Murad Osmanlı (1612 - 1640)

Ancestors

Biography

By the time Murad became sultan in 1623 at age 11, he had already survived the tumultuous reigns of both his uncle "Mad" Mustafa and his half-brother, the brilliant but sadistic Osman II, both of whom had attempted to have him executed.

Strong-willed, fanatical, and merciless, Murad set about reasserting royal authority in an empire beset by rebellions. He had rebels and corrupt official seized, killed, and their bodies thrown into the Bosporus. He banned alcohol, tobacco, and coffee, and executed emirs for letting their roads fall into disrepair. He led, in person, the campaign against Safavid Iran, conquering (among others) Azerbaijan, Baghdad, and Mesopotamia. He was known to wander the streets in a dressing gown, carrying a sword, and murdering "troublemakers" in his path. He terrorized everyone around him, including his harem girls, and he executed three of his brothers: Bayezid, Süleyman, and Selim. His last brother, İbrahim, was confined to the Kafes, aka "the Cage", a walled-up apartment in the palace where he was kept hidden away.

On his deathbed, he ordered the execution of his last brother, which would have ended the Ottoman imperial line; only their mother Kösem prevented this from happening.

Sources

• Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murad_IV

• Goodwin, Jason. 'Lords of the Horizons: A History of the Ottoman Empire', pub. 2014.