Junius Richard Jayewardene vs Mehmed Emin Ali Pasha

As Prime Minister, Jayewardene oversaw the military response to the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) uprising. The government declared a state of emergency, deployed the army, and crushed the insurrection within months, resulting in thousands of deaths and mass arrests.

After winning the 1977 general election, Jayewardene's UNP government implemented sweeping economic liberalization. They removed import controls, devalued the rupee, promoted foreign investment, and established the Greater Colombo Economic Commission to create export processing zones.

Jayewardene's government passed the 1978 Constitution, replacing the Westminster-style parliamentary system with an executive presidency. He became the first Executive President of Sri Lanka, concentrating significant power in the presidency, including control over the cabinet and judiciary.

Following the LTTE ambush that killed 13 soldiers, Jayewardene's government did not deploy the military to stop anti-Tamil riots. Over several days, Sinhalese mobs killed thousands of Tamils in Colombo and elsewhere, destroying property. The pogrom radicalized the Tamil separatist movement.

Jayewardene signed the Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord with Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The accord aimed to end the Sri Lankan Civil War by devolving power to Tamil provinces and deploying the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) to disarm the LTTE.

Mehmed Emin Ali Pasha was appointed Grand Vizier for the first time in 1852. He had previously served as Foreign Minister and ambassador to London. His tenure focused on continuing the Tanzimat reforms, including legal and administrative modernization.

As Grand Vizier, Mehmed Emin Ali Pasha oversaw the proclamation of the Reform Edict (Islahat Fermani) in 1856. The edict guaranteed equality for all Ottoman subjects regardless of religion, granted rights to non-Muslims, and promised reforms in education and law, partly to satisfy European powers after the Crimean War.

Mehmed Emin Ali Pasha represented the Ottoman Empire at the Paris Peace Conference in 1856, which ended the Crimean War. He successfully secured Ottoman inclusion in the Concert of Europe and guaranteed the empire's territorial integrity, though at the cost of accepting European oversight.

As Grand Vizier, Mehmed Emin Ali Pasha led the Ottoman response to the Cretan Revolt (1866-1869). He negotiated a settlement in 1867 that granted Crete a degree of autonomy, including a Christian governor and a local assembly, temporarily pacifying the island.

Mehmed Emin Ali Pasha died in 1871 while serving as Grand Vizier. His death, along with that of Fuad Pasha in 1869, marked the end of the Tanzimat era's leading statesmen, leaving the empire without their reformist leadership.