Suleiman Pasha

Suleiman Pasha, Turkish general, was born in Roumelia in 1838, entered the Turkish army in 1854, fought in Montenegro, Crete, and Yemen between that date and 1875, and in the intervals of peace taught in the Military Academy at Constantinople, and finally presided over it as director. He greatly distinguished himself as a corps commander against the Servians in 1876, and was in 1877 nominated governor of Bosnia and Herzegovina. When the Russians declared war (1877) against Turkey Suleiman checked them at Eski Zagra, and destroyed his army in heroic but vain attempts to force them from the Shipka Pass. In October he was appointed commander-in-chief of the army of the Danube, but failed to accomplish anything, retreated behind the Balkans, and suffered defeat near Philippopolis (January 1878). He was condemned to be degraded and imprisoned for fifteen years. The sultan pardoned him, and he died at Bagdad 11th August 1892. Personally brave, he seems to have been a corrupt and designing traitor.