Mehmed-"bey" Kulenović was the son of "Hadži"-Ibrahim-"beg" Kulenović of Kulen Vakuf, the sixth captain of Stara Ostrovica capitancy. After inheriting his father's titles he became one of the most important military frontier authorities in Bosnia Eyalet, and was referred to by his servicemen as the "Master of Ostrovica". The branch of the Kulenović family, one of the largest Bosniak aristocratic families in general, to which Mehmed-"bey" belonged, was also engaged in tax farming (haraç), so it was called Haračlije. Mehmed-"bey" Kulenović was one of the most active and warlike frontier captains of his time. He took part in the military campaigns of several Bosnian viziers, starting with the one with Beqir-pasha (Abu Bakir-pasha) on Belgrade, with the aim of calming the uprising against the Belgrade dahis (renegade Janissary), then in defending Višegrad and Užice from Serbian insurgents, guarding the borders of the Bosnia Eyalet on the Drina river, leading raids and incursions in Mačva and Pocerina, until the campaign in the summer of 1806 and the Battle of Mišar.