Abdul Mejid II

Abdülmecid II.

Abdülmecid II (Beşiktaş, May 29, 1868-Paris, August 23, 1944) was the last Ottoman caliph. He was elected to the Turkish National Assembly on November 19, 1922 after the dethronement of the last sultan, Mehmed VI. However, the same Assembly definitively abolished the caliphate on March 3, 1924 and expelled Abdülmecid II and the rest of the members of the Ottoman dynasty from the Republic of Turkey.

Biography

He was born on May 29, 1868 in the Dolmabahçe Palace (dolmabahche) in Istanbul to the then Sultan Abd-ul-Aziz. He was privately educated. On July 4, 1918, his first cousin Mehmed VI became Sultan and Abdul Mejid was appointed Crown Prince. Following the deposition of his cousin on November 1, 1922, the sultanate was abolished. But on November 19, 1922, the crown prince was elected caliph by the Turkish National Assembly in Ankara. He settled in Istanbul on November 24, 1922. On March 3, 1924, he was deposed and expelled from Turkey with the rest of his family.

He was given the title of general of the Ottoman army and served as president of the Ottoman Artists Society. A painter himself, his portraits of Ludwig van Beethoven, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Selim I were exhibited at the 1918 Vienna exhibition.

On December 23, 1896, he married for the first time in the Ortaköy palace with SA Shahsuvar Bash Kadin Effendi (Istanbul, May 2, 1881 – Paris, 1945). They had a son, Prince Shehzade Ömer Faruk Effendi (February 27, 1898 – March 28, 1969).

On June 18, 1902, he married for the second time in the Ortaköy palace with Hair un-nisa 2nd Kadin Effendi (Panderma, March 2, 1876 - Nice, September 3, 1936). They had a daughter, Princess Hadice Hayriye Ayshe Dürrühsehvar (January 26, 1914 – February 7, 2006).

On April 16, 1912, he married Sa Atiya Mihisti 3rd Kadin Effendi (Adapazari, January 27, 1892 – London, 1964) for the third time in the Çamlica palace (chamlidcha). She was the sister of Kamil Bey.

On March 21, 1921, he married Bihruz 4th Kadin Effendi (Izmir, May 24, 1903) for the fourth time in the Çamlica (chamlidcha) palace.

On August 23, 1944, Abdul Mejid II died at his home on Boulevard Suchet, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris (France). He was buried in the Haram-i-Sharif in Medina (Saudi Arabia).

Predecessor: Mehmed VI (call and caliph)	Ottoman Caliphate 1922 - 1924	Successor: Caliphate abolished
Predecessor: Mehmed VI (in exile)	Head of Osmanli dynasty 1926 - 1944	Successor: Ahmed IV Nihad