Page 20 - The Age of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent

Louis II, the king of Hungary (1516-1526), who was related
by marriage to the Habsburgs. Another adversary was Tah-
masp (1524-1576), the second ruler of the Safavid dynasty
of Iran. Among his allies were the kings of France, Francis I
(1515-1547) and Henry II (1547-1559); John Zápolya, the
prince of Transylvania installed as the king of Hungary
(1526-1540) by the sultan; and the rulers of Poland and the
Crimea.
Europe in the sixteenth century was torn by constant bat-
tles between the Habsburgs, headed by Charles V, and the
French, led by Francis I. England, ruled by Henry VIII, and
the Italian states of Venice, Genoa, and Florence were con-
stantly changing sides, deeply involved with protecting their
own interests. Europe was also divided between the followers
of Martin Luther, who were aided by the French, and those
of the pope, who were helped by the Habsburgs. Süleyman
took advantage of this rivalry to expand his realm; he formed
an alliance with the French and supported the Lutherans and
Calvinists against the papal forces. By his relentless pressure
on the Habsburgs and the papacy he successfully maintained
the political disunity in Europe and not only achieved his ter-
ritorial ambitions but was also instrumental in the growth of
Protestantism. Although a number of regions were annexed
by his descendants who extended the Ottoman rule into Po-
land in the west and the Caucasus in the east, the lands con-
Fig. 2. Marble bust of Sultan Süleyman by Joseph Kiselewski, quered by Süleyman formed the core of the Ottoman Empire
1949-1950 (Washington, U.S. Capitol) for centuries to come.

Ottoman tradition in which princes, accompanied by their tu- Süleyman the Sultan
tors, were sent at an early age to serve as governors in the
provinces to acquire experience in administrative and military Süleyman was born to Selim and Hafsa on 6 November 1494
3
affairs. The sultan fought on both western and eastern fronts, in Trabzon, where his father was serving as governor. The
personally leading over a dozen campaigns against the Habs- prince lived there until 1509, at which date he was given the
burgs, who controlled most of Europe, and the Safavids, who sancak of Bolu in northwestern Anatolia to govern; a few
ruled Iran. One of Süleyman's first acts was to take the city months later he was sent to Kefe in the Crimea, where he
of Belgrade, which had resisted a number of Ottoman attacks, held the same post for three years. After his father ascended
and another was to capture Rhodes from the troublesome the Ottoman throne on 24 April 1512 he was asked to reside
Knights of Saint John. He annexed Hungary and besieged Vi- in Istanbul while the sultan was fighting in Anatolia. The fol-
enna; he recaptured Tabriz and took Baghdad, adding Iraq lowing year Süleyman was appointed governor of Manisa.
and western Iran to his empire. His fleets, led by the cele- When Selim I was campaigning against the Safavids and
brated Barbaros Hayreddin Pa§a, were able to defeat the com- Mamluks in 1514 and 1516-1517, Süleyman was asked to
bined forces of Europe in the Mediterranean; his other admi- serve as regent and move to Edirne to protect the western
rals challenged the Portuguese in the Indian Ocean. flanks of the empire. He was back in Manisa by the time his
Born in an age of kings, powerful and influential men des- father died on 22 September 1520. The crown prince arrived
tined to shape the world, Süleyman was by far the most dy- in Istanbul on 30 September and his accession ceremonies
namic. His military victories, inherited and acquired wealth, took place the following day. Since he did not have any liv-
and patronage of art and architecture were unmatched by his ing brothers, he was the only heir to the sultanate.
allies or his adversaries. Süleyman's rivals were such luminar- When Süleyman I ascended the Ottoman throne at the age
ies as Charles V, the head of the Habsburgs, who served as of twenty-six he inherited a vast empire run by an efficient
the king of Spain (1516-1550) and the Holy Roman Em- system established by his forefathers. The Ottoman state was
peror (1521-1557); Ferdinand, the archduke of Austria who governed by a central administration headed by the sultan,
replaced his brother Charles V as emperor (1558-1564); and who was the supreme ruler of the empire, the commander in

19