Köprülü family

[1][2] The family hailed from the town of Roshnik (near Berat) in the Sanjak of Vlora and provided six Grand Viziers of the Ottoman Empire (including Kara Mustafa Pasha, who was adopted), with several others becoming high-ranking officers.

Another notable member of the family was Köprülü Abdullah Pasha (1684–1735), who was a general in Ottoman-Persian wars of his time and acted as the governor in several provinces of the empire.

The novel explores the intertwining of personal ambition and state affairs, which resonates with the legacy of the Köprülü grand viziers who played a pivotal role in shaping the Ottoman Empire.

During the history of the Ottoman Empire, the Köprülü grand viziers had a reputation for dynamism in a state that would later show signs of decline and stagnation.

This, however, came to an end after the disastrous Battle of Vienna launched by Kara Mustafa Pasha, a member of the family (see also the Treaty of Karlowitz).