Khasseki Mehmed Memiš-aga Mačković and Quotidian Life in Sarajevo

Abstract

On the basis of numerous documents and notes from manuscript chronicles and histories of the 18th and 19th centuries, it is possible to follow histories of many prominent Muslim families, as well as their particular members, who played a significant role for the development of Sarajevo. Most came originally from Sarajevo or some other towns in Bosnia and Herzegovina, while some came from the other parts of the Ottoman Empire. Members of these families were in large part socially and politically engaged, and they often obtained high position in Bosnian Eyalet. Considerable portion of their property was endowed for the common good and that contributed to the development of the city. Among the endowers/vaqifs from Sarajevo we find ones who obtained their property as members of certain units of Ottoman army and who were marked by their courage in defense of the borders of Bosnian Eyalet, that is, of the Ottoman Empire.

The head of the Bosnian army in many battles for the defense of Bosnia was khasekki Mehmed Memiš-aga from Sarajevo, who earned the title of ghazi. He is the subject of this paper.

There is a significant number of information about his biography and participation in many battles in following manuscripts: Târîḫ-i Enverî by chronicler Muhamed Enveri Kadić from Sarajevo, Târîḫ-i Bosna by chronicler Salih Hadžihuseinović Muvekkit, also from Sarajevo, and Mecmū‘a-i Başeskî by the chronicler from 18th century Mula Mustafa Ševki Bašeski from Sarajevo. We also presented a note on the act of endowment as well as his personal vaqfnama which we found in Kadić’s Chronicle, and also the note upon his death from which we see that the mentioned died in 1231/1815-16 and that he was buried in the Bakije cemetery in Sarajevo.