Mehmed IV
Mehmed IV | |||||
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Ottoman Caliph Amir al-Mu'minin Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques | |||||
Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (Padishah) | |||||
Reign | 8 August 1648 – 8 November 1687 | ||||
Predecessor | Ibrahim | ||||
Successor | Suleiman II | ||||
Regents | See list
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Born | Fatma Emetullah Sultan | 2 January 1642||||
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Dynasty | Ottoman | ||||
Father | Ibrahim | ||||
Mother | Turhan Sultan | ||||
Religion | Sunni Islam | ||||
Tughra |
Mehmed IV (
Under Mehmed IV's reign, the empire reached the height of its territorial expansion in Europe. From a young age he developed a keen interest in hunting, for which he is known as avcı (translated as "the Hunter").[1] In 1687, Mehmed was overthrown by soldiers disenchanted by the course of the ongoing War of the Holy League. He subsequently retired to Edirne, where he resided and died of natural causes in 1693.[1]
Early life
Born at
Reign
Accession
Mehmed ascended to the throne in 1648 at the age of six,[nb 1] during a very volatile time for the Ottoman dynasty. On 21 October 1649, Mehmed along with his brothers Suleiman and Ahmed were circumcised.[5]
Kösem Sultan, Mehmed's grandmother and regent, was suspected of supporting the rebels and plotting to poison the sultan and replace him with his younger half-brother, Suleiman. As a result, Mehmed agreed to sign his grandmother's death warrant in September 1651.[6]
The empire faced palace intrigues as well as uprisings in Anatolia, the defeat of the Ottoman navy by the Venetians outside the Dardanelles, and food shortages leading to riots in Constantinople. It was under these circumstances that Mehmed's mother granted Köprülü Mehmed Pasha full executive powers as Grand Vizier. Köprülü took office on 14 September 1656.[7] Mehmed IV presided over the Köprülü era, an exceptionally stable period of Ottoman history. Mehmed is known as Avcı, "the Hunter", as this outdoor exercise took up much of his time.
Wars
Mehmed's reign is notable for a revival of Ottoman fortunes led by the
In 1672 and 1673, the sultan, who embarked on two Polish-Lithuanian campaigns with serdar-ı ekrem and Grand Vizier Fazıl Ahmed Pasha, and the acquisition of the Kamaniçi Castle, returned to Edirne after the signing of the Bucaş Treaty.[11]
Fire of 1660
The fire of 4–5 July 1660 was the worst conflagration Constantinople had experienced to date. It started in Eminönü and spread to most of the historic peninsula, burning much of the city. Even the minarets of Suleiman I's mosque burned. Two-thirds of Istanbul was turned to ash in the conflagration, and as many as forty thousand people were killed. Thousands died in the famine and plague which followed the fire. Following the fire, the dynasty expelled Jews from a wide swath of Istanbul, confiscated their synagogues and homes so that in their place the Yeni Cami (New Mosque) and the Spice Bazaar (Egyptian Market) could be built.[citation needed]
Great Turkish War
On 12 September 1683, the Austrians and their Polish-Lithuanian allies under King John III Sobieski won the Battle of Vienna with a devastating flank attack led by Sobieski's Polish cavalry. The Turks retreated into Hungary; however, this was only the beginning of the Great Turkish War, as the armies of the Holy League began their successful campaign to push the Ottomans back to the Balkans.
Later life and death
In May 1675, Mehmed IV's sons Mustafa II and Ahmed III were circumcised and his daughter Hatice Sultan was married. The empire celebrated it with Famous Edirne Festival to mark the occasion.[11] Silahdar Findikli Mehmed Aga described Mehmed as a medium-sized, stocky, white-skinned, sun-burnt face, with a sparse beard, leaning forward from the waist up because he rides a lot. [12]
1680 witnessed the only known
After the second
After these, on 8 November 1687, it was decided to depose Sultan Mehmed IV and to enthrone his brother Suleiman II as the new Sultan. Mehmed was deposed by the combined forces of Janissaries and Sekbans commanded by Osman Pasha. Mehmed was then imprisoned in Topkapı Palace. However, he was permitted to leave the Palace from time to time, as he died in Edirne Palace in 1693. He was buried in Turhan Sultan's tomb, near his mother's mosque in Constantinople. In 1691, a couple of years before his death, a plot was discovered in which the senior clerics of the empire planned to reinstate Mehmed on the throne in response to the ill health and imminent death of his successor, Suleiman II.
Mehmed's favourite harem girl was Gülnuş Sultan, a slave girl and later his wife. She was taken prisoner at Rethymno (Turkish Resmo) on the island of Crete. Their two sons, Mustafa II and Ahmed III, became Ottoman Sultans during 1695–1703 and 1703–1730, respectively.
Family
Consorts
Mehmed IV had an
Mehmed IV's known consorts are:[13]
- Emetullah Rabia Gülnuş Sultan. Of Greek origin, her real name was Evmania Voria. She was the first concubine of Mehmed IV and the most beloved, his Haseki and mother of two sultans. She became particularly famous for her many travels, first accompanying the sultan and then her two sons wherever they went. The Yeni Valide mosquewas built in her honor by their son Ahmed III.
- Afife Hatun. Also called Afife Kadın, she was Mehmed's second favorite and a poet. During the period of confinement in the Eski Saray after the deposition of Mehmed IV, she wrote verses dedicated to his pain and to that of Gülnuş, who "screamed until she hurt her lungs", while Mehmed, in his room, wept for not being able to console her. Mehmed dedicated some poems to her, also.[14]
- Gülnar Hatun. Also called Gülnar Kadın. Her existence is controversial, with some historians speculating that she may be Gülnuş herself, whose name was misspelled by some.
- Nevruz Hatun. Also known as Nevruz Kadın, she founded a school in the Süleymaniye neighborhood.
- Güneş Hatun. Her existence is controversial, with some historians speculating that she may be Gülnuş herself, whose name was misspelled by some.
- Gülbeyaz Hatun. Mother of a daughter, according to the chronicles she was killed out of jealousy by Gülnuş, who threw her off a cliff, or had her killed by strangulation. Her existence is controversial.
- Hatice Hatun. She was killed by "Güneş Hatun" (Gülnuş herself according to some historians). Her existence is controversial.
- Cihanşah Hatun
- Dürriye Hatun
- Kaniye Hatun
- Rukiye Hatun
- Siyavuş Hatun
- Rabia Hatun. Also called Rabia Kadin. Uncertain existence, she was a poet. Could be a pseudonym of Afife Hatun.
Sons
Mehmed IV had at least four sons:[13]
- Mustafa II (6 February 1664 – 29 December 1703) – with Gülnuş Sultan. 22nd Sultan of the Ottoman Empire
- Ahmed III (31 December 1673 – 1 July 1736) – with Gülnuş Sultan. He was born in Romania, first sultan to be born out of Turkey since the time of Suleiman I. 23rd Sultan of the Ottoman Empire
- Şehzade Bayezid (15 December 1678 – 18 January 1679, buried in Sultan Mustafa I Mausoleum, Hagia Sophia)[14]
- Şehzade Süleyman (13 February 1681 – before 1691)
Daughters
Mehmed IV had at least seven daughters:[13]
- Hatice Sultan (c. 1660 – 5 July 1743),[14][15] – with Gülnuş Sultan,[16] She married twice and she had five sons and a daughter.[17][14]
- Fülane Sultan (1668? – ?). She married Kasım Mustafa Paşah, governor of Edirne, in 1687.
- Ayşe Sultan (c. 1673 – c. 1676) – with Gülnuş Sultan. Nicknamed Küçük Sultan, that means "little princess". At the age of around two years, she was betrothed to Kara Mustafa Paşah, but the baby girl died shortly after and the marriage never took place.
- Ümmügülsüm Sultan (c. 1677 – 9 May 1720) – with Gülnuş Sultan. Also called Ümmi Sultan or Gülsüm Sultan. She was the favorite niece of her uncle Ahmed II, who after the deposition of her father treated her as his daughter, so much so that he kept her at court with him, unlike her sisters. She married once and had three daughters. She was buried in the Yeni Cami Mosque.
- Fatma Emetullah Sultan (c. 1679 – 13 December 1700) – with Gülnuş Sultan.[16] She married twice and she had two daughters.[18][19]
- Fülane Sultan (? – ?) – presumed with Gülbeyaz Hatun
- Gevherhan Sultan (? – ?). Called also Gevher Sultan.
See also
References
Notes
- ^ He is often reported as having been seven years old upon his accession, a result of the Turkish method of calculating age.
Citations
- ^ a b c Börekçi, Günhan (2009). "Mehmed IV". In Ágoston, Gábor; Bruce Masters (eds.). Encyclopedia of the Ottoman Empire. pp. 370–371.
- ISBN 978-605-9787-24-6.
- ISBN 978-0-465-02396-7.
- ^ John Freely (1999). Inside the Seraglio. Chapter 9: Three Mad Sultans[ISBN missing]
- ^ Sakaoğlu 2015, p. 271.
- ISBN 978-0520262218.
- ^ Streusand, Donald E., Islamic Gunpowder Empires: Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals (Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press, 2011), p. 57.
- ISBN 978-0857730237.
- ISBN 978-1-4411-6880-1.
- ISBN 978-0-465-02396-7.
- ^ a b Sakaoğlu 2015, p. 266.
- ^ Sakaoğlu 2015, p. 270.
- ^ a b c Mehmed IV, in The Structure of the Ottoman Dynasty; D.A. Alderson
- ^ a b c d Silahdar Findiklili Mehmed Agha (2012). ZEYL-İ FEZLEKE (1065–22 Ca. 1106 / 1654–7 Şubat 1695). pp. 530, 752–753, 1095, 1290.
- ^ Sakaoğlu 2008, p. 380.
- ^ a b Majer, Hans Georg (1992). The Journal of Ottoman Studies XII: The Harem of Mustafa II (1695–1703). p. 441.
- ^ Uluçay 2011, p. 109.
- ^ Uluçay 2011, p. 110.
- ^ Silahdar Findiklili Mehmed Agha (2001). Nusretnâme: Tahlil ve Metin (1106–1133/1695–1721). pp. 135, 458–459, 841.
Sources
- Sakaoğlu, Necdet (2015). Bu Mülkün Sultanları. Alfa Yayıncılık. ISBN 978-6-051-71080-8.
- Sakaoğlu, Necdet (2008). Bu mülkün kadın sultanları: Vâlide sultanlar, hâtunlar, hasekiler, kadınefendiler, sultanefendiler. Oğlak Yayıncılık.
- Uluçay, Mustafa Çağatay (2011). Padişahların kadınları ve kızları. Ankara, Ötüken.
External links
Media related to Mehmed IV at Wikimedia Commons