Biography of Sultan Mehmed iv / Extra History of Sultan Mehmed iv

 Biography of Sultan Mehmed iv. Welcome to Biography category. Today we will discuss life and achievements of Sultan Mehmed iv. In this article i will share Extra History of Sultan Mehmed iv.

• Title: Sultan

• Date of birth: January 2, 1642

• Date of death: January 6, 1693

• City: Istanbul

• Country: Turkey

• Zodiac sign: Goat

Sultan Mehmed iv was born on January 2, 1642 in Istanbul . His father is Sultan Ibrahim I and his mother is Turhan Hatice Sultan. His mother is Russian. Sultan Mehmed the Fourth was of medium height, white-skinned and tanned. His body was bent forward because he rode a lot. His mother raised him very well. He received a good education. Upon the murder of his father, Sultan İbrahim, he became sultan on 8 August 1648, when he was only seven years old. He was very interested in Ava and literature. Because of his interest in hunting, he is known as Avcı Mehmed in history. He used to perform the five daily prayers in congregation. He strictly banned alcohol and had distilleries closed. He gave the Grand Viziership to the Köprülü family. During the reign of Sultan Mehmed the Fourth, the Ottoman Empire reached its widest borders. Most of his life was spent in palace intrigues. After the second Vienna defeat, he was deposed on 8 November 1687 with the unanimous consent of the army and the state. His next life was a life of imprisonment with two concubines placed next to him in a room in the palace.He died on 6 December 1693 in Edirne. His body was sent to Istanbul and he was buried in his tomb in Yeni Cami, next to his mother, Turhan Sultan.

Kosem Sultan's Killing :

When Sultan Mehmed iv came to the throne, the Dardanelles was under the blockade of the Venetians. The conflicts in the palace, the janissary and celali revolts continued. During the reign of four sultans, Kösem Sultan had taken over the state and harem domination. Trying to add a new one to his intrigues, Kösem Sultan and his close circle planned to poison the sultan and replace him with Şehzade Süleyman. However, Turhan Sultan heard about the situation at the last moment and had Kösem Sultan strangled (3 September 1651).

Tarhuncu Ahmet Pasha :

Tarhuncu Ahmed Pasha, who was appointed as the grand vizier during the reign of Sultan Mehmed iv, worked to conquer Crete, re-establish the navy and regulate the state budget. Tarhuncu Ahmed Pasha, who became the grand vizier in 1652, limited the unnecessary gifts and tips given to balance the budget.Tarhuncu Ahmed Pasha, who tried to reduce the palace expenditures and prepared the fiscal year budget for the first time, was executed (1653) as a result of the lies and gossip of those whose interests were lost. After the murder of Tarhuncu Ahmed Pasha, there was no political stability in the country.Incompetent people dominated the administration. Janissary and sipahi uprisings and Celali movements did not stop. As a result of the famine, the peasants left their lands, leading to population growth in the cities and unemployment arose.

Bridges Age :

Frequent changes in the grand vizier prevented the end of the bad course in the Ottoman Empire. At this time, there was a belief among the people and the notables of the state that all things would get better once Köprülü Mehmed Pasha became the grand vizier. Köprülü Mehmed Pasha, who was offered to be the Grand Vizier, put forward some conditions.For the first time in Ottoman history, a person put forward certain conditions to become the grand vizier. The palace would not interfere in state affairs, would make any appointments it wanted, and if there was a complaint about it, no action would be taken without his defense. Accepting these conditions, Sultan Mehmed iv appointed Köprülü Mehmed Pasha as the grand vizier on 15 September 1656.Köprülü Mehmed Pasha, who made many arrangements in financial matters, also ended the existing religious debate among the ulema. Lemnos (November 15, 1657), Bozcaada and Imbros, which were occupied by the Venetians, were recaptured. With the Konotop victory, the Russian Army was defeated (12 July 1659) and the rebellion of Erdel Bey Rakoçi was suppressed (12 November 1659). He sent forces against the beys who had begun to live independently in Anatolia and ensured stability. 

Köprülü Mehmed Pasha, like Sultan Murad IV and Kuyucu Murad Pasha, tried to maintain order in the country through violence. He is said to have killed 35,000 people during his five years as grand vizier.Upon the death of Grand Vizier Köprülü Mehmed Pasha on 30 October 1661, his son Köprülü Fazıl Ahmed Pasha was appointed as the grand vizier.Meanwhile, the Ottoman-Austrian wars were continuing because of the Erdel Principality. Köprülü Fazıl Ahmed Pasha went on an expedition to Austria. After the conquest of the fortresses of Uyvar (24 September 1663), Novigrad (4 November 1663), Austria sought peace.With the Treaty of Vasvar (10 August 1664), the Erdel Principality would remain attached to the Ottoman Empire, the Uyvar and Novigrad castles would be left to the Ottomans and Austria would pay war compensation.Köprülü Fazıl Ahmed Pasha, who did not accept the Venetians' offer to pay taxes for Crete, went on a campaign with the navy. Weapons and ammunition were transported from the ports of Thessaloniki to the island of Crete. Köprülü Fazıl Ahmed Pasha, who came to Crete via Benefşe and landed from Chania, besieged the Heraklion fortress. After twenty-six months of siege and fierce fighting, the conquest of Crete was complete when Heraklion surrendered on September 5, 1669.

Bucas Agreement :

After the Treaty of Hotin, there was a fifty-year peace process between Poland and the Ottoman Empire. The Poles, who attacked the Ukrainian Cossacks under the auspices of the Ottomans, disrupted the peace. Sultan Mehmed iv and Köprülü Fazıl Ahmed Pasha went on a Polish expedition when the Ukrainian Cossacks asked for help. After successive successes of the Ottoman army, Poland wanted peace. With the signed Bucaş Treaty (October 18, 1672), Podolia passed to the Ottomans. Poland would continue to pay taxes to the Khan of Crimea. In addition, Poland agreed to pay 22,000 gold coins to the Ottoman Empire every year. After the Polish parliament did not accept the money clause in this treaty, the Second Polish expedition, which lasted 4 years, was started. After the conquest of some castles, the Polish ambassador asked for a treaty on the condition of the return of Podolia and Ukraine, but this was not accepted. In the meantime, when Köprülü Fazıl Ahmed Pasha fell ill, İbrahim Pasha was appointed as the chief of Poland in 1675. Sultan Mehmed the Fourth returned to Edirne with Köprülü Fazıl Ahmed Pasha.When İbrahim Pasha conquered 48 castles and pulleys in a short time, Poland demanded a treaty again. With the agreement signed in Zarawno on October 27, 1676, the articles of the Buçaş agreement, which was previously signed by Köprülü Fazıl Ahmed Pasha, were accepted, on the condition that 22.000 gold coins be given up. Grand Vizier Köprülü Fazıl Ahmed Pasha died on November 3, 1676, shortly after he received the news that the treaty was signed.

Second Siege of Vienna :

Upon the death of Köprülü Fazıl Ahmed Pasha, Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha was appointed as the grand vizier on 5 November 1676. After the Russian expedition ended with the peace treaty, Tökeli İmre (Emeric Thökely), who rebelled against Austria in Hungary and wanted Ottoman Empire protection again, was declared the King of Central Hungary by Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha.Tökeli İmre, who became the leader of the Hungarians, started resistance against the Austrian King Leopold I. Upon Tökeli's request for help from the Ottomans, Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha, who took advantage of this opportunity, besieged Vienna (14 July 1683).During the 60-day siege, 18 major marches were carried out on Vienna. However, Kara Mustafa Pasha from Merzifon was constantly waiting for the big and final attack. Meanwhile, upon the call of the Pope, King of Poland Jan Sobiyeski came to the aid of Vienna.With the arrival of the King of Poland, who gave the enemy great morale and strength with his army of 80,000 people, the Ottoman Army was stuck between the two armies. As the Crimean forces did not show sufficient effort and struggle, the Ottoman army was disbanded and suffered a great defeat; the army retreated quickly and irregularly towards Belgrade.Although the failure in the Second Siege of Vienna did not shake the confidence of Sultan Mehmed iv in Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha, his enemies showed the grand vizier as the sole responsible for the failure. Kara Mustafa Pasha of Merzifon was executed in Belgrade. Kara İbrahim Pasha was appointed as the grand vizier instead.When the Ottoman Army, which was defeated in front of Vienna, withdrew, the enemy forces entered Hungary.

 The castles of Visgrad (18 June 1684), Uyvar (19 August 1685), Budin (2 September 1686) were captured by the Austrians, respectively. On the other hand, Venice made an agreement with Austria and opened a front against the Ottoman Empire and captured some of the islands. Venice captured important castles such as Patras, Corinth, Lepanto, Mizistre and finally Athens (25 September 1687). The Second Siege of Vienna has a great importance in Ottoman history. The Ottoman Empire, which had not suffered such a great defeat until now, was beginning to decline. After the Second Siege of Vienna, the European States hoped to get the Turks out of Europe and formed the holy alliance.The defeats against Austria and Venice and the loss of important castles had great repercussions in the Ottoman Empire. Revolts began in the army. The soldiers blamed Sultan Mehmed iv as the reason for his failure. Siyavuş Pasha, who became the grand vizier at the request of the soldiers, took a decision to dethrone Sultan Mehmed the Fourth in a meeting in which all the statesmen were present and to put Prince Süleyman on the throne instead. Sultan Mehmed iv was deposed on 8 November 1687.

Zoning Studies (Architecture ) :

Sultan Mehmed iv remained on the Ottoman throne for a long period of 39 years. During this period, when the Ottoman Empire reached its widest limits, many activities were carried out in the architectural field. The New Mosque and Complex, which was unfinished 60 years ago, was completed. Rumeli and Anatolian fortresses were repaired between 1658-60. Spice Bazaar, Hünkar Pavilion, Divanyolu Köprülü Complex, Safranbolu Köprülü Mehmed Pasha Mosque, Vezirköprü Fazıl Ahmed Pasha Complex, İncesu Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha Mosque and Caravanserai were built.