Feridun Ahmed Bey

Feridun Ahmed Bey was an Ottoman official, bureaucrat, writer and military officer, best known for his service in the government of [List of Ottoman Empire|Ottoman Grand Viziers|Grand Vizier] Sokollu Mehmed Pasha. He was the second husband of Ayşe Hümaşah Sultan, granddaughter of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. The Münșeâtu's-Selâtin is his most important work, a two-volume compilation going back to early Islamic periods. According to Selcuk Aksin Somel, this work is "crucial for the study of early and classical periods of Ottoman history". Another work is Nüzhet-i Esrâr, a historical chronicle of the Siege of Szigetvár by the Ottomans in 1566.

Biography

Feridun Ahmed Bey's date of birth is unknown. According to his own writings, he was born to a certain Abdülkadır. Feridun Ahmed Bey was probably of devshirme origin. He was a protégé of Sokollu Mehmed Pasha and was reputable at the Siege of Szigetvár in 1566. He served as secretary of state from 1570 to 1573, and as chancellor from 1573 to 1576. Following the ascension of Murad III, Sokollu Mehmed Pasha's power dwindled, and so did Feridun Ahmed Bey's. In the subsequent period he was sent to serve under the sanjakbeys of Smederevo and Köstendil. In 1581, he was recalled to Constantinople and was reappointed as Nişancı. Feridun Ahmed Bey died on 16 March 1583.