Murad IV
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Murad IV (, ''Murād-ı Rābiʿ''; , 27 July 1612 – 8  February 1640) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1623 to 1640, known both for restoring the authority of the state and for the brutality of his methods. Murad IV was born in
Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
, the son of Sultan Ahmed I (r. 1603–17) and
Kösem Sultan Kösem Sultan (; 1589 – 2 September 1651), also known as Mahpeyker Sultan (;), was the Haseki sultan, Haseki Sultan as the chief consort and legal wife of the List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman Sultan Ahmed I, Valide sultan, Vali ...
. He was brought to power by a palace conspiracy when he was just 11 years old, and he succeeded his uncle Mustafa I (r. 1617–18, 1622–23). Until he assumed absolute power on 18 May 1632, the empire was ruled by his mother,
Kösem Sultan Kösem Sultan (; 1589 – 2 September 1651), also known as Mahpeyker Sultan (;), was the Haseki sultan, Haseki Sultan as the chief consort and legal wife of the List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman Sultan Ahmed I, Valide sultan, Vali ...
, as ''nāʾib-i salṭanat'' (regent). His reign is most notable for the Ottoman–Safavid War, of which the outcome would partition the
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between the two Imperial powers for around two centuries, while it also roughly laid the foundation for the current
Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
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borders.


Early life

Murad IV was born on 27 July 1612 to Ahmed I (reign 16031617) and his consort and later wife
Kösem Sultan Kösem Sultan (; 1589 – 2 September 1651), also known as Mahpeyker Sultan (;), was the Haseki sultan, Haseki Sultan as the chief consort and legal wife of the List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman Sultan Ahmed I, Valide sultan, Vali ...
, an ethnic Greek. After his father's death when he was six years old, he was confined in the Kafes with his brothers, Suleiman, Kasim, Bayezid and Ibrahim. Grand Vizier Kemankeş Ali Pasha and Şeyhülislam Yahya Efendi were deposed from their position. The next day, the child of the age of six was taken to the Eyüp Sultan Mausoleum. The swords of
Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...
and Yavuz Sultan Selim were bequeathed to him. Five days later he was circumcised.


Reign


Early reign (1623–1632)

Murad IV was for a long time under the control of his relatives and during his early years as Sultan; his mother,
Kösem Sultan Kösem Sultan (; 1589 – 2 September 1651), also known as Mahpeyker Sultan (;), was the Haseki sultan, Haseki Sultan as the chief consort and legal wife of the List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman Sultan Ahmed I, Valide sultan, Vali ...
, essentially ruled through him. In this period, the
Safavid Empire The Guarded Domains of Iran, commonly called Safavid Iran, Safavid Persia or the Safavid Empire, was one of the largest and longest-lasting Iranian empires. It was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often considered the begi ...
invaded
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, Northern
Anatolia Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...
erupted in revolts, and in 1631 the
Janissaries A janissary (, , ) was a member of the elite infantry units that formed the Ottoman sultan's household troops. They were the first modern standing army, and perhaps the first infantry force in the world to be equipped with firearms, adopted du ...
stormed the palace and killed the Grand Vizier, among others. At the age of 16 in 1628, he had his brother-in-law (his sister Fatma Sultan's husband, who was also the former governor of Egypt), Kara Mustafa Pasha, executed for a claimed action "against the law of God". After the death of the Grand Vizier Çerkes Mehmed Pasha in the winter of Tokat, Diyarbekir Beylerbeyi Hafiz Ahmed Pasha became a vizier on 8 February 1625. An epidemic, which started in the summer of 1625 and was called the plague of Bayrampaşa, spread to threaten the population of
Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
(present day
Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
). On average, a thousand people died every day. The people fled to the Okmeydanı to escape the plague. The situation was worse in the countryside outside of Constantinople.


Absolute rule and imperial policies (1632–1640)

In 1632, Murad IV banned the smoking of tobacco and opium and closed coffeehouses, which were believed to be centers of sedition. Also in the same year as noted by
Dimitrie Cantemir Dimitrie or Demetrius; Cantemir (; ; 26 October 1673 – 21 August 1723), also known by other spellings, was a Moldavian prince, statesman, and man of letters. He twice served as voivode of Moldavia (March–April 1693 and 1710–1711). Durin ...
, he legalized the selling and drinking of alcohol even for Muslims, an act which had no precedent at the time. Previously known to be fond of drinking, in 1634 he realized the dangers of wine, and banned both the sale and drinking of alcohol and ordered taverns to close. He ordered execution for breaking this ban and restored the judicial regulations by very strict punishments, including execution; he once strangled a
grand vizier Grand vizier (; ; ) was the title of the effective head of government of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. It was first held by officials in the later Abbasid Caliphate. It was then held in the Ottoman Empire, the Mughal Empire, the Soko ...
for the reason that the official had beaten his mother-in-law.


Fire of 1633

On 2 September 1633, the Cibali fire broke out, burning a fifth of the city. The fire started during the day when a caulker burned a shrub and a ship caulked into the walls. The fire spread in three branches to the city. One arm lowered towards the sea. It returned from Zeyrek and walked to Atpazan. The most beautiful districts of Constantinople were ruined, from the Yeniodas, Mollagürani districts, Fener gate to Sultanselim, Mesihpaşa, Bali Pasha and Lutfi Pasha mosques, Şahı buhan Palace, Unkapanı to Atpazarı, Bostanzade houses, and Sofular Bazaar. The fire that lasted for 30 hours was only extinguished after the wind stopped.


War against Safavid Iran

Murad IV's reign is most notable for the Ottoman–Safavid War (1623–39) against Persia (today Iran) in which Ottoman forces managed to conquer Azerbaijan, occupying
Tabriz Tabriz (; ) is a city in the Central District (Tabriz County), Central District of Tabriz County, in the East Azerbaijan province, East Azerbaijan province of northwestern Iran. It serves as capital of the province, the county, and the distric ...
,
Hamadan Hamadan ( ; , ) is a mountainous city in western Iran. It is located in the Central District of Hamadan County in Hamadan province, serving as the capital of the province, county, and district. As of the 2016 Iranian census, it had a po ...
, and capturing
Baghdad Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...
in 1638. The Treaty of Zuhab that followed the war generally reconfirmed the borders as agreed by the
Peace of Amasya The Peace of Amasya (; ) was a treaty agreed to on May 29, 1555, between Shah Tahmasp I of Safavid Iran and Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent of the Ottoman Empire at the city of Amasya, following the Ottoman–Safavid War (1532–1555), Ottoman ...
, with Eastern Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Dagestan staying Persian, Western Georgia stayed Ottoman. Mesopotamia was irrevocably lost for the Persians. Roemer (1989), p. 285 The borders fixed as a result of the war, are more or less the same as the present border line between
Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
and
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
. During the siege of
Baghdad Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...
in 1638, the city held out for forty days but was compelled to surrender. Murad IV himself commanded the
Ottoman Army The Military of the Ottoman Empire () was the armed forces of the Ottoman Empire. It was founded in 1299 and dissolved in 1922. Army The Military of the Ottoman Empire can be divided in five main periods. The foundation era covers the years ...
in the last years of the war.


Relations with the Mughal Empire

While he was encamped in
Baghdad Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...
, Murad IV is known to have met ambassadors of the Mughal Emperor
Shah Jahan Shah Jahan I, (Shahab-ud-Din Muhammad Khurram; 5 January 1592 – 22 January 1666), also called Shah Jahan the Magnificent, was the Emperor of Hindustan from 1628 until his deposition in 1658. As the fifth Mughal emperor, his reign marked the ...
, Mir Zarif and Mir Baraka, who presented 1000 pieces of finely embroidered cloth and even armor. Murad IV gave them the finest weapons,
saddle A saddle is a supportive structure for a rider of an animal, fastened to an animal's back by a girth. The most common type is equestrian. However, specialized saddles have been created for oxen, camels and other animals. It is not know ...
s and Kaftans and ordered his forces to accompany the
Mughals The Mughal Empire was an early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to the highlands of pre ...
to the port of
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, where they set sail to Thatta and finally
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.


Architecture

Murad IV put emphasis on architecture and in his period many monuments were erected. The Baghdad Kiosk, built in 1635, and the Revan Kiosk, built in 1638 in
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, were both built in the local styles. Some of the others include the Kavak Sarayı pavilion; the Meydanı Mosque; the Bayram Pasha Dervish Lodge, Tomb, Fountain, and Primary School; and the Şerafettin Mosque in
Konya Konya is a major city in central Turkey, on the southwestern edge of the Central Anatolian Plateau, and is the capital of Konya Province. During antiquity and into Seljuk times it was known as Iconium. In 19th-century accounts of the city in En ...
.


Music and poetry

Murad IV wrote many poems. He used the "Muradi" penname for his poems. He also liked testing people with riddles. Once he wrote a poetic riddle and announced that whoever came with the correct answer would get a generous reward. Cihadi Bey, a poet from Enderun School, gave the correct answer and was promoted. Murad IV was also a composer. He has a composition called "Uzzal Peshrev".


Family

Due to the prominence of his mother
Kösem Sultan Kösem Sultan (; 1589 – 2 September 1651), also known as Mahpeyker Sultan (;), was the Haseki sultan, Haseki Sultan as the chief consort and legal wife of the List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman Sultan Ahmed I, Valide sultan, Vali ...
during his reign and the fact that all of his sons died in infancy, Murad IV's family is not well known. Only few of his many concubines are known and of the thirty-two children that Evliya Çelebi said that Murad IV had, five have not yet been identified, and the name of some of others is still unknown. Furthermore, no child had a certain nominated mother.


Consorts

Murad IV had several consorts and concubines, but only few are known and some of them are disputed:Yılmaz Öztuna - Sultan Genç Osman ve Sultan IV. MuradNecdet Sakaoğlu - Bu Mülkün Kadın SultanlarıFrançois de Chassepol - Historia delli vltimi due gran visiri con alcuni secreti intrecci del Serraglio, e molte particolarità sopra le Guerre di Candia, Dalmatia, Transilvania, Polonia & UngheriaDu Loir - Les voyages du sieur Du Loir * Ayşe Sultan. Haseki of Murad IV and the only one whose title is confirmed. *Unnamed Haseki (?). According to L. Pierce, Murad IV had a second Haseki in the last years of his reign. The identity and title of this concubine are however disputed, but some have proposed Şemsişah as a probable identity. She started with a salary of 2,751 daily asprons, the highest ever recorded for a concubine, but after seven months it was reduced to 2,000 daily asprons, on par with Ayşe Sultan. She disappears from the records soon after Murad IV's death. *Sanavber Hatun. She founded a charity in the capital in 1628. Since this required high wealth and Murad's first children were born in 1627, she was likely one of his first concubines and the mother of at least one of Murad's older children. *Safiye Hatun. *Şemsperi Hatun. Disputed, according to some, it is just another name for Şemsişah. *Emirgün's sister (disputed). Her brother, the governor of Yerevan, would offer her to Murad IV to earn his favors. Being beautiful, the sultan fell in love with her, but later left her in Damascus instead of taking her to the capital. *Rosana Sultan (existence disputed, also called Rossana, Roxana or Roxane): according to the sources, she was the favorite of Murad IV, and she was tall, blonde and extremely pale. She had a bad temper and even the sultan feared her. She had followed him to war in 1635, but was sent back to Constantinople when Murad fell in love with Emirgün's sister. In the capital she was received with every honor, but jealousy for the new concubine led her to issue an imperial order to execute Murad IV's brothers, who hated her. When Murad returned, one of his sisters tried to accuse her, but he didn't believe her and furiously hit her. Eventually his mother Kösem Sultan managed to find evidence and witnesses against Rosana and Murad IV stabbed her himself. From that moment on, the sultan swore never to favor another woman. Although the story has spread widely in European sources (she in a main character of the play '' Bajazet''), most historians dismiss it as a romantic legend or a fictionalized and more dramatic version of Ayşe Sultan's story.


Sons

Murad IV had at least fifteen sons, but none of them survived infancy and all of them died before their father (who died in February 1640):Leslie P. Peirce (1993). The Imperial Harem: Women and Sovereignty in the Ottoman Empire. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-508677-5. * Şehzade Ahmed (
Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
, 21 December 1627 - Constantinople, 1637). * Şehzade ''Fülan'' (Constantinople, March 1631 - Constantinople, March 1631). Buried in the Ahmed I mausoleum in the Blue Mosque. * Şehzade Süleyman (Constantinople, February 1632 - Constantinople, 1632). Buried in the Ahmed I mausoleum in the Blue Mosque. * Şehzade Mehmed (Constantinople, 8 August 1633 - Constantinople, 1638). Born in the Pavilion of the Kandilli Garden, buried in the Ahmed I mausoleum in the Blue Mosque. * Şehzade ''Fülan'' (Constantinople, February 1634 - Constantinople, March 1634). * Şehzade ''Fülan'' (Constantinople, 10 March 1634 - Constantinople, March 1634). * Şehzade Alaeddin (Constantinople, 16 August 1635 - Constantinople, 1637). Buried in the Ahmed I mausoleum in the Blue Mosque. * Şehzade Ahmed ( Izmit, 15 May 1638 - 1639). He is referred to as "son of Haseki". * Şehzade Abdülhamid (Constantinople, ? - Constantinople, ?). Buried in the Ahmed I mausoleum in the Blue Mosque. * Şehzade Selim (Constantinople, ? - Constantinople, ?). Buried in the Ahmed I mausoleum in the Blue Mosque. * Şehzade Orhan (Constantinople, ? - Constantinople, ?). Buried in the Ahmed I mausoleum in the Blue Mosque. * Şehzade Numan (Constantinople, ? - Constantinople, ?). Buried in the Ahmed I mausoleum in the Blue Mosque. * Şehzade Hasan (Constantinople, ? - Constantinople, ?). Buried in the Ahmed I mausoleum in the Blue Mosque. * Şehzade Mahmud (Constantinople, ? - Constantinople, ?). Buried in the Ahmed I mausoleum in the Blue Mosque. * Şehzade Osman (Constantinople, ? - Constantinople, ?). Buried in the Ahmed I mausoleum in the Blue Mosque.


Daughters

Murad IV had at least thirteen daughters. Unlike their brothers, at least eight of them survived at least to the age of marriage: * ''Fülane'' Sultan (
Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
, 1627 - ?). She married Tüccarzade Mustafa Paşa in 1640. * Gevherhan Sultan (Constantinople, February 1630 - ?). She married Haseki Mehmed Pasha. * Hanzade Sultan (Constantinople, 1631 - ?, after 1657). She married Nakkaş Mustafa Pasha and she was widowed in 1657. * Ismihan Sultan (Constantinople, 1632 - Constantinople, 1632). Called also Esmihan Sultan. * Ismihan Kaya Sultan (Constantinople, 1630/1633 - Constantinople, 28 February 1658). She married Melek Ahmed Paşah and she died in childbirth. * Rabia Sultan (Constantinople, ? - Constantinople, ?). She lived to adulthood, although no marriages are known. Buried in the Ahmed I mausoleum in the Blue Mosque. * Fatma Sultan (Constantinople, ? - Constantinople, ?). Buried in the Ahmed I mausoleum in the Blue Mosque. * Bedia Sultan (Constantinople, ? - ?). * Bedia Ayşe Sultan (Constantinople, ? - ?). She married Malatuk Süleyman Paşa before 1655. * Hafsa Sultan (Constantinople, ? - ?). She married Ammarzade Mehmed Paşah. * Safiye Sultan (Constantinople, after 1634 - Constantinople, ). She married firstly on 27 August 1649 to Hayderağazade Mehmed Pasha, married secondly Sarı Abaza Hüseyin Paşah (brother or son of Grand Vizier Siyavuş Paşah) in 1659. She had three sons and a daughter: Sultanzade Abubekr Bey, Sultanzade Mehmed Remzi Paşah (d. 21 November 1719), Sultanzade Abdüllah Bey (stillborn, ) and Rukiye Hanımsultan (died January 1697). She died to give birth to Abdüllah. * Rukiye Sultan (Constantinople, 1640 - 1696). She married Şeytân Melek İbrâhîm Pasha and was widowed in 1685. She had two daughters: Fatma Hanımsultan (1677 - 1727) and Ayşe Hanımsultan (1680 - 1717). She was buried in the Şehzade Mosque. *Esma Sultan (? - ?). She died in infancy.


Death

Murad IV died from
cirrhosis Cirrhosis, also known as liver cirrhosis or hepatic cirrhosis, chronic liver failure or chronic hepatic failure and end-stage liver disease, is a chronic condition of the liver in which the normal functioning tissue, or parenchyma, is replaced ...
in Constantinople at the age of 27 in 1640. Rumours had circulated that on his deathbed, Murad IV ordered the execution of his mentally disabled brother, Ibrahim (reigned 1640–48), which would have meant the end of the Ottoman line. However, the order was not carried out.


Popular culture

* In the TV series '' Muhteşem Yüzyıl: Kösem'', Murad IV is portrayed by Cağan Efe Ak as a child, and Metin Akdülger as the Sultan. * In the film '' Three Thousand Years of Longing'' (2022), Murad IV is portrayed by Ogulcan Arman Uslu, with Kaan Guldur playing him as a child.


See also

* Transformation of the Ottoman Empire * Polish–Ottoman War (1633–34) * Koçi Bey


References


Sources

* * *


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Murad Iv 1612 births 1640 deaths Deaths from cirrhosis Child monarchs 17th-century sultans of the Ottoman Empire Turks from the Ottoman Empire Ottoman people of the Ottoman–Persian Wars Sons of sultans Polish–Ottoman War (1633–1634)