Mehmed III
Encyclopedia
Mehmed III Adli was sultan
of the Ottoman Empire
from 1595 until his death.
Palace, the son of sultan Murad III
, whom he succeeded in 1595. His mother was Safiye Sultan
, originally named Sofia Baffo
, a Venetian noblewoman related to his father's mother.
He married Valide Sultan Handan Sultan
, an ethnic Greek
originally named Helena and the mother of Ahmed I
and Mustafa I
.
Mehmed III remains notorious even in Ottoman
history for having nineteen of his brothers and half brothers executed to secure power. They were all strangled by his deaf-mute
s. Mehmed III was an idle ruler, leaving government to his mother Safiye Sultan
, the valide sultan
. The major event of his reign was the Austro-Ottoman War
in Hungary
(1593–1606).
Ottoman defeats in the war caused Mehmed III to take personal command of the army, the first sultan to do so since Suleyman I. Mehmed III's armies conquered Eger
in 1596 and defeated the Habsburg
and Transylvania
n forces at the Battle of Keresztes (Turkish
for Battle of Hacova) during which the Sultan had to be dissuaded from fleeing the field halfway through the battle. The next year it was noted, "the doctors declared that the Sultan cannot leave for war on account of his bad health, produced by excesses of eating and drinking".
In 1599, the third year of Mehmed III's reign, Queen Elizabeth I
sent a convoy of gifts to the Ottoman court. These gifts were originally intended for the sultan's predecessor, Murad III
, who had died before they had arrived. Included in these gifts was a large jewel-studded clockwork organ that was assembled on the slope of the Royal Private Garden by a team of engineers including Thomas Dallam
. The organ took many weeks to complete and featured dancing sculptures such as a flock of blackbirds that sung shook their wings at the end of the music. The musical clock organ was destroyed by the succeeding sultan Ahmed I
. Also among the English gifts was a ceremonial coach, accompanied by a letter from the Queen to Mehmed's mother, Walide Safiye
. These gifts were intended to cement relations between the two countries, building on the trade agreement signed in 1581 that gave English merchants priority in the Ottoman region. Under the looming threat of Spanish military presence, England was eager to secure an alliance with the Ottomans, the two nations together having the capability to divide the power. Elizabeth's
gifts arrived in a large 27 gun merchantman ship that Mehmed personally inspected, a clear display of English maritime strength that would prompt him to build up his fleet over the following years of his reign. The Anglo-Ottoman alliance would never see consummation however, with relations between the nations growing stagnant due to anti-European sentiments reaped from the worsening Austro-Ottoman War
and the deaths of Walide Safiye's
interpreter and the pro-English chief Hasan Pasha.
Mehmed III was more conservative than his predecessor and largely halted artistic patronage, including support of the Society of Miniaturists.
Mehmed III's reign saw no major setbacks for the supposedly declining Ottoman Empire. He died at Topkapı Palace
, Constantinople
.
, is of interest to some because he reportedly converted to Eastern Orthodox Christianity and campaigned for a good part of his life to gain the Ottoman Imperial throne, to which his younger brother Ahmed I
succeeded to in 1603. Feeling cheated, he spent years developing and implementing conspiracies to further his ambitions. Travelling mostly across Western Europe, he promised several backers as well as four Roman Catholic Popes that he would make Christianity the state religion of the Ottoman sultanate if he ever succeeded to the Imperial throne.
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
from 1595 until his death.
Biography
He was born at ManisaManisa
Manisa is a large city in Turkey's Aegean Region and the administrative seat of Manisa Province.Modern Manisa is a booming center of industry and services, advantaged by its closeness to the international port city and the regional metropolitan center of İzmir and by its fertile hinterland rich in...
Palace, the son of sultan Murad III
Murad III
Murad III was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1574 until his death.-Biography:...
, whom he succeeded in 1595. His mother was Safiye Sultan
Safiye Sultan
Safiyā Valida Sultânā, , née Sofia Baffo, , was the consort of Ottoman Sultan Murad III, the Valida Sultânā and de facto co-regent to her son, Ottoman Sultan Mehmed III.- Biography :She was of Venetian descent...
, originally named Sofia Baffo
Safiye Sultan
Safiyā Valida Sultânā, , née Sofia Baffo, , was the consort of Ottoman Sultan Murad III, the Valida Sultânā and de facto co-regent to her son, Ottoman Sultan Mehmed III.- Biography :She was of Venetian descent...
, a Venetian noblewoman related to his father's mother.
He married Valide Sultan Handan Sultan
Handan Sultan
Handan Sultâna or Devletlu İsmetlu Handan Valide Sultan Aliyyetü'ş-Şân Hazretleri was the mother of the Ottoman Sultan Ahmed I and his Valide Sultan from 21 December 1603 until 26 November 1605...
, an ethnic Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
originally named Helena and the mother of Ahmed I
Ahmed I
Ahmed I or Ahmed Bakhti was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1603 until his death in 1617.-Biography:...
and Mustafa I
Mustafa I
Mustafa I Deli , son of Mehmed III, was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1617 to 1618 and from 1622 to 1623. His mother was Valide Sultan Handan Sultan, an ethnic Greek originally named Helena....
.
Mehmed III remains notorious even in Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
history for having nineteen of his brothers and half brothers executed to secure power. They were all strangled by his deaf-mute
Deaf-mute
For "deafness", see hearing impairment. For "Deaf" as a cultural term, see Deaf culture. For "inability to speak", see muteness.Deaf-mute is a term which was used historically to identify a person who was both deaf and could not speak...
s. Mehmed III was an idle ruler, leaving government to his mother Safiye Sultan
Safiye Sultan
Safiyā Valida Sultânā, , née Sofia Baffo, , was the consort of Ottoman Sultan Murad III, the Valida Sultânā and de facto co-regent to her son, Ottoman Sultan Mehmed III.- Biography :She was of Venetian descent...
, the valide sultan
Valide Sultan
Valide Sultan was the title held by the mother of a ruling Sultan in the Ottoman Empire. The Turkish pronunciation of the word Valide is . The title is sometimes translated as Queen Mother, although the position of Valide Sultan was quite different.The position was perhaps the most important...
. The major event of his reign was the Austro-Ottoman War
Long War (Ottoman wars)
The Long War took place from 1591 or 1593 to 1604 or 1606 and was one of the numerous military conflicts between the Habsburg Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire that developed after the Battle of Mohács.- History :The major participants of this war were the Habsburg Monarchy ,...
in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
(1593–1606).
Eger
Eger is the second largest city in Northern Hungary, the county seat of Heves, east of the Mátra Mountains. Eger is best known for its castle, thermal baths, historic buildings , and red and white wines.- Name :...
in 1596 and defeated the Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
and Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
n forces at the Battle of Keresztes (Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
for Battle of Hacova) during which the Sultan had to be dissuaded from fleeing the field halfway through the battle. The next year it was noted, "the doctors declared that the Sultan cannot leave for war on account of his bad health, produced by excesses of eating and drinking".
In 1599, the third year of Mehmed III's reign, Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
sent a convoy of gifts to the Ottoman court. These gifts were originally intended for the sultan's predecessor, Murad III
Murad III
Murad III was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1574 until his death.-Biography:...
, who had died before they had arrived. Included in these gifts was a large jewel-studded clockwork organ that was assembled on the slope of the Royal Private Garden by a team of engineers including Thomas Dallam
Thomas Dallam
Dallam was the surname of a family of English organ builders, active in England and Brittany.The first known member of the family, Thomas Dallam, originated from Dallam in Lancashire.-Thomas Dallam I:The first Thomas Dallam Dallam was the surname of a family of English organ builders, active in...
. The organ took many weeks to complete and featured dancing sculptures such as a flock of blackbirds that sung shook their wings at the end of the music. The musical clock organ was destroyed by the succeeding sultan Ahmed I
Ahmed I
Ahmed I or Ahmed Bakhti was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1603 until his death in 1617.-Biography:...
. Also among the English gifts was a ceremonial coach, accompanied by a letter from the Queen to Mehmed's mother, Walide Safiye
Safiye Sultan
Safiyā Valida Sultânā, , née Sofia Baffo, , was the consort of Ottoman Sultan Murad III, the Valida Sultânā and de facto co-regent to her son, Ottoman Sultan Mehmed III.- Biography :She was of Venetian descent...
. These gifts were intended to cement relations between the two countries, building on the trade agreement signed in 1581 that gave English merchants priority in the Ottoman region. Under the looming threat of Spanish military presence, England was eager to secure an alliance with the Ottomans, the two nations together having the capability to divide the power. Elizabeth's
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
gifts arrived in a large 27 gun merchantman ship that Mehmed personally inspected, a clear display of English maritime strength that would prompt him to build up his fleet over the following years of his reign. The Anglo-Ottoman alliance would never see consummation however, with relations between the nations growing stagnant due to anti-European sentiments reaped from the worsening Austro-Ottoman War
Long War (Ottoman wars)
The Long War took place from 1591 or 1593 to 1604 or 1606 and was one of the numerous military conflicts between the Habsburg Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire that developed after the Battle of Mohács.- History :The major participants of this war were the Habsburg Monarchy ,...
and the deaths of Walide Safiye's
Safiye Sultan
Safiyā Valida Sultânā, , née Sofia Baffo, , was the consort of Ottoman Sultan Murad III, the Valida Sultânā and de facto co-regent to her son, Ottoman Sultan Mehmed III.- Biography :She was of Venetian descent...
interpreter and the pro-English chief Hasan Pasha.
Mehmed III was more conservative than his predecessor and largely halted artistic patronage, including support of the Society of Miniaturists.
Mehmed III's reign saw no major setbacks for the supposedly declining Ottoman Empire. He died at Topkapı Palace
Topkapi Palace
The Topkapı Palace is a large palace in Istanbul, Turkey, that was the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans for approximately 400 years of their 624-year reign....
, Constantinople
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
.
Children
His third oldest son, JahjaJahja
Sultan Jahja was born in 1585, and was the third son of Ottoman Sultan Mehmet III . His mother was a princess from the Byzantine Comnenus or Komnenus dynasty of Trebizond, a branch of the Imperial Family of the same name from Constantinople...
, is of interest to some because he reportedly converted to Eastern Orthodox Christianity and campaigned for a good part of his life to gain the Ottoman Imperial throne, to which his younger brother Ahmed I
Ahmed I
Ahmed I or Ahmed Bakhti was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1603 until his death in 1617.-Biography:...
succeeded to in 1603. Feeling cheated, he spent years developing and implementing conspiracies to further his ambitions. Travelling mostly across Western Europe, he promised several backers as well as four Roman Catholic Popes that he would make Christianity the state religion of the Ottoman sultanate if he ever succeeded to the Imperial throne.