Alemdar Mustafa Pasha

Alemdar Mustafa Pasha (also called Bayraktar Mustafa Pasha; 1755 – 15 November 1808) was an Ottoman military commander, grand vizier and Dictator, being the de facto ruler of the Ottoman Empire in 1808.

He was born into the family of a Janissary, possibly in Rusçuk (modern-day Ruse, Bulgaria), although varying information exists about his birthplace. He received the epithet bayraktar or alam-dar, both meaning 'flag-bearer', in Turkish and Persian respectively, and probably referring to his military rank in the janissary corps, during the Russo-Turkish War of 1768–1774. After the war, he left the corps and eventually became a powerful notable and military commander in Rumelia. He became a strong supporter of Selim III's reforms and became a rallying point for opponents of the new regime after Selim's deposition in 1807. In July 1808, he took power in a military coup, replacing Sultan Mustafa IV with Mahmud II and becoming grand vizier. He established a dictatorship shortly after the coup with the Sultan as the figurehead. He attempted to revive Selim's reform program, likely to keep up technologically with the rest of Europe, modernize the Ottoman army, and prevent further humiliation caused by the wars lost in the Balkans, but he himself was killed only months later, during a new rebellion by the Janissaries.

Alemdar Mustafa Pasha is often regarded as a pioneering figure who recognized the need for a modern army. He was instrumental in setting up the French military mission in 1796.