Solomon Abenaes

Solomon Abenaes was an Ottoman statesman and merchant, born as Alvaro Mendes in a family of converted Jews in Tavira, Portugal.

He started his career in India by farming the diamond mines of the kingdom of Narsinghgrah where he acquired a great wealth. After he returned back to Europe, he became a knight of Order of Santiago, a Christian military-religious order that was founded in 12th century in Spain for the purpose of fighting Spanish Muslims and of protecting pilgrims on their way to the shrine of Santiago de Compostela. In the next period of his life, he lived in Madrid, Florence, Paris and London. After the Spaniards seized Portugal in 1580, he actively involved in politics, and became one of the most active supporters of Dom Antonio, prior of Crato and the pretender to the Portugese throne.

In 1585 he decided to settle down in the Ottoman Empire, which led the most liberal politic to Jews, and reverted to Judaism under the name Solomon Abenaes. He became highly regarded at the Ottoman court thanks to his wealth, experience, and connections. He had an elaborate information service all over Europe which provided the Ottoman court with the latest information, which were very valuable to the Ottoman sovereign.

Abenaes became a successor of Jospeh Nasi, another Jewish statesman at Porte, and was created Duke of Mytilene, one of the largest Aegan islands by the sultan Murad III (r.1574-1595) and was granted rights to farm customs revenues. That position he held for the next twenty years.

He was also the organizer of the Anglo-Ottoman alliance against Spain, and was associated with the attempt to reestablish an autonomous Jewish life in Israel.