Sulayman the Great
ruler of the Mamluk dynasty of Mesopotamia
Years: 1735 - 1802
In 1779, Sulayman the Great (Georgian: სულეიმან ბუიუქი), son of Omar Pasha (r. 1762-1776(, returned from his exile in Shiraz and acquired the governorship of Baghdad, Basrah, and Shahrizor in 1780. This Sulayman the Great is known as Büyük ('the Great' in Turkish; Ottoman Turkish: بیوك), and his rule (1780–1802) was efficient at first, but weakened as he grew older. He imported large numbers of Georgians to strengthen his clan, asserted his supremacy over the factionalized Mamluk households and restricted the influence of Janissaries. He fostered economy and continued to encourage commerce and diplomacy with Europe, which received a major boost in 1798 when Sulayman gave permission for a permanent British agent to be appointed in Baghdad. However, his struggle against the Arab tribes in Northern Iraq was less despite the fact that he brutally crushed the rebels.
