What is the Succession System in the Ottoman Empire? – Webtekno

Throughout history, many empires have ruled succession system continued with. This understanding, in which only family members could have a say, prevented outsiders from claiming rights in the management.

Even though there are those who say that this system lies behind the great success of empires; It has been seen many times that the successes gained when a weak person came to power of the country disappeared. In addition, with the succession system that brought with it throne fights, countries broke upbrothers took each other’s lives.

We are also in this content of the Ottoman Empire also adopted What is the succession system?We explained in detail how it was implemented.

Let’s start from the basics; What is the succession system?

If we were to explain the succession system through the Ottoman Empire, Imperial rule is passed from father to son. In other words, in this understanding, the administration of the state was left entirely to the members of a family.

This system was used for many years in countries where the idea of ​​democracy was not established. Even now, the inheritance system is used in many important countries. Although today in some European countries representation rather than political power. However, the inheritance system is used and the kings are determined.

During which sultan’s reign was the inheritance system valid?

Before the Turkish states met with Islam, they governed the country with the concept of kud. According to this understanding, it is said that the authority to rule the country was given to the ruler by the Sky God. This would ensure loyalty and devotion to the state on the part of the people.

With the founding of the Ottoman Empire in 1299 inheritance system passed and the empire common property of the dynasty was accepted as. Those who thought that fights in this system would weaken the Ottoman Empire Murad Iabandoning this understanding ‘the country belongs only to the sultan and his sons’ understanding started to implement.

In this way, the inheritance system underwent its first rule change. As a result, it was expected that the fights for the throne would decrease, but this did not happen and the sons started to fight for the throne. fight with siblings continued to do so.

So how exactly was the inheritance system implemented in the Ottoman Empire?

In the first establishment of the Ottoman Empire, this system; It took place when one of the sultan’s uncle, brother or sons ascended to the throne. After Murad I objected to this situation, only the sultan’s sons He was able to claim rights in the administration of the country.

In summary, in the succession system, after the death of the sultan, one of the sultan’s sons succeeds his father and rules the country.

Of course this There is also a negative aspect. In this system, because the sultan’s son ascended to the throne, sibling fights and deaths It happens quite frequently. Some sultans exiled their brothers the moment they came to the throne. The more ruthless sultans and sons strengthened their place in the state by having their brothers killed.

Who abolished the inheritance system, when did the system change?

As we mentioned above, Murad I changed the inheritance system for the first time. Then, Fatih Sultan Mehmet, who wanted to develop this system, issued ‘Kanunname-i Ali Osman’ With his law, he allowed brothers to kill each other. This, making sibling deaths legal It meant bringing.

Following this law, the sultans used their authority many times to kill their brothers who might rebel against them in the future. The most important of these is Henry III, who killed 19 of his brothers when he ascended to the throne. Mehmed. It is also claimed that the people hated the sultan because of this incident.

Wanting to put an end to these fights, Ahmed I decided that the eldest sane member of the family would become the sultan.

He was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire for a short time. Ahmed I, changed the inheritance system once again to put an end to the fights in this system. In the new system, family the sanest member He would become sultan. This system aimed to prevent sibling fights and deaths.

The inheritance system, which has been implemented since the foundation of the Ottoman Empire and has been changed twice, to the destruction of the Ottoman Empire continued until.

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