Osman Aga of Temesvar

Osman Aga of Temesvar (Template:Lang-tr), was an Ottoman army officer (1670–1725?). He is known as one of the few Turkish autobiographers of the era. More important than that, he was a prisoner of war and he wrote mostly about his adventures in Habsburg Austria which makes the autobiography the sole Turkish example of its kind.

Background

Timişoara (Template:Lang-tr) is a city in Transilvania, what is now west Romania. The city had been conquered by Ottoman Empire in 1552. Osman Aga was a low-ranking army officer in Timişoara. He excelled in equitation. After the unsuccessful siege of Vienna in 1683, the tide turned and the Holy Leage of European nations began forcing Ottomans out of Hungary in Great Turkish war between 1683–1699.

Osman Aga in the war

During the war, Austrians were not able to capture Timişoara. But in 1688, Osman's squadron of 80 was given a special task. They had to deliver the salaries of the army officiers to a nearby town Lipova. However while they were in Lipova, superior Austrian forces attacked the city and the city council decided to surrender. Like others, he became a prisoner of war.

Osman Aga was a prisoner war

Osman Aga was awarded to a military judge in Austrian army who asked for ransom. Although he was able to pay for his freedom, he was not released. He was sold to sevaral new masters in Kapfenberg and Vienna. He spent several months in dungeons and was frequently beaten or even whipped by his masters during the early years. But his skill in equitation and learning German helped him to live a relatively less stressful life in later years. One of his masters even offered him freedom in return for converting to Christianity which he refused.

After the treaty of Karlowitz, he was able to return to Timişoara in 1700.

Aftermath

In Timişoara, with the help of German he learned during his servitude, he became the official translator and served in several diplomatic missions to Austria. However his comfortable days were over at the outbreak of a new war between the Ottoman Empire and Austria in 1715. This time Austrians were able to conquer both Timişoara (1716) and Belgrad (1717) where he had fled from Timişoara. (Shortly before the conquest of Belgrad Austrians were able to explode the ammunition dump of the fort on 14 August 1717 resulting the death of some 3,000 people. Most of Osman's family members were among the 3,000.) After the loss of Belgrad he served in Vidin (in modern Bulgaria) and then came to İstanbul where he continued his civil service.

His Works

His most important work is Prisoner of the Infidels (Template:Lang-tr) where he summerizes his adventures in Austria between 1688-1700. (British Museum NR. MS Or. 3213) He also wrote about Austrian History (Template:Lang-tr), an unfinished work up to 1662. His other works include notes about his diplomatic missions after 1700.