He was the greatest of the sultans of his dynasty, under him the Ottoman Empire reached its highest development. In Europe, Suleiman is known under the nickname Magnificent, and in the East, this ruler has earned, perhaps, a less vivid, but much more honorable nickname - Qanuni, which means “Fair”.
In all its splendor
The Venetian ambassador Bragadin, in a letter dated June 9, 1526, wrote about him as follows: “He is thirty-two years old, he has a deathly pale skin color, an aquiline nose and a long neck; in appearance he is not very strong, but his hand is very strong, which I noticed when I kissed it, and they say that he can bend the bow like no one else. By his nature, he is melancholy, very partial to women, generous, proud, quick-tempered and at the same time very gentle at the same time. "
Suleiman became famous for his military campaigns, wise rule and a love story that connected his name with a woman who received the nickname Roksolana.
Military campaigns
Suleiman I, son of Sultan Selim I of Yavuz and daughter of the Crimean Khan Mengli Girey Aishe, tenth sultan Ottoman Empire... He was born in November 1494, and his reign began in September 1520, when he was 26 years old. Suleiman I died in September 1566.
Suleiman I spent all his life in military campaigns.
Not having time to sit on the throne of the Ottoman Empire, he began to expand its boundaries. In 1521, Suleiman took the Sabac fortress on the Danube and laid siege to Belgrade. After a long siege, the city fell. In 1522 Suleiman landed on Rhodes with a large army. This island at that time was the stronghold of the Knights of the Order of the Johannites, who felt themselves masters in this part of the Mediterranean Sor. However, not even a few months had passed before the fortified citadel of the knights fell.
Having established himself in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea, Suleiman set to work on the Red Sea, where Portuguese sailors ruled at that time. In 1524, a Turkish fleet entered the Red Sea from the port of Jeddah (present-day Saudi Arabia) and cleared it of Europeans. In 1525, Suleman conquered Algeria.
From 1526 to 1528, Suleiman waged continuous wars in eastern Europe. He conquered Bosnia, Herzegovina, Slavonia, the rulers of Hungary and Tansylvania recognized themselves as vassals of Suleiman. Turkish troops invaded Bulgaria and Austria.
From these campaigns Suleiman returned with rich booty, he ravaged cities and fortresses, drove thousands of inhabitants into slavery. Turkey's domination over central and eastern Hungary was recognized by Austria, pledging to pay Suleiman an annual tribute.
Not content with victories in the west, Suleiman also fought with the eastern countries. In 1533, Suleiman began a campaign against the Safavid state (modern Azerbaijan). After capturing the Safavid capital Tabriz, he moved to Baghdad and captured it in 1534. Not only the rulers of Baghdad and Mesopotamia submitted to him, but also the princes of Basra, Bahrain and other states of the Persian Gulf.
By the 50s of the 16th century, the Ottoman Empire stretched from Hungary to Egypt, from the Balkan Peninsula to Iran and the Caucasus. In addition, Suleiman had possessions in North Africa, he controlled the Mediterranean Sea and seriously threatened Rome itself.
Suleiman also caused Russia a lot of trouble. The Crimean Khan was his vassal. At various times, Kazan and even Siberian khans recognized themselves as vassals of Suleiman. The Turks more than once took part in the campaigns of the Crimean khans against Moscow.
Suleiman set out on his last campaign on May 1, 1566. The Turkish army moved into eastern Hungary and laid siege to the Szigetvar fortress. This was the thirteenth campaign in which the Ottoman ruler was directly involved. Thirteenth - and last. On the night of September 5, the ruler died in his marching tent. The indefatigable conqueror was 72 years old at that time.
Domestic policy
Suleiman took the throne of his father as a young man, but a rather experienced ruler. He, as was customary in the Ottoman dynasty, during the life of his father became the ruler of one of the regions of the empire with the center in the city of Manisa.
When the next sultan occupied the throne, a series of executions began in his family. According to a bloody custom, the Sultan destroyed all possible rivals from among the pretenders to the throne. Since each of the rulers of the Ottoman Empire had a huge harem, the sons of all the Sultan's concubines could be considered such contenders. Providing himself with a calm reign, the new ruler did not spare anyone, not even small children. It is not for nothing that at the Sultan's palace there was a special cemetery for little "shah-zade" - princes who fell victim to the intrigues and wars of adults.
Suleiman's reign began without such horrors. It so happened that all his little brothers died in infancy from diseases.
In addition, the first step of the young Suleiman was a good deed: he released the Egyptian captives, who were kept in chains by his father.
Suleiman not in vain earned the honorary nickname "Fair". He fought against corruption, was known as a staunch enemy of officials' abuse. It was said about him that he, like the legendary Garun-al-Rashid, walks around the city, dressed in simple clothes, and listens to what people say about him and about the order in his capital.
But you should not imagine Suleiman as an ideal ruler, kind to his subjects, but harsh to the enemies of the empire. He was as cruel, suspicious and despotic as all representatives of the Ottoman dynasty, mercilessly executing anyone who, in his opinion, could be dangerous to him or simply caused displeasure. As an example, we can cite the fate of three people close to Suleiman, whom he, in his own words, once loved.
His eldest son and heir Mustafa, the son of a concubine named Makhidevran-sulta n, was executed by his order and in front of his eyes. Suleiman suspected that Mustafa wanted to take the throne, without waiting for his father's death from natural causes.
Ibrahim Pasha, nicknamed Pargaly, the grand vizier and the closest friend of Suleiman since his youth in Manisa, was also executed by order of the Sultan on suspicion of some intrigue. Suleiman swore in his youth that Pargaly would never be executed while he, Suleiman, was alive. Having decided to execute yesterday's favorite, he resorted to the following trick: since sleep is a kind of death, then let Ibrahim Pasha be executed not during his life - while Suleiman is awake, but when the sovereign is asleep. Ibrahim Pasha was strangled after a friendly dinner with the sovereign.
Finally, one of his concubines, Gulfem Khatun, was strangled by the order of Suleiman. In her youth, she was his favorite and gave birth to an heir to the ruler. However, the child soon died of smallpox. Suleiman, contrary to custom, did not drive out Gulfem, but left her in his harem. And although she never returned to his bed, he considered her a friend, appreciated conversations with her and her advice. Nevertheless, the same silk cord became the ending of Gulfem-Khatun's life.
The portrait of Suleiman the Magnificent will not be complete without mentioning his love for the arts. Under him, Istanbul was adorned with magnificent buildings, mosques and bridges. He loved poetry, he himself composed poetry, which are considered excellent in Turkey to this day. In addition, Suleiman was fond of blacksmithing and jewelry, and became famous for making jewelry for his beloved concubines himself.
Love for Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska
And, of course, talking about Suleiman the Magnificent, one cannot but recall his love for his concubine, who received the nickname Roksolana in European diplomatic correspondence.
Who this woman was is not known for certain today. The nickname given to her unequivocally hints at a Slavic, even Russian origin, since it was Russians who were called "roxolans" in the Middle Ages. Considering the numerous military campaigns of the Turkish and Crimean troops in the territory now occupied by Ukraine, such an origin of this girl can be considered quite probable. According to tradition, Roksolana is considered the daughter of a priest from the western regions of Ukraine and is called Alexandra Lisovskaya, but there is no documentary evidence of this. The Sultan noticed and brought this girl closer to him, and gave her the name Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska, which means "Joy". Apparently, the character of the Slav was really cheerful. Khyurrem Sultan succeeded in the impossible: she achieved that Suleiman set her free and made her his legal wife, which has never happened in the Sultan's harem until now. Moreover, it had a serious impact on the foreign and domestic policy of the Sultan, which was noted by all diplomats who were in Istanbul.
It was Khyurrem Sultan who was the mother of Shah-zade Selim, who became the next ruler of the empire after Suleiman.
When Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska died, Suleiman ordered to build an exquisitely decorated mausoleum for her. A tomb was erected next to this mausoleum, in which the great conqueror himself rested.
Suleiman (1495-1566), nicknamed the Magnificent in Europe, is the tenth and considered the greatest sultan of the Ottoman Empire. He was born on April 27, 1495 in Trabzon. The son of Sultan Selim I (ruled 1512-1520), took the throne after the death of his father in 1520 and reigned until the end of his life. He was an educated person, patronized science and art, reformed and codified Ottoman legislation.
During his thirteen imperial wars, Suleiman confronted the nation states of Europe and Asia in the 16th century on equal terms. Rhodes, the islands of the Aegean and Ionian Seas, Algeria, Tripoli passed under the sovereignty of the Turks.
The Europeans called him Magnificent, but the Turks themselves called him "Kanuni", i.e. Legislator. The conquests of Suleiman I supplemented the Ottoman Empire in the west and east, so Suleiman's reign looks like a period of consolidation of the conquests of his predecessors. Suleiman issued a series of laws that covered all aspects of government and society. For the first time, the system of government of the Ottoman Empire was set out in writing, and at the same time an attempt was made to bring it into conformity with Sharia.
Suleiman was a great connoisseur and connoisseur of art, talented in poetry and art. He is considered one of the best poets of Islam. During his era, Istanbul became a center for visual arts, music, poetry and philosophy. Suleiman took care of a whole army of artists, religious thinkers and philosophers, who made up the most educated court in all of Europe. This cultural growth during the reign of Suleiman became the most creative period in Ottoman history. He attracted to his country the best minds of that time, the most gifted people.
The era of Suleiman's rule became a period of great justice and harmony throughout the Islamic world.
However, during the reign of Suleiman, the seeds of the subsequent decline of the Ottoman Empire were sown. The initial successes of the Ottomans were associated with the personal contribution of the first ten Ottoman sultans, who showed outstanding abilities in managing the Empire and led the armies on campaigns themselves. In his old age, Suleiman practically retired from affairs and handed them over to the Grand Vizier, who became the main ruler and military leader. This made it possible for various factions in government and society to compete for appointments in the army and administration and for the succession to the throne.
Suleiman left a huge mark on the history of the Ottoman Empire. His mysterious personality, magnificent monuments erected during his reign and the records of his contemporaries have always aroused great interest. During the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent, the Ottoman Empire reached its peak and became the most powerful empire in cultural, social, political and military terms. Looking back at this period helps us appreciate the heritage of history and culture that has more influenced the current look of modern Turkey. Suleiman the Magnificent, Sultan Sultanov, the conqueror of three continents, who shook the whole world in the XIV century and raised the Ottoman Empire to unknown heights of greatness, this person attracted the attention of the whole world.
Suleiman I died on September 7, 1566 in Segeshwar (Hungary) during his last campaign against the Habsburgs. The throne passed to his son Selim II, from whom the period of the decline of the Ottoman Empire began.
1. Ottoman Empire under Suleiman the MagnificentThis cord of power, so beautifully woven, was in the possession of one master - the monarch. (Prince Zbarazhsky)
- Who in the Ottoman Empire had this power cord (Sultana)?
- Do you think the prosperity of the state will depend on the character and abilities of the Sultan?
The Ottoman Empire reached its highest power under Suleiman the Magnificent. Suleiman the Magnificent - the most famous of all Ottoman rulers... During his long reign (1520-1566), he expanded the boundaries of his empire in Europe, Asia, Africa.
The Western world called him "Magnificent." To his subordinates, he was Suleiman "Lawgiver".
Tall, thin, with a high forehead, an aquiline nose and very large eyes, radiating genuine greatness, Suleiman was a pious, wise, unyielding and highly moral man, he forced others to respect his views.
Show on the map the territories that were part of the Ottoman Empire in Europe, Asia, Africa in the middle of the 17th century.
The territory of the Ottoman Empire expanded significantly, which required clear management. Suleiman promulgated the new secular legislation "Kanun", a kind of set of laws that ensure the strength and stability of the state.
Suleiman's subjects, recognizing the completeness and importance of his work, gave their ruler the nickname "Legislator".
The Ottoman state had a centralized government, the seat of power was in the palace. At the head was the sultan, who had all the rights and powers in his hands. All peoples were obliged to obey his decrees, he was "the shadow of God on Earth", that is, the spiritual head of the Muslims, the commander of the army, the supreme judge. However, he could not resist the commandments of Islam.
Unlimited power of the Sultan, the support of his power: a large army and a Muslim church.
2. "Saber and religion are inseparable"
- What were the Turkish military forces?
Janissaries- standing foot troops.
The fate of the Janissary
During the war, the land where I was born was conquered by the Ottoman Empire, and I got into the Janissary army when I was still small.
You are the future warriors of Allah - the Janissaries - the support of the Ottoman Empire and the Sultan. You cannot have a family, you cannot do anything except military craft. With a saber, the kingdom of the Ottomans obtained with a saber and will hold out.
Of the janissaries, the sultan was the personal guard. On holidays, we performed in all our glory at parades. There was no man who dared to resist the janissary. Even those close to the Sultan were afraid of our anger. As a sign of displeasure, we took the cauldrons out of the barracks and beat them, and then spread around the city, destroying everything in our path. But if the unwanted could hide in the janissary cauldron, he became a friend of the janissaries.
I also had to participate in fierce wars. The Janissaries took heavily fortified cities, and knights in armor fled from us. We killed and seized enormous wealth.
Once the Sultan himself noticed my courage and presented me with a skillfully decorated saber - about the starry moment of my life. And now I am old, and the Janissaries are not the same now; They have families, do crafts, shout a lot in the squares and fight little. Is the Ottoman saber blunt? The Ottomans are waiting for death at the hands of enemies.
The sultans were the leaders of the Muslims in the holy war with the infidels and spent most of their lives on campaigns, even the rite of coronation of the sultan consisted not in laying the crown, but in girding with a “sacred ball”.
When, after the coronation, returning to the palace, the Sultan passed by the janissary barracks, one of the commanders came out to meet him and brought a bowl of sherbet. After drinking sherbet and filling the cup with gold coins, the sultan uttered the ritual phrase "Kyzyl elmada gerushyuryuz". - We will meet again in the country of the Golden Apple. This meant that the Janissaries had to prepare for a march westward to Christian Europe, which the Turks called the "Land of the Golden Apple."
In 1526 Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, at the head of 100 thousand army with 300 cannons, invaded Hungary. On August 29, the Turks met with the Hungarians on the field near Mohach. The Hungarian cavalry rushed into a desperate attack on the Janissary fortifications and was shot at point-blank by artillery. King Louis II drowned in a swamp while fleeing. The Turks took possession of most of Hungary and in 1529 moved to Vienna, all of Europe was gripped by fear. It seemed that Christians would not be able to stop the Muslim advance. At the end of September, the Ottomans laid siege to the Austrian capital and pushed 300 cannons to its walls, the cannonade lasted from morning to evening, miners dug tunnels and blew up the fortifications. On October 9, the Turks launched an assault, which lasted for 3 days without interruption, but the janissaries did not manage to break the besieged; anticipating the onset of cold weather, the Ottoman army lifted the siege. Returning, the Turks ravaged the Austrian lands and captured more than 10 thousand peasants.
The war for the faith knew no mercy, and neither Muslims nor Christians spared their opponents. However, any Christian captive could say: “I admit that there is no God but Allah,” and immediately receive freedom.
- Mark the locations of the largest battles in Central Europe on the contour map.
3. Situation of the conquered peoples
The poem of the Croatian poet Marko Marulic (second half of the 15th-early 16th centuries) "Prayer against the Turks" reflects the disasters of the Slavs on the Balkan Peninsula during the Ottoman conquest.
“The fields, and the whole, and the city, robbed, the Turk burned.
Moans, old and young, he carried everyone into slavery.
Yunakov's army fell, cut with a sword.
Those who did not have time to escape groan under the scourge.
The enemy also chopped off children in the arms of mothers,
He mercilessly ruined the innocence of his daughters,
He knew one self-interest, he tore up families:
Here I sold my wife, and I sold my husband there.
The altars are overthrown, the shrines are scolded,
He has leveled your monasteries to the ground,
The horses were led into the temple with a cursed foot
An honest cross was trampled on to your sons 'shame.'
- What disasters caused by the Ottoman conquest does the poet call? What moods of the people did he express in this poem?
- In what do you see the similarities in the position of the conquered peoples in Muslim countries?
Situation of the conquered peoples:
- driving the population into slavery;
- eviction from cities;
- heavy poll tax;
- humiliating prohibitions.
Fizminutka
4. The struggle of peoples against the conquerors
- Who are the Haiduks?
Haiduki- Bulgarian and Serbian partisans.
- It is difficult to give a definite assessment to the movement of headers. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of this movement.
- Cite facts proving that the peoples of the XVI Balkan Peninsula heroically defended their independence in the struggle against the Ottoman invasion.
5. The beginning of the decline of the Ottoman Empire
- What are the reasons for the beginning of the decline of the Ottoman Empire in the II half of the XVI century. How did it manifest itself?
- The struggle of the conquered peoples against the conquerors.
- The transformation of the lands of the soldiers into their property, the weakening of the army.
- Reduction of treasury revenues due to the termination of the conquerors.
The period of the rule of Suleiman the Legislator, which begins in 1520 and lasts for forty-six years, even during the life of the Sultan himself began to be called the "Golden Age". Suleiman himself was referred to as "Magnificent".
Inheritance
Before starting the story about the political life of Suleiman, it should be noted that he inherited from his father Suleiman the Terrible an excellent economic base, in which he could freely carry out the desired world and domestic politics. The Ottoman state treasury at the beginning of the 16th century was actually overflowing with finances, and the territory of the Port was increased several times.
International "architect"
The directions of the Sultan the Magnificent in foreign policy were so diverse that the Porta began to play an integral role in almost all corners of the world:
- Western and Central Europe. The Ottoman Empire, represented by Suleiman the Legislator, is the main enemy of Christian Europe. From the very beginning of his reign, the sultan managed to subjugate Hungary. Immediately after this event, Europe was divided into two camps: those who supported the "infidel" (like the French Francis the First) and those who feared (like Karl Habsburg). An interest arose in the political and military organization of the Ports, and the Ottomans themselves began to play a huge role in Europe;
- Mediterranean. Suleiman constantly issued orders for the expansion of the territories of the Mediterranean Sea, which significantly undermined European trade. The Turks advanced to the islands of Rhodes and Cyprus;
- Muscovy. After the Porta seized the Transcaucasia, it began to successfully advance towards the trade routes of the Volga region and the Caspian Sea. A confrontation between the Ottomans and Ivan the Terrible became inevitable.
Thus, we can see the maximum achievement of Suleiman in the creation of a world Muslim Empire.
Domestic policy
The huge conquests of Suleiman and his father demanded the satisfaction of the wide social base of the Porte. That is why, the sultan took a number of popular measures that presented his status in the eyes of the population. He lowered numerous taxes, abolished a number of laws on confiscation of property, reformed the administrative system, making it "democratic and despotic."