What was the role of the Grand Vizier in the Ottoman Empire?

In the Ottoman Empire, the Grand Vizier held the highest position in the government after the Sultan. Also known as the Prime Minister, the Grand Vizier was responsible for overseeing the administration of the empire and advising the Sultan on matters of state. The position of Grand Vizier was created during the reign of Mehmed II in the 15th century, and it continued to exist until the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in the early 20th century.

The Grand Vizier was appointed by the Sultan and was typically chosen from the ranks of the Ottoman bureaucracy. The position was held by some of the most powerful and influential figures in Ottoman history, including Pargalı İbrahim Pasha, who served under Suleiman the Magnificent, and Kara Mustafa Pasha, who was executed for his failure to capture Vienna in 1683.

The duties of the Grand Vizier included presiding over the imperial council, which was responsible for making decisions on matters of state, and overseeing the work of the various ministries and government departments. The Grand Vizier was also responsible for maintaining law and order throughout the empire and for representing the Sultan in negotiations with foreign powers.

The Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire was the de facto prime minister of the sultan in the Ottoman Empire, with the absolute power of attorney and, in principle, removable only by the sultan himself in the classical period, before the Tanzimat reforms, or until the 1908 Revolution. He held the imperial seal and could summon all other viziers to attend to affairs of the state in the Imperial Council; the viziers in conference were called "kubbe viziers" in reference to their meeting place, the Kubbealtı ('under-the-dome') in Topkapı Palace.

The purpose in instituting the title "grand vizier" was to differentiate the holder of the sultan's seal from other viziers. The initially more regularly used title of vezir-i âzam was slowly replaced by sadrazam, both meaning grand vizier in practice. Throughout Ottoman history, the grand viziers have also been called sadr-ı âlî ('high vizier'), vekil-i mutlak ('absolute attorney'), sâhib-i devlet ('holder of the state'), serdar-ı ekrem ('gracious general'), serdar-ı azam ('grand general') and zât-ı âsafî ('vizieral person') and başnazır, literally "prime minister" in Ottoman Turkish.

The grand vizier was appointed by the sultan and could be dismissed at any time. He was responsible for the day-to-day running of the empire and for carrying out the sultan's orders. He also had the power to issue decrees and to appoint and dismiss officials.

The grand vizier was assisted by a council of ministers, which included the heads of the various departments of government. The grand vizier also had a staff of advisers and secretaries.

The office of grand vizier was abolished in 1922, following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.