Primary Source XX: Cabi Omer Efendi and the Execution of Hadjigeorgakis Kornesios 1809

The History of Cyprus Podcast

Cabi Omer Efendi was an Ottoman statesman and military commander who lived from 1750 to 1814. He served as the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire three times, and was known for his military successes, administrative skills, and political influence. For this month's primary source, he provides a direct account of the execution of Dragoman Hadjigeorgakis Kornesios in 1809 and as a springboard for Part 2 of my interview with Professor of Ottoman and Turkish Studies, Antonis Hadjiantoniou. The text in full:

"The dragoman of Cyprus caused sedition and discord by performing a great deal of villainy to the Muslim worshippers. He escaped from Cyprus, and when he arrived at Istanbul he was then arrested and executed in front of the Sublime Gate. His corpse was put upside-down in the basket of a broom-seller, carried around, and left outside the gate of the fish market. He thus became a warning to others. He was going to escape to Russia by converting his property and cash to bills of exchange. His house in Beşiktaş was given to the Chief tax inspector. It was rumored that all his property and cash totaled 5,500,000 kurush."

-Cabi Omer Efendi 1809