Abaza Muhammad Pasha

Abaza Muhammad Pasha was a member of the Abaza family and the third Ottoman official of that name in the encyclopaedia's family entry, which is signed by Cl. Huart. He was beylerbey of Marash when the war against Russia began in 1183/1769. ¹

He was ordered to act with the khan of the Crimea. He commanded the fortress of Bender and received the third tugh for his part in raising the siege of Chocim. When he was left to defend that place without Ottoman troops, he fled, and he was then commissioned to defend Moldavia, which he failed to do. At the battle of Kagul on 1 August 1770 he commanded the right wing, and after the Ottoman defeat he fled to Ismail. ¹

He became governor of Silistria, but was dismissed after squandering the money given to him to raise troops, and he was exiled to Kustendil. During the conquest of the Crimea and the flight of Selim Giray, he refused to land the few troops he was bringing up and returned to Sinop. The encyclopaedia's account ends there. ¹