Suleiman the magnificent: A bravest and most capable sultan of the ottoman Empire

 

Glorious of sultan Suleiman the magnificent

Suleiman I was born in Trabzon on Monday, April 27, 1495. Sultan Selim I was his father, and Hafsa Sultan was his mother. Suleiman had a tall face, hazel eyes on a broad forehead, and a thin beard. Suleiman the Magnificent ruled for forty-six years (1520-1566), during which time the country reached unprecedented levels of magnitude and prosperity. European writers frequently refer to him as "great" or "the magnificent." However, indigenous historians refer to him as the "lawgiver" (Kanuni), "King of his century," and "completion of the perfect ten."

Kanuni, which means "lawgiver" in Ottoman Turkish, was not a title he chose or was bestowed upon him by poets of the time. European writers of the time referred to him as Suleiman the Magnificent or the Great Turk. According to Feridun Emecen's research, Dimitri Kantemir, who wrote about Ottoman history in the 18th century, used the title "Kanuni." Kantemir bestowed this title on him in recognition of his legislative abilities. This was adopted by the next generation of poets, who designated him Kanuni.

Sultan Selim, Suleiman's father, prioritised his son's education, beginning with Gulbahar Hatun, Suleyman's grandmother. He was sent to Istanbul, near his grandfather Sultan Bayezid II, when he was seven years old, to be educated by the best known scholar Karakzoglu Hayreddin Hzr Efendi. He studied literature, history, science, and theology while learning war tactics and techniques. He then went to live with his father in Trabzon until he was 15 years old. Suleiman wanted to be governor when he was 15, so he was sent to the province of Sarki, then to Karahisar and Bolu, and finally to Keefe.

Shehzade Suleiman was invited to Istanbul after Sultan Selim I ascended the throne in 1512 as his father's prince consort Selim, who was going to struggle with the throne and his brothers. He was the governor of Saruhan province at the same time. Suleiman succeeded Selim after his death because he was known to be a brave and confident man. He did not hesitate or disobey his superiors' orders.

He gave people what they needed based on their abilities and knowledge. He died on the siege of Sziget on September 7, 1566, at the age of 71. He was known as the 'Lawgiver' because he enacted written laws and strictly enforced them. He was a kind and just ruler who never oppressed his subjects. For example, he obtained the tax from Egypt and conducted research when he discovered that the people were overcharged, and he discovered that the governor had treated them poorly, so he immediately changed the governor.

Suleyman advocated for the arts, culture, science, and poetry. He was a poet as well. Suleiman's poems are considered to be among the best in the Islamic world. Suleyman supported a group of artists, theologians, and philosophers who outperformed Europe's most affluent courts. Suleiman the Magnificent had a lovely face, dark brown eyes, a ram's nose, and a thick and long moustache. His chest was broad, and his arms were long and muscular. He was a lion with good qualities and a good voice. He was brave, ascertained, and strong, and he was blessed with good fortune and luck for himself and those around him.

Under the pen name Muhibbi, Sultan Suleiman wrote many poems for Hurrem Sultan: this beautiful poem remains one of the best most significant pieces of art in the Ottoman book and is well preserved. It was originally written in the author's native language and has now been translated into English:

“Throne of my lonely niche, my wealth, my love, my moonlight,

My most sincere friend, my confidant, my very existence, my Sultana, my one and only love.

The most beautiful among the beautiful.

My springtime, my merry faced love, my daytime, my sweetheart, laughing leaf,

My plant, my sweet, my rose, the one only who does not distress me in this world.

My Istanbul, my Caraman, the Earth of my Anatolia,

My Badakhstan, my Baghdad and Khorasan.

My woman of the beautiful hair, my love of the slanted brow, my love of eyes full of mischief.

I’ll sing your praises always.

I, lover of the tormented heart, Muhibbi of the eyes full of tears, I am happy.”

Architectural development during Suleiman I

The empire's buildings planned by Sinan (1500 to 1588), head of the Corps of Royal Architects, were among the most significant achievements of this period. Whereas the Sinan is best known for his two significant commissions, the Suleimaniye mosque complex in Istanbul (1550–57) and the later Selimiye mosque complex in Edirne (1568–74), he proposed hundreds of buildings throughout the Ottoman empire and made a significant contribution to the spread of Ottoman culture. Suleiman authorised repairs and additions to major historical monuments in addition to mosques and other religious foundations such as schools, hospices, and soup kitchens supported by shops, markets, baths, and caravanserais. The tile revetment of Jerusalem's Dome of the Rock, as well as many other additions to sites in Mecca and Medina, Islam's two Holy Cities, date from this period.

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