The Changing Perception of K？prülü Mehmed Pasha in Ottoman Historiography

K？prülü Mehmed Pasha (who was invested with the seal of grand vizierate in 1656) is regarded as one of the most powerful and independent grand viziers of Ottoman History. During his five-year-long term in office, he managed to solve most of the pressing problems of the empire and resuscitated its grandeur. He became a debatable figure among both contemporary and later historians, due especially to his violent methods of dealing with state matters. The purpose of the present study is to point out to the historiographic perception and image-building of the pasha starting from his life time until the late Ottoman period. Thus, the motivations and ideas with which K？prülü Mehmed Pasha’s contemporaries and later historians penned down their works will be brought to light