Hagop Kazazian Pasha

Hagop Kazazian Pasha (alternative spelling: Agop Kazazyan) (1836–1891) was a high-ranking Ottoman Armenian official, who served as the Minister of Finance and the Minister of the Privy Treasury during the reign of Sultan Abdul Hamid II. Famed for his loyalty, he received a state funeral when he died in 1891 in a horse-riding accident on the grounds of Kalender Kasrı while riding a horse that had been a gift from the sultan.

Biography

Life and early career Despite Hagop Kazazian's lack of higher education, he was able to rise in the bureaucracy of the Ottoman State through the diligence he showed in financial matters. During the early years of his career, he served as the head of the translation department for the Ottoman Bank, a post that allowed him to forge ties to the Palace. After uncovering a case of malpractice at the bank, he was recommended by the General Director of the Ottoman Bank to Sultan Abdul Hamid II, who was looking to put the affairs of the Privy Treasury in order. In 1887, he was appointed as the Minister of Finance, holding both posts simultaneously. Carrying out reforms and expenditure cuts in the Finance Ministry, Kazazian was opposed in his measures, which prompted him to offer his resignation. The sultan refused the resignation and supported Kazazian in his reform attempts.