Hüseyin Rıfkı Paşa
Profile summary
Highlights
Hacı Hüseyin Rıfkı Paşa, whose date of birth could not be determined, was the son of Ali Bey, one of the teachers of the Imperial School of Military Engineering. The Imperial School of Military Engineering was the military engineering school that trained artillery and engineering officers for the Ottoman army.
In 1846, Hüseyin Rıfkı Paşa was sent to Vienna with several companions to complete his education. During his studies in Vienna, he translated Ottoman history into German and won the appreciation of the emperor through this work. A banquet was also held in his honor on this occasion.
After his education, he returned to Istanbul and began service in the Artillery Department of the Seraskerlik, where he rose to the presidency and to the rank of ferik.
Hüseyin Rıfkı Paşa served as president of the Artillery Department for thirty-three years and also taught for many years in military schools. During this teaching career, many well-known commanders of the late Ottoman army passed through his instruction.
Hüseyin Rıfkı Paşa wrote well-known works in the fields of artillery and fortification, including Topçuluk Fenni, İstihkâmât-ı Cesîme, Hücum ve Müdafaa and Usûl-i İnşâ-i Tarîk.
Hacı Hüseyin Rıfkı Paşa fell ill during a speech he delivered at the Military Academy on 19 Rabi al-Awwal 1329 / 6 March 1327 in the Rumi calendar (19 March 1911), died one week later, and was buried in the Fatih Mosque Cemetery.
Epitaph
Visitor! The one resting in this blessed grave is Hacı Hüseyin Rıfkı Paşa, who served for thirty-three years as Head of the Artillery Department and, by teaching in our military schools for many years, trained the most renowned military administrators. May Allah’s mercy be abundant upon him. 20 March 1911.
The late paşa graduated first from the Engineering School and the Vienna Military University. He wrote many works in Turkish and German. He is a historical figure who brought Western methods of military development into the Ottoman army. He also held a diploma in the religious sciences. During a military career of more than seventy years, he rendered very great services to the state and homeland. At the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Military Academy, he was shown extraordinary respect as the school’s "oldest graduate," and the speech he gave during the ceremony became his final lesson to his military comrades. This great teacher, who had thoroughly absorbed the culture and civilization of both East and West, died one week later.
A Fatiha for his/her soul