Ottoman grand vizier Koca Ragib Pasha was born in Istanbul, in 1698. His father Sevki Mustafa Efendi was the clerk of the Department of Finance. Ragip was a brilliant child and he learned the Eastern languages with his father. He had a strong education. He was sent to Baghdad as the head of the Finance Department. He became the governor of Egypt, in 1743. While he was working in Baghdad he was very successful in science, literature and management. He won the favour of the governor of Baghdad, Ahmed Pasha. He was awarded with money because of a poem he wrote for the governor. In 1756, he was given grand vizier rank by Sultan Osman III. He had continued his duty in the reign of Sultan Mustafa III, as well. He was a successful grand vizier. In 1753, he married Saliha Sultan, the widow sister of Sultan Mustafa III. By this marriage Ragib Pasha established a close relation with the Sultan. The Empire lived in peace under Ragib Pasha’s policies. The protection of the cities, regulations about economy, the military education of the army, construction of war ships, construction of Laleli Mosque were done during his period. He was a statesman and an artist. He could have not collected his poems, but, after his death, with the help of Mustekimzade his poems were collected in a “divan”. Some of his works are in the libraries Istanbul. Koca Ragib Pasha died in 1763 and his tomb is near a library that carries his name in Koska, Istanbul.

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