Paşa) was an Albanian, and extremely loyal to Orthodoxism. He was raised in the imperial harem and when Hozrev-pasha (Bosniak) was appointed as the Janicar aga, Kopreili was appointed as the treasurer. After him, “his son Fazil-Ahmed-Pasha was appointed as the Grand Viceroy.

Translated:

“The Ottoman Empire during this period was administered through a complex system, which included 400,000 rebels, 17 viziers, 41 beglerbegs, 70 sandjak-begs, three moles, and one Moghrebin sheikh. The empire maintained fiscal balance by carefully managing expenses and increasing revenue through military conquests. Among the prominent Ottoman officials was the Kopreli family, originally from Albania. The patriarch, Cuprilic, was extremely loyal to Islam while also standing up for Orthodox Christians. Raised in the imperial harem, he was appointed treasurer when Khozrev Pasha, a Bosnian, became the Janissary aga.

His son, Fazil-Ahmed Pasha, inherited the grand vizier’s seal and became Grand Vizier. He was considered honest, thoughtful, and an excellent governor. Born in the village of Kopri (Cupri) in the Sivas region of Asia Minor, he initially devoted himself to the study of law before serving as governor of Erzurum. Fazil-Ahmed Pasha led successful military campaigns, conquering cities such as Kamenik and Candia. He died on the Kara-Bovir estate between Drenopolje and Rodost and was buried beside his father. Other sources indicate that Cuprilic himself was buried near Dikili-Tash (Goreloj Stub).

The story of the Kopreli family highlights the intertwined nature of loyalty, service, and power in the Ottoman administration, demonstrating how Albanian-born officials rose to high ranks while maintaining strong personal and religious principles.”

Source

https://istorijskenovine.unilib.rs/view/index.html#panel:pp|issue:UB_00121_18970101|page:6|query:%D0%B1%D0%BE%D1%88%D1%9A%D0%B0%D0%BA