The executioner Kara Ali is only mentioned in “The Magnificent Century”. Despite the desire to tell the story of such a celebrity, the screenwriters did not go for such a clear violation of historical accuracy, because he lived a hundred years later. His career as a shoemaker developed in the 17th century, when the Ottoman Empire was going through a long crisis. Rebellion followed rebellion, coup after coup, viziers and pashas were deprived of their lives with the same frequency as brigands under Suleiman the Magnificent.
Bostanji Pasha
Ottoman court executioners were called bostanji — “gardeners.” Even the harshest sultans did not resort to their services every day. The Turks considered it inexpedient to keep a staff of professionals in this business expecting that once a month the sovereign would use their services.
Therefore, in their free time from their main duties, the bostanji took care of the vegetation in the Sultan’s palace, looked after the gardens all over Istanbul and performed the functions of the Life Guards, i.e. personal bodyguards. And if the Padishah became angry, they were immediately ready to get rid of the one who caused his displeasure.
The main methods of execution of “capital punishment” at that time were beheading and strangulation. The first was applied to ordinary mortals, the second was reserved for high-ranking aristocrats and royalty. The Ottomans borrowed from the Mongols the idea that it was forbidden to shed blood on noblemen.
The executioner’s work required special skill and knowledge of human anatomy — he was expected not to cause too much suffering to the condemned. Deaf-mute candidates were also favored, so that they could not be bribed or persuaded to relent at the very last moment.
Despite its proximity, so to speak, to the Sultan, the profession was not considered honorable. As in the rest of the world, its representatives were treated with contempt in the Ottoman Empire. It was impossible to make a court career out of it — from an executioner one could only become a senior executioner.
Bare breasts are obligatory — more fear
Therefore, bostanji were not written about much. Rumors about them passed whispered from mouth to mouth out of disgust for their work and fear of causing trouble. The tradition was broken by writer and traveler Evliya Celebi, who saw our today’s hero personally.
Kara Ali (Black Ali) entered the palace in the early 17th century. Under Mustafa I the Mad, he was already one of the assistants of the chief executioner Suleyman-aga. After his demise he served as bostanji pasha under Osman II, Murad IV, Ibrahim I and briefly under Mehmed IV.
We know nothing about his ethnicity, but a characteristic nickname will partly help to solve the riddle. Turks gave it to people of low, i.e. “black” origin or simply swarthy people. Considering that the court executioners got into the court executioners on the system devshirme, the social position of Kara Ali was not higher and not lower than that of other courtiers. Therefore, it is highly probable that he was a Gypsy — who else could be appointed to such an unpleasant position? Especially since Gypsies often worked as executioners in the late Ottoman Empire, and were darker in complexion than Turks. Although, of course, his black fame might be to blame.
Kara Ali was considered the consummate master of his craft. Apparently, trained during the short independent reign of Murad IV, whom the same Celebi calls “the bloodiest of all the Ottoman sultans”. The executioner was unfeeling and merciless and never asked the name of the person he was ordered to massacre.
According to Ottoman traditions, the bostanji pasha was obliged to be personally present at the execution of only royalty and the most high-ranking nobles. However, Black Ali disregarded this rule and constantly executed sentences with his own hands. Taking into account that only under Murad tens of thousands of people were sentenced for one or another misdemeanor, one can imagine how many of them got rid of his chief executioner. A dozen viziers alone passed through his hands, and even hundreds of pashas.
Çelebi describes him as a tall and strong man of intimidating appearance. His face was devoid of emotion, but lit up with a smile when Ali performed his immediate duties. He walked around with his sleeves rolled up and his chest open all year round, even in severe cold weather — even though it was a summer palace uniform. Whenever the bostanji pasha appeared in public, he carried a naked sword on his right shoulder and an oiled noose hanging from his belt — his main “implements.”
But for once, Qara Ali showed that he had feelings. Or at least the realization that his own fate depended on the identity of the condemned. In 1648, the mad Sultan Ibrahim I was removed from power. And after some deliberation, the courtiers came to the conclusion that he should be deprived of his life.
Who should be entrusted with this task but Black Ali? However, the chief executioner refused — crying and saying he couldn’t do it. Only when he was given sticks and threatened to get rid of himself, did our hero today fulfill what was demanded of him.
Nevertheless, he resigned, either out of fear for his fate or because of remorse. Little is known about his later life, but it was rumored in Istanbul that this man became a dervish. He found eternal rest in the famous cemetery of executioners, which had long since fallen into disrepair because these professionals had almost no relatives and no one looked after their graves.