Hussein Pacha. Hussein Pacha, aujourd'hui Général en chef de l'Armée du Danube, de simple Janissaire, devint Janissaire Aga, puis Pacha des Janissaires, il se mit à la tête de la révolution du 16 Juin 1826.
Peint à Constantinople chez l'Auteur, place Royale, No 1., et chez Caillou, rue St Honoré No 140. [n.d., c.1828.] Mixed-method engraving with large margins, scarce. 440 x 320mm (13½ x 12½"). Bit dusty. 'Hussein Pacha, today General-in-chief of the Army of the Danube, rose from simple Janissary to Aga then Pasha of the Janissaries; he was head of the revolution of June 16, 1826.' For centuries the Janissaries had held the reins of power in the Ottoman Empire, forcing the Sultan to bend to their wishes or be deposed. Attempts at reform were often countered with murder, preventing the Ottoman army from being modernised and resulting in huge territory losses as the empire failed to win wars. However in 1826 Sultan Mahmud II was ready and in the 'Auspicious Incident' provoked a Janissairy revolt and then destroyed their barracks with artillery, killing 4,000. All survivors were exiled or executed. Hussein Agha Pasha (1776-1849) sided against his former comrades and was made commander of the new Mansure Army.
[Ref: 31098] £420.00