Page 21 - The Age of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent
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Fig.  3.  Procession  of Sultan  Süleyman  in the  At Meydam, woodcut  after
         Pieter  Coecke van  Aelst, dated  1553  (New York, The Metropolitan  Museum
         of Art, 28.85.7a-b)




         chief  of the  armed  forces, and  the  protector  of Islam. The  Ibrahim,  who  married  the  sultan's  sister Hadice; Rüstem,  who
         grand  vezir represented  his executive  authority  and  held  the  married  his only  daughter Mihrimah;  and  Sokollu  Mehmed,
         highest  post  among  the  administrators,  who  were  responsible  who  married  his granddaughter  Esmahan  and  held  the  same
         for  political  and  financial  affairs.  The  §eyhulislam  (leader  or  post  under his  son,  Selim  II, and  grandson,  Murad  III. This
         chief  enforcer  of Islam)  represented  the  sultan's  religious  au-  system  enabled  the  sultan  to  have  a  fresh  supply of highly
         thority  and  headed  the  ulema  (learned  men),  who  were  in  trained  and  totally dedicated administrators and  military per-
         charge  of religious, judicial, and  educational  affairs.  The sul-  sonnel  whose  loyalty to the  sovereign  was  unquestionable;
         tan  was  assisted  by the  Divan-i Hümayun  (Imperial Council  having no  allegiance to  region  or  family,  their  sole  existence
         of Ministers), which  represented  both  sectors.  The sultan's  was  devoted  to  serving  the  state.
         primary  responsibility was  the  enforcement  of law  and jus-  The Topkapi  Palace,  founded  by Mehmed  II in  1459,  was
         tice,  and  the  Divan-i Hümayun  functioned  as a  supreme  conceived  from  the  beginning  as the  administrative and  edu-
         court  where  complaints  and  grievances  from  subjects  were  re-  cational  center  of the  state  and  designed  as a  fortified  struc-
         viewed,  national  and  international  policies discussed, and  ad-  ture  with  high  walls  and  massive  gates leading into  three
         ministrative  procedures  formulated.                       consecutive  courtyards. 5  It  occupied  the  northern  tip  of the
           The  Ottoman  system  of recruitment  and  training  of admin-  peninsula  overlooking  the  Golden Horn, Bosporus, and  Sea
         istrative  and  military personnel  was unique  and  formed  the  of Marmara,  providing  a  magnificent vista of Istanbul.
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         core  of the  central  administration.  Although  a  few  officials  Thought  to  have  been  staffed  by close  to  twenty  thousand
         were  the  sons  of administrators,  the  majority had  been  re-  men,  four  or five thousand  of whom  resided  on  the  premises,
         cruited  through  the  dev§irme  system  in which  non-Muslim  this  vast  palace  proclaimed  Ottoman  power  and  dominance
         boys  were  taken  from  the  rural  areas  in the  Christian prov-  over  the  city that  had  been  chosen  as the  capital by all its
         inces  and  trained  to  serve  the  state.  The largest group was  ab-  previous  rulers.  Originally called  the  New  Palace,  it  later
         sorbed  into  the  army,  particularly the  Janissary  Corps,  while  came  to  be known  as the  Topkapi  (Cannon  Gate) Palace  after
         others  were  sent  either  to  the  provincial courts  or to  the Top-  one  of its gates.
         kapi  Palace to  receive  training. They  became  important  palace  The palace  was  administered  by three  institutions, the Bi-
         officers,  military commanders,  and  governors,  and  the  most  run  (Outer  Service), the  Enderun  (Inner  Service), and  the
         able  and  enterprising  ones  rose  to  the  rank  of grand  vezir.  Harem,  the  latter having  developed  during  the  reign  of Süley-
           Almost  all the  grand  vezirs of the  empire  had  risen  from  man.  The  plan  of the  Topkapi Palace  clearly  reflects  its orga-
                                                                                                       6
         the  dev^irme  ranks  and  many  married  royal  princesses.  nizational  structure. The first courtyard,  open to the  public,
         Among   them were the  celebrated  grand  vezirs of Süleyman:  was  reserved  for the  Birun, which  included  officers  in  charge

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