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Mustafa, son of Dervis Mehmed, was born in the Bozok region of Yozgat. He gained a reputation as a skilled horseman at a young age, attracting the attention of local administrators. So much so that he was called "little sipahi" (cavalryman). For this reason, he entered the service of provincial governors at a young age. Soon after, he was sent to the center of the world, Istanbul, for education.
He entered the palace and began his training in the Enderun (Imperial Palace School). Initially serving in the Privy Chamber, he rose to one of the most influential positions in the Enderun: the Sword Bearer. Bozoklu Mustafa Agha, who diligently performed his duties for a long time, was appointed as the Kaptan-ı Derya (Grand Admiral) on January 14, 1681, and was thus bestowed with the title of "Pasha."
During his tenure in this office, an interesting incident occurred. Briefly, the French navy pursued nine Tunisian ships as far as the island of Chios on the grounds of piracy and bombarded Chios after the Tunisian ships took refuge in the harbor. Bozoklu Mustafa Pasha, arriving with the Ottoman fleet (Donanma-yı Humayun), swiftly captured the French ships and seized them all. Upon the capture of their fleet, the French government sent an embassy delegation to Istanbul and closed the matter with a formal apology and compensation for the bombardment.
Having successfully fulfilled this duty as well, Bozoklu Mustafa Pasha returned to Istanbul and engaged in shipyard affairs. On December 20, 1683, he was dismissed from the position of Kaptan Pasha and sent to the Polish front as the Beylerbey (Governor-General) of Kamaniçe. He successfully defended the city against the besieging Polish army. Upon the proclamation of the Polish Serdar (Commander-in-Chief) Sarı Süleyman Pasha as "Grand Vizier," Bozoklu Mustafa Pasha was appointed in his place. Thus, he became the Polish Serdar and the Commander of the Ottoman Empire's Northern Armies.
He fought here for years and effectively kept the Poles pinned down in the north. He even managed to launch raids into Polish territory despite the Ottoman army remaining on the defensive on this front.
On August 14, 1688, the Polish King Jan Sobieski returned with a considerably larger force and once again besieged Kamanice. Upon learning of the situation, Serdar Bozoklu Mustafa Pasha mobilized, taking Crimean forces with him. The fortress garrison held out until the Serasker (Commander-in-Chief) arrived. Failing to capture the city, the king lost the pitched battle against the arriving Ottoman army and retreated once again. The Poles were in such a difficult situation that the public forced the king to seek peace. In January 1690, after serving for seven years on the Polish front, he was transferred to the Damascus Eyalet (province). A year later, he went to Tripoli. From there, he was summoned to Edirne and appointed as the Kaymakam of the Grand Vizier (Sadâret Kaymakamı) in Ramadan 1103 (June 1692). On March 27, 1693, with the Sultan's insistence, he became the Grand Vizier.
His ascension to the Grand Vizierate coincided with an extremely painful period for the Ottoman Empire. The War of the Holy League was raging with all its intensity. The Habsburg armies had taken Hungary and had begun to threaten Wallachia. Following these developments, a decision was made for a campaign, and the army marched on Wallachia. Upon receiving news that Austrian forces were advancing on Belgrade, he turned his attention to Belgrade. He managed to force the besieging units to withdraw and saved the city. After repairing the fortifications of Belgrade and making the necessary reinforcements, he concluded the campaign and returned to the capital.
Although Bozoklu Mustafa Pasha had a successful military career, he was not skilled in politics, and political intrigues brought about his downfall. The Pasha could not resist going hunting whenever he found the opportunity. His rivals, aware of this weakness, used it to turn the Sultan against him. After his dismissal, Mustafa Pasha was imprisoned for a while in the "Kapı Ortası" (Middle Gate) of the palace. Afterwards, upon the request of the new Grand Vizier Surmeli Ali Pasha, he was pardoned and became the governor of Tripoli once again.
Bozoklu Mustafa Pasha, with his household troops and 300 sipahis, joined Sultan Mustafa II's campaign to Zenta on August 26, 1697. The Ottoman army suffered one of the most devastating defeats in its history at Zenta. Bozoklu Mustafa Pasha was the one who restored order to the defeated army. In December 1697, he was appointed as the Guardian of the Bosphorus. On April 10, 1698, at the request of the Grand Vizier, he was granted the rank of Second Vizier and re-appointed as the Kaymakam of the Grand Vizier. While serving in this position, he became unable to work due to gout and passed away on December 17, 1698. Bozoklu Mustafa Pasha, a Turk who was taken into the palace at a young age, went from front to front for many years, experienced both victory and defeat, and held numerous positions in the state, from the lowest ranks to the highest.
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