SULTAN IBRAHIM

Ibrahim I, the child of Sultân Ahmed I from Mahpeyker Kösem Sultân in 1615, sat on the throne as the only Osmanoğlu after the death of his older brother Murad IV in 1640 at the age of 24. There was no Osmanoğlu but himself. Unfortunately, he did not complete his education and education at the level of other Ottoman Sultans. Because he spent his life in his own apartment, which was like a dungeon; He personally experienced the execution of his four brothers, as well as the tragic events that took place during the reigns of Osman II and Murad IV. All this led to some malfunctions in his body and even, according to historians, a severe migraine.

Sultân Ibrahim, who looked at the ulema, the state governor and the Governor Sultân who invited him to the throne with a reluctant face and stated that he had no intention of reigning, said after he sat on the throne, “Alhamdulillah, O my Lord! Thou hast deemed a weak servant like me worthy of this position. In the days of my reign, please my nation and make us happy with each other.”

Sultân Ibrahim was faced with two situations, for and against. The situation in his favor was that Kemankeş Kara Mustafa Pasha, an honest and serious statesman, became the vizier. With the help of Sheikh al-Islam Yahya Efendi, despite all the provocations against them, he put the state administration on track in the first years of Ibrahim I. He tried to maintain the income and expenditure of the treasury; He regulated the coinage, that is, the value adjustment of money, and tried to bring seriousness to the state. Unfortunately, Sultân, who was provoked by some incompetent statesmen, especially Vâlide Sultân, had Kemankeş Kara Mustafa Pasha executed in 1644. A month later, the death of Sheikh al-Islam Yahya Efendi caused the state to fall into the hands of women, aghas and incompetent people. One of the most painful examples of this is the appointment of Hüseyin Efendi from Safranbolu, who obtained free offices by breaking the laws to the Sultan, who had already been uneducated, as Hace-i Sultânî. He is also called Cinci Hodja. In 1644, he was promoted to the rank of Anatolian Military Officer. To this you can add Yusuf Ağa, who rose from rikâbdar to the position of Vizier II, and later Pasha. There are accusations that Yusuf Pasha was a statesman who was fond of bribes and gifts.

The situation against him is the presence of Kösem Sultân, who is his mother and Vâlide Sultân. Unfortunately, this woman is at the beginning of the negativities we have just mentioned. At first, knowing his mother’s ambition, he wanted to get rid of this problem by sending him from Topkapı to the Old Palace. However, it is not possible to say that he was successful. Unfortunately, Semin Mehmed Pasha, who became the vizier after Kara Mustafa Pasha, was also making this situation worse.

Despite all this, taking advantage of the discontent of the local Orthodox Greeks, who were tired of the persecution of the Catholics, from the Venetians, an expedition against Malta was decided in 1645. The title was given to Captain-ı Derya Yusuf Pasha. In August 1645, the siege of Chania, which lasted 45 days, ended in victory. However, there was haste and the Ottoman army withdrew from Crete. In 1646, under the leadership of Deli Hüseyin Pasha, 2. The expedition was made, but Heraklion could not be conquered. The island was divided in two (1648).

During the reign of Sultân Ibrahim, although the Vâlide Sultân was partially disabled, the intervention of women in the affairs of the state could not be prevented. The sultan’s fondness for family life inevitably pushed him into the palm of women. The allegations of misery against him are not true. Because, like Murad IV, he is authoritarian; He is not as fond of women as Mustafa I and as fond of women as Murad III. The fact that he lived a depressed life in his youth, that he could not raise himself much like other sultans, that he was constantly encouraged to private life by women for the continuation of the Ottoman generation, that he had a lot of concubines who encouraged him to have fun, such as the musâhibes called Şeker-pare, and that women used these closeness to squander the opportunities of the state, are the aspects that Ibrahim I really lacked. The fact that he gave more importance to his own wives than his family members, especially Telli Haseki, made the business out of hand. The superfluous curiosity about sables, which started in Sultân Ibrahim with the provocation of these, is only one of these negativities.

All these events led to problems in the state administration; Waste and the consequent decline in revenues began to shake the state. One of them was the rebellion of Varvar Pasha, the governor of Sivas (1647). When the quarry lords started to rob the state again, the Sultan wanted to get rid of them, but the incident was heard and a revolution broke out. In August 1648, at the request of the rebels, Grand Vizier Hezar-pâre Ahmed Pasha was dismissed and later killed by the rebels. Sofu Koca Mehmed Pasha, who was the man of the aghas, was appointed grand vizier. Behind the revolution is Kösem Sultân, who wants to be the regent sultan. He was arrested by the grand vizier, who took Şeyhülislâm Abdurrahim Efendi with him, in August 1648 and was imprisoned in a room. On August 7, 1648, Mehmed IV, who was only 7 years old, was given allegiance in violation of both the Shari’ah and the law. Then, based on the fatwa of Shaykh al-Islam that “When there were two caliphs, you slaughtered one of them to prevent sedition”, he was martyred by drowning 11 days after the reign of Ibrahim I.

Among the grand viziers of his time were Kemankeş Kara Mustafa Pasha, Semin Mehmed Pasha and Hezâr-pâre Ahmed Pasha; Among the sheikh-ul-Islams, we can mention Zekeriya-zâde Yahya Efendi and Abdurrahim Efendi, and among other statesmen, we can mention Kaptan-ı Derya Deli Hüseyin Pasha, Kaptan-ı Derya Damad Fâzıl Pasha and Nişancı Ahmed Pasha.

ZEVCES: 1- Hatice Turhan (Tarhân) Vâlide Sultân; He was a concubine of Russian origin and served as regent for many years. Mother of Mehmed IV. 2- Sâliha Dil-ashûb Vâlide Sultân; Mother of Suleiman II and concubine. He is thought to be Haseki III. 3- Khadija Muazzez Sultân; She was Hassakeh II and the mother of Ahmed II. 4- Huma Shah Haseki Sultân (Telli Haseki); Sultân Ibrahim’s favorite Hasakeh. She was admitted to womanhood by marriage. 5- Aisha Sultân; 4. Haseki. 6- Mâh-i Anwar Sultân; 5. Haseki. 7-Shivekar Sultân; 6th or 7th Haseki. CHILDREN: 1-Prince Mehmed IV. 2-Prince Suleiman II. 3-Prince Murad. 4-Prince Selim Khan. 5-Prince Uthman. 6-Prince Ahmed II. 7-Prince Suleiman. 8-Prince Bayezid. 9- Fatima Sultân. 10. um Gulsum Sultân. 11- Aisha Sultân. 12. Gevher Khân Sultân. 13- Kaya Sultân. 14- Beyhan Sultân. 15- Atîka Sultân .

(Osmanlı Araştırmaları Vakfı)