Ottoman court chose ambassadors by cost-saving rather than merit

Evidence

The Sultan, Naima says, was deeply impressed by the wit and learning of the Mughal envoy, and was anxious to send someone of comparable quality to represent him in India, since “ambassadors are the honour of kings.” The Mufti, the vizier, and other advisors, however, persuaded the Sultan of the superior merits of an ambassador who would pay his own expenses, and he therefore nominated the ignorant but wealthy Dhu’l-Fikar. — Bernard Lewis, From Babel to Dragomans, 609

Categorization

• SEED: Essay angle: how even great empires’ diplomatic appointments were corrupted by fiscal short-sightedness — the cost-saving logic that selects incompetent envoys.
• CANDY: Fun anecdote: an empire picked its ambassador by who would pay their own way, producing a diplomatic catastrophe.