Suleyman Pasha is referred to as "Şıpka Hero" since he had hard wars against Russians in Şıpka and defeated them. However, his services to our country is not limited to his bravery and heroism in only battlefields.
He tried to revive Turkish identity by his books and thoughts he conveyed to his students. For him, the dominant component of Ottoman State is not Ottomans but Turkish nation. The language he spoke was not Ottoman but Turkish. He wrote a Turkish grammar book to advocate his idea.
Suleyman Pasha's most important book is Tarih-i Alem. Suleyman Pasha gave important information on roots and native land of Turks for the first time in Turkey. Pasha describes his own efforts for land and revolution in his book named Hiss-i İnkilap. Among his other books, there is Umdetü'l-Hakâyık, pertaining to Ottoman-Russian expedition.
Suleyman Pasha was born in Istanbul in 1838. He was the son of a candy-seller. He graduated from Hamidiye School. He was a hardworking and cautious student. He taught literature and history in the same school.
He was appointed to Minister of War academies as a general in 1874. He served a lot in establishment and program-correction of military schools. Then he came out successful in Russian war of 1876 and was acceded to field marshal. He could not complete his duty in Şıpka because the army was commanded from Istanbul.
Suleyman Pasha became the Chief commander of Danube Armies. He could not tell the sultan about his ideas. He was among those who dethroned Abdulaziz before. Abdulhamit the 2nd gave him the works requiring highest responsibility. However, he loaded the burden of defeat by Russians to him and sent him to exile into Baghdad.
He died in Baghdad in 1842 after a period of banishment life for 14 years. His grave is in Baghdad.