KANUNI SULTAN SULEYMAN (Soliman I)

Suleyman I was born on 27th April 1495, Monday in Trabzon. His father was Sultan Selim I and his mother was Hafsa Sultan. Suleyman I was a tall man with a round face, hazel eyes broad forehead and a thin beard. Suleyman the Magnificent had reigned for forty six years (1520-1566) and this is the most memorable epoch of the empire, when it reached a pitch of grandeur and prosperity which was never afterwards surpassed, and from which it soon began to decline. Suleyman is commonly designated by European writers the �great� or the �magnificent�. But the native historians style him the �lawgiver�(Kanuni), �the lord of his century� and �completor of the perfect ten�. His father Sultan Selim I put great emphasis on Suleyman's education, he took his first education from his grandmother Gulbahar Hatun. When he reached the age of seven, he was sent to Istanbul to his grandfather Sultan Bayezid II where he was educated by famous scholar Karakızoglu Hayreddin Hızır Efendi. He studied history, science, literature, and theology besides the lessons of war tactics and techniques. Afterwards, he went to his father in Trabzon again and stayed there until he reached 15. At the age of 15, he wanted to be a governor, and he was sent to Sarki province and then to Karahisar and to Bolu, after a short while he was sent to Kefe. After Sultan Selim I ascended to the throne in 1512, Shehzade Suleyman was invited to Istanbul as the regent of his father Selim whom was dealing with throne struggles with his brothers. At the same time he was the governor of Saruhan province. After Selim I had passed away, Suleyman succeeded him without any rejection as everbody knew he was a very serious and confident man. He never hesitated and never broken the commands he gave. He obliged people according to their capacities and abilities. He died on 7th September 1566, in his 71, while he was commanding the siege of Sziget. Because he made written laws and applied them strictly he was called as �Kanuni� (Law giver). He was a very gracious ruler, very fair and he never tyrannised his people. For example; he found the tax coming from Egypt so much and he had made a research there and found that the people were overcharged, and discovered the governor was tyrannising them, so he immediately changed the governor. His sons: Selim II, Bayezid, Abdullah, Murad, Mehmed, Mahmud, Cihangir, Mustafa His daughters: Mihriman Sultan, Raziye Sultan. REVOLTS . Suleyman I struggled with some revolts in the first years of his reign. At first, Canbirdi Ghazeli, the governor of Damascus (Egypt) had revolted. His aim was to re-establish the state of Mameluke. He was defeated by the Ottoman Forces led by Sehsuvaroglu Ali Bey in January 1521, and executed. Afterwards , Ahmed Pasha had revolted by saying he should have been the governor of Egypt. Another rebel was Kalender Celebi who took the support of Safevis of Anatolia. The last revolt was in 1527 by Baba Zunun, Suleyman had successfully repressed off all these revolts. CHARLES and EUROPE . Hungarian King Charles� main target was to dominate the whole Europe. He captured the King of France Francis who opposed his plans and imprisoned him. The mother of the King of France, Duchess Dangolen had written a letter and demanded help from Soliman I. Admiral Barbarossa Hayreddin Pasha was sent to Nis in the Mediterranean coast of France and defeated Charles. He rescued both France and Francis. HUNGARY CAMPAIGNS . Afterwards, Soliman campaigned through Germany. Ottoman forces recaptured Buda and came to Estergon. Then they had advanced through Austria and Germany. Many towns, cities and castles were conquered in Austria and the campaign took seven months. Austria was ruined after these battles. At last Ferdinand wanted a peace treaty and Charles� plans to conquer whole Europe had been broken (22nd July 1533). Ferdinand never gave up his aims on Hungary. John Zapolya died and his son Sigmund succeeded him. Ferdinand took advantage of this interragnum on the Hungarian throne and besieged Buda again. Consequently, Soliman I had organised another campaign to Hungary with a more powerful army, in 1540. He appointed Sigmund to the principality of Wallachia and he annexed Buda. Soliman Pasha was appointed as the governor of this city. As a result of this campaign, Austria took only northern part of Hungary. The Ottoman-Hungarian relations continued until the death of Sultan Soliman. The CAMPAIGN of MALTA . The Knights of Saint John who were settled in the island of Malta after the conquest of Rhodes were a threat for the Ottomans. For the Ottoman domination and the peace of Trablus and Algeria to capture Malta was inevitable. The island was besieged by the Ottoman Navy commanded by Turgut Reis. Unfortunately, Turgut Reis had passed away during the siege and Malta could not have been captured. CONQUEST of BELGRADE . When Suleyman I ascended the throne, the most powerful state of Europe was the German Empire. The Emperor Charles had very a close relationship with the King of Hungary Lois II. Lois II refused to pay the annual taxes to the Ottomans and he killed the Ottoman ambassadors sent for reconcilation. Mehmed the Conquerer had been captured Serbia during his campaigns to Europe, but Hungary could not have been conquered, yet. Suleyman I decided to capture Hungary, considering her strategic location and the Ottoman navy besieged Belgrade from the river of Danube. Although the city had been defended very successfully the Ottomans defeated the Hungarians in August 21, 1521. Bali Pasha was appointed as the Belgrade guardian. After this campaign some people from Belgrade sent to Istanbul and a Belgrade village had been established. The conquest of Belgrade was the first conquest of Suleyman I. In the following years, the city had served as an important Ottoman passage to Europe. The Annexation of Algeria . Baba Oruc and his brother Hizir Reis (Barbaros) captured Algeria from Spain in 1516. Barbaros took control of Algeria in 1518. Sultan Selim I gave them two galleys and levents (marines). After Suleyman succeeded Selim, he invited Barbaros Hayrettin Pasha to Istanbul and appointed him as The Commander of the Ottoman navy (1533). Thus, Algeria was annexed into the Ottoman territories. Barbaros under Suleyman's protection, captured the Aegean islands belonged to the Venetians. , THE BATTLE of CERBE . After Turgut Reis (Turgut Captain) besieged the island of Cerbe which was dominated by Spain, a Crusader Navy under Andrea Doria�s command had arrived. After a war of a great victory was won by the Ottomans. Cerbe was annexed into Ottoman territories (1559). THE BATTLE of CERBE . After Turgut Reis (Turgut Captain) besieged the island of Cerbe which was dominated by Spain, a Crusader Navy under Andrea Doria�s command had arrived. After a war of a great victory was won by the Ottomans. Cerbe was annexed into Ottoman territories (1559). VICTORY of PREVEZE . In Suleyman's period the Ottoman navigation had improved with Barabaros' victories and his great knowledge and experience on the seawars. The Ottomans were dominating the Mediterranean Sea and the Aegean Islands. The Ottoman authority and extension in the seas agitated the Europeans. Moreover, the campaigns in Austria and Hungary were gloriously continuing. The Europeans decided to organise a Naval Crusade under the command of Admiral Andrea Doria and Venetian, Geneose, Malta, Portuguese and Spanish marines had been organised. Crusade Navy was composed of 602 ships and the Ottoman Navy had only 122 ships. Two navies came across on the Gulf of Preveze on 27th September 1538. The Ottoman Navy commanded by Barbaros Hayreddin won a victory. As a result of this war the Mediterranean Sea had turned out to be a Turkish lake. The CAPITULATION . First capitulation was given to the Geneose merchants, in 1352 and they had given the right to merchandise in the Ottoman territories. In 1535, with reconciliation of the Ottoman-French relationships, France represented a draft capitulation to Sultan Suleyman but he had refused this draft in which the equality of two states was the basis. Moreover, an indefinite capitulation was demanded. However, according to the Ottoman laws every privilege given should had been renovated with every Sultan. This law was called as Ahidname (Oath Paper). TTOMAN and SAFFAVIES . While Soliman I was victoriously campaigning in Europe, many revolts in Anatolia had began. In Iran Akkoyunlu State came to an end but it was replaced by the state of Saffavies. It became a threat for Ottomans. Soliman I went on his firs campaign to Iran after he provided the peace in Europe temporarily by the Treaty of Istanbul. Ssffavies� antagonist policies to the Ottomans and provocation of the Shii community(an Islamic sect), were the reasons of this campaign. Tebriz, Azerbayjan, Hamedan were invaded. Also Baghdad was captured by the campaign of Iraq (1534). Shah Tahmas of the Safavie benefited from Sultan Soliman�s Austria campaign and captured Tebriz, Nahcivan and Van. After that Soliman I decided to campaign through Iran for the second time. He returned back to Istanbul victoriously (1548). However, Suffavies attacked again in 1553. The enemy forwarded in Anatolia and came to Mus (Eastern Anatolia) and besieged Erzurum. As a result, Sultan Soliman went on his third campaign to Iran. Revan, Nahcivan and Karabag were captured. Shah Tahmash who was in a difficult situation surrendered and Amasya Peace treaty was signed (1555). With this treaty the problem of Iran which was continuing in since the time of Sultna Selim I was solved. The Eastern Anatolia, Tebriz and Baghdad were left to the Ottomans. The Treaty of Amasya was the first formal treaty between the Ottoman Empire and Iran. Also it was the first religious peace which was made in Islam World. The first French capitulation was given just before the campaign of Cyprus, in 1596. To provide an alliance with the Protestant World, against the Catholic world and the Pope, the British were given capitulation in 1580 and Holland took her privilege in 1612. With these caputilations, beside the privilege of merchandising, the rights of the merchants, transit visas, judicial status of the merchants, taxes and security were organised. In the following centuries, with the regression of the Ottoman Empire the capitulations served as a great burden and they turned out to be a tool of presure in the hands of the Europeans. In 1914, the Ottoman government had abolished all the caputilations with the beginning of World War I although the Europeans had protested. TTOMAN and SAFFAVIES . While Soliman I was victoriously campaigning in Europe, many revolts in Anatolia had began. In Iran Akkoyunlu State came to an end but it was replaced by the state of Saffavies. It became a threat for Ottomans. Soliman I went on his firs campaign to Iran after he provided the peace in Europe temporarily by the Treaty of Istanbul. Ssffavies� antagonist policies to the Ottomans and provocation of the Shii community(an Islamic sect), were the reasons of this campaign. Tebriz, Azerbayjan, Hamedan were invaded. Also Baghdad was captured by the campaign of Iraq (1534). Shah Tahmas of the Safavie benefited from Sultan Soliman�s Austria campaign and captured Tebriz, Nahcivan and Van. After that Soliman I decided to campaign through Iran for the second time. He returned back to Istanbul victoriously (1548). However, Suffavies attacked again in 1553. The enemy forwarded in Anatolia and came to Mus (Eastern Anatolia) and besieged Erzurum. As a result, Sultan Soliman went on his third campaign to Iran. Revan, Nahcivan and Karabag were captured. Shah Tahmash who was in a difficult situation surrendered and Amasya Peace treaty was signed (1555). With this treaty the problem of Iran which was continuing in since the time of Sultna Selim I was solved. The Eastern Anatolia, Tebriz and Baghdad were left to the Ottomans. The Treaty of Amasya was the first formal treaty between the Ottoman Empire and Iran. Also it was the first religious peace which was made in Islam World. ARCHITECT SINAN (MIMAR SINAN) . Sinan was the greatest architect of the most brilliant period of the Ottoman Empire. He is considered as one of the greatest architects of the world as well. He built his masterpieces during the sultante of Suleyman. His most important works are: Halep Husrev Pasha Mosque, Istanbul Haseki Kulliye, Istanbul Sehzade Mosque and Medrese (University), Uskudar Mihriman Mosque, Istanbul Suleymaniye Mosque and Kulliye, Tekirdag Rustem Pasha Mosque and Kulliye, Silivrikapi Ibrahim Pasha Mosque, Istanbul Rustem Pasha Mosque, Istanbul Sinan Pasha Mosque, Topkapi Kara Ahmed Pasha Mosque and Kulliye, Findikli Molla Celebi Mosque, Babaeski Semiz Ali Pasha Mosque, Buyukcekmece Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Kulliye and Bridge, Suleymaniye Tekke (Dervish Mansion).