Greatest Ottoman Sultan?

[Lord Baal]

He might have been bi. That's pretty common in Muslim societies.

It's pretty common among royalty everywhere. They had the power to get away with it, despite religious restrictions.

 

[Karalysia]

The Ottoman Sultans, none of them ever actually went on pilgrimage to Mecca. Some of their mothers, or wives went. But the Sultan's never did. Its interesting to note, considering that later on they would claim the title of Caliph of Islam.

 

[Lord Baal]

The Ottoman Sultans, none of them ever actually went on pilgrimage to Mecca. Some of their mothers, or wives went. But the Sultan's never did. Its interesting to note, considering that later on they would claim the title of Caliph of Islam.

They probably realised that leaving their power base to go to Arabia, where they were less than popular, probably wasn't a bright thing to do.

 

[r16]

2.Osman , also known as Genç Osman did try and it was correctly identified as an attempt to form a new army to destroy Yeniçeri power .

 

[Karalysia]

Indeed, Osman the II under the guise of going on pilgramage most likely sought to raise a new army of Turkish infantry and Arab cavalry to destroy the Janissary. He was overthrown and was the first Sultan to be executed by the Janissary.

 

[NovaKart]

It's interesting how the Janissaries overthrowing the Sultans is similar to the military's involvement in Turkish politics and the coups and alleged coup plots in modern Turkey.

 

[Lord Baal]

It's interesting how the Janissaries overthrowing the Sultans is similar to the military's involvement in Turkish politics and the coups and alleged coup plots in modern Turkey.

This is what happens when the power of the military gains preponderance over that of civil authorities. The Roman Empire is a textbook example, with the Praetorian Guard inn place of the Janissaries. A more modern example would be the authoritarian regimes in Latin America during last century, which were either military or military-backed regimes.

I'd never heard that bout Osman II. I knew he'd been executed by the Janissaries for plotting against them, but didn't know what that plotting entailed. What was the likely outcome of raising a successful army in his case? Civil war?

 

[Karalysia]

No. The Janissary by this point had already become degraded in terms of military effectiveness. They had earlier been given the right to marry, induct their sons into the force, and to engage in trade, they had turned from a elite military unit, into a caste of hereditary merchant-militia who basically "guarded" Istanbul and a few other cities. Likely he would have been able to crush them.

The problem would have come from the ulema and the Shekih-ul-Islam who generally supported the Janissary and in the case of Osman II issued an edict that legitamized his overthrow and execution. It's a pity because Osman II was perhaps one of the last truly effective and dynamic Sultans. He could have been the Ottoman Peter the Great. Now of course there were other Sultans that were effective and attempted reform people like Sultan Selim III who was building the New Army but the Janissary forced the abdonment of the project. It would not be until Sultan Mahmud's New Order Army and the Auspicious event the Janisary would finally be crushed.The