Murad V

Murad V (September 21, 1840 – August 29, 1904), sultan of the Ottoman Empire, reigned from May 30 to August 31, 1876.

Son of Sultan Abdülmecid I, he was enthroned after his uncle, Sultan Abdülaziz I, was deposed from office. He was highly influenced by French culture. He reigned for 93 days before he was also deposed, due to mental illness, and was succeeded by his brother, Sultan Abdülhamid II. He failed to deliver the Constitution that his supporters had sought, and under his reign the country increasingly went to war with the Russian Empire, which finally came to fruition the following year (Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878).).

Early years

Murad was born in Istanbul on September 21, 1840. His father was Abdulmecit I. His mother, whom his father married in Constantinople on August 1, 1839, was Şevkefza, an ethnic Circassian from the Ubykh tribe, daughter of Bey Mehmed Zaurum and his wife Cemile Hanım.

From the end of 1840, other princesses and princes were born to the young sultan. Attention was paid to the education and careful training of the great prince Murad. Among the prince's teachers, he was taught the Hadith (the traditions of Muhammad) by his Quran teacher, Toprik Süleyman Efendi, Ferrik Efendi, Sheikh Hafız Efendi, Monsieur Gardet (French) and Italian Lombardi (piano).

Murad also participated in Abdülaziz's visits to Egypt in 1863 and to Europe in 1867. While the European rulers appreciated him for his kindness, his uncle, who was uncomfortable with this, had planned to send him back to Istanbul. Napoleon and Queen Victoria showed interest in Murad more than Abdulaziz. In addition, special invitations and excursions were organized for the crown prince.

He spent most of his time on the farm in Kurbağalıdere, Kadıköy, which Abdülaziz had assigned to him. He frequently spoke with Lords Şinâsi, Nâmık Kemal and Ziyâ (Pasha) about legitimacy, democracy and freedom. In Ziyâ Pasha and his special doctor, Kapoleon Efendi, also contacted Midhat Pasha, the leader of the opposition group, who was dissatisfied with Abdulaziz's government. In this case, the Ottoman Empire faced several difficulties.

Reign

Promotion

He ascended the throne after the deposition of his uncle on May 30, 1876. He was greatly influenced by French culture and was liberal. He reigned for 93 days before being deposed on the grounds that he was mentally ill. As a result, he was unable to deliver the Constitution his supporters had sought. The ensuing political instability caused by his expulsion brought the empire closer to disastrous war with Russia, then ruled by Alexander II.

Murad V was the first and only Sultan member of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Turkey.

An important primary source about his life comes from the memoirs of one of his consorts, Filizten Kalfa, written in the 1930s.

The rebellion

On May 10, 1876, the conspirators, led by the former and future Grand Vizier Mutherjim Mehmed Rushdi Pasha, the Minister of War Hussein Avni Pasha, Sheikh ul-Islam Hassan Khayrullah-effendi [tr] and the Minister without a Midhat Pasha's portfolio, they began to act. On May 12, the conspirators convened a council which ruled that Abdul-Aziz could no longer occupy the sultan's throne. Murad not only knew what was happening, but also approved his uncle's displacement. On the night of May 29 to 30, AbdulAziz was blocked in Dolmabahçe Palace - all entrances and exits were blocked - and was completely isolated from the outside world. Immediately after this, a battalion made up of cadets from the military academy, under the command of Nazyra Suleiman Pasha, went to the heir's villa to take Murad to the sultan's palace.

Murad, who did not know that the battalion had been called to guard him, fearing that the conspiracy had failed and he could be arrested, refused to let them enter the villa. Only contacting Hussein Avni, Murad left the villa in a carriage. On the way, during a thunderstorm and heavy rain, Murad changed his carriage several times to avoid provocations. Then, by sea (the heir was also transferred several times to different ships) Murad arrived at Beyazit Square, from where he was delivered by carriage to the gates of Serasker. Here, the grand vizier, Sheikh-ul-Islam and other dignitaries who were waiting for Murad, swore allegiance to him as the new sultan. At the same time, fatwa was read to Abdulaziz, on the basis of which he was displaced; The fatwa said that the sultan was not interested in government affairs, therefore he should not occupy the throne. At the same time, the property of the former sultan's family was plundered; Part of the values passed into the hands of Murad V's mother, the new validity of Shevkefzy-Sultan, and the payment of Murad V's own debts, the other part was in the hands of dignitaries who participated in the conspiracy. Abdulaziz was taken to Topkapi Palace when the new Sultan arrived in Dolmabahçe, and then, with the permission of Murad V and his advisors, he moved with his family to the Feriye Palace of his choice.

Although at the time of Murad V's accession to the throne, his mental state was already unstable, overall, he felt quite well. For his approval as Sultan Murad, a second oath ceremony was held, which had to be reduced for fear that the Sultan might become ill. In addition, Murad did not go through the ceremony of circling Osman's sword at Eyup, an analogue of the European coronation. At the same time, the first disagreements appeared in the council of conspirators that elevated Murad V to the Ottoman throne: from above, only Midhat Pasha was an ardent supporter of democracy, while the rest spoke to continue the old regime. Hussein Avni even behaved like a dictator: by his order, without his knowledge, no one could leave the Sultan's palace, just as no one could enter.

On June 4, 1876, the former Sultan Abdul-Aziz was found dead in the Feriye Palace; Abdul-Aziz's body was examined by several doctors, and it was officially announced that the deposed sultan committed suicide by cutting the veins in his wrists. Murad V was shocked by what had happened; The new sultan's mental state seriously worried his ministers and his family. At the same time, rumors appeared abroad that Abdul-Aziz was killed by order of Murad V. On June 11, one of AbdulAziz's wives, Circassian Nesrin Kadyn-effendi, was found dead in Feriye; On the night of June 16, his brother, Cherkess Hassan Bey, who wished to avenge his sister, broke into Midhat Pasha's mansion to kill the coup officials. There he killed five people, including War Minister Hussein Avni Pasha, after which he was captured, tried and executed. The attack on the people who brought him to power drove Murad V into a deep depression, which ultimately undermined his mental health.

The status of the sultan gradually became public. The ceremonies in which the sultan's participation was required became increasingly shorter in time and fewer in number. On the first Friday prayer after Abdul-Aziz's death in Aya-Sofya, Murad V lost consciousness and was transferred to Yıldız Palace, from where he regained consciousness and returned to Dolmabahce. By the second Friday, Murad's condition worsened and he was unable to attend the mosque. The sultan locked himself in the palace and accepted no one. On the third Friday, Murad, in violation of all traditions, was taken to the nearest small mosque, where he held a Friday prayer ceremony, which disappointed the ulama. After the ceremony, the sultan returned to his chambers and, without undressing, went to bed; In the morning, the servants found broken glass in the chambers with which Murad attempted suicide. The government tried to hide Murad V's condition, but was unsuccessful.

Later years

On August 31, 1876, Murad V, with his family and servants under escort, was sent to Çiragan palace. Many of Murad's contemporaries believed that he would face the same fate that his uncle Abdul-Aziz had previously suffered., but remained alive after the overthrow for twenty-eight years. Jevdet Kucuk, author of an article on Murad V in the Islamic Encyclopedia, believed that membership in the Masonic lodge played a role in preserving Murad's life after the overthrow, and his assassination would negatively affect his brother's reputation, Sultan Abdul-Hamid II.

After nine months of imprisonment in Çiragan, Murad V's condition improved due to long-term treatment. During the first year after the overthrow, the former Sultan's supporters attempted three times to free him and return him to the throne: in November 1876, during the first attempt to free the former Sultan, four men were captured (two of them were foreigners, probably Freemasons Greeks), dressed in women's clothing and trying to enter the palace; On April 15, 1877, his Masonic brothers attempted to rescue Murad, but he refused to go with them; The last attempt was made on May 20, 1878, but the main participant in the conspiracy, Ali Suawi, died under mysterious circumstances. All this worried Abdul-Hamid II and led to the fact that, by his order, a cordon was erected around Chiragan to separate the palace from the rest of the city. However, Murad lived quite comfortably, enjoying the company of his family and his concubines. The closed lifestyle that the former sultan was forced to lead gave rise to numerous rumors: the foreign press often wrote that the former sultan languishes in prison, escaped and was shot, or instructs his brother sultan on the Armenian theme. In 1884, Murad's death was officially announced, after which, by order of Abdul-Hamid II, it was forbidden to mention the name of his deposed brother.

Death

He died in Çırağan Palace, Ortaköy, Istanbul, and was buried in Istanbul on August 30, 1904. His brother, Abdul Hamid II, ascended the throne on August 31, 1876.

Although his wife Mevhibe and son Selahaddin Efendi reported that Murad V was willing to be buried in the Yahya Efendi Mausoleum, he did not approve. Abdulhamid withdrew his brother's funeral without announcement or ceremony. The prayer of the former sultan who was washed and wrapped in Topkapi Palace was performed at the Hidayet Mosque in Bahçekapı; After the funeral procession, he was buried next to his mother Şevkefza in the New Mosque, Istanbul.

Predecessor: Abdülaziz I

Sultan of the Ottoman Empire 30 May - 31 August 1876

Successor: Abdülhamit II