Concerning Sultán Ahmed Khán’s sons.
Sultán Mustafa Khán, the paternal uncle of the heir-apparent, Sultán Osmán Khán, who afterwards fell a martyr in a tumult of the people, mounted the Ottoman throne. The mother of Osmán was a noble and august lady, and the principal concubine of his father. The royal offspring, Sultán Mohammed, when preparing for the northern wars, was, through the perfidy of Osmán, murdered. Sultán Murád Khán, the conqueror of Baghdád, another of the royal princes, became sáhibkirán (emperor). His august mother, called the Moon-faced, was a favourite of Ahmed his father. Sultán Báyazíd was born three months later than Murád, and died a martyr. Sultán Soleimán shared the same fate with Báyazíd, and in the same year. Sultán Kásim was as successful in arms as Murád had been. His mother was also a favourite of the deceased emperor. Ibrahím became emperor, as we shall afterwards see. His mother, like those already mentioned, was a favourite of Ahmed.
Vezírs who were contemporary with Sultán Ahmed Khán.
Kásim Páshá was káímakám when Sultán Ahmed Khán ascended the throne, but was afterwards murdered, as has been already observed. Alí Páshá Yávuz died at Belgrade at the time he was commander-in-chief. Ghází Lálá Mohammed Páshá, the conqueror of Osterghún, died of the palsy. Dervísh Páshá, who was raised from among the bostánjí báshís to the premiership, was deposed by the people, and deservedly murdered for his wickedness. The next in order was the celebrated Murád Páshá, who was succeeded by the infamous Nesúh, son-in-law to the grand sultán; but who, on account of his maladministration and bad conduct, fell under his father-in-law’s displeasure, and was executed as an example to others. Mohammed Páshá, called Oghuz, another son-in-law of the emperor, was deposed, and died at Aleppo. Khalíl Páshá, the last grand vezír, was at the time of Ahmed’s death engaged in an expedition against the Persians. Háfiz Ahmed Páshá, the eunuch, has been already mentioned, and his virtues and good deeds have been recorded. Súfí Sinán Páshá was twice káímakám, and as often deposed. Sárukjí Mustafa Páshá fell into disgrace when he was káímakám, and was killed. Khezer Páshá, governor of Cairo, was afterwards made káímakám. Gúrjí Mohammed Páshá, the eunuch, was celebrated for his prudence, and his modesty commanded respect. Ahmed Páshá, usually called Etmekjí Zádeh, the celebrated lord high treasurer, became obnoxious to every successive vezír; and each, in his turn, persecuted and sought to kill him. Through his fawning disposition, and the distribution of gifts, he contrived, as we shall afterwards see, to die a natural death. Kúrd Páshá was a vezír at the time that Ahmed ascended the throne, but was afterwards degraded. Gúzelcheh Mahmúd Páshá was made a vezír, but was degraded. Jeghala Zádeh Sinán Páshá died of grief because of the defeats he had sustained when fighting against the kizilbáshes. Mohammed Páshá Ebn Khoaja Sinán Páshá was a very celebrated vezír, but was barbarously murdered. Súfí Mohammed Páshá was káímakám at the time of Sultán Ahmed Khán’s death.
Some of the events which took place during the reign of Mustafa Khán.
When it pleased God to remove by death Sultán Ahmed Khán, his brother, Sultán Mustafa Khán, was, on the 23d of Dhu’l Kadah, 1026 of the Hijrah, raised to the vacant throne. Mustafa discovered, however, a deficiency of judgment; but it was attributed to his long confinement, and it was hoped he would by experience acquire a right knowledge of the duties which belonged to his exalted station. In the meantime, matters were conducted by the metropolitan priest, Isaád Effendí.
The new emperor, according to custom, went to the tomb of his predecessor, at which he girded himself with a sword, when all the nobles and grandees instantly made their obeisance before him. After having visited the tombs of his other noble ancestors, he caused alms and donations to be distributed. He was then placed on a chair of state, and heralds, by supreme authority, were sent every where announcing Mustafa’s exaltation.
Mustafa Aghá Salihdár Sheheriárí was raised to the government of Cairo. The royal foster-mother was given to him in marriage. The government of Syria was conferred on Tchokadár Aghá: that of Caramania was given to the ághá of the falconers. Some other friends of the emperor met with tokens of the royal favour about the same time.
Sultán Mustafa Khán is deposed.
According to Hasan Beg Zádeh, the ághá of the royal house, Mustafa Aghá, who during the preceding reign had exercised absolute authority, began again, under the new emperor, to manifest a desire to exercise the same unlimited power. He wished to have all the nobles and grandees of the state obedient to his nod. The emperor, who was himself without any restraint, did not interfere; and, in short, seemed to give himself no concern about it whatever. This conduct excited much discussion. The ághá’s incapacity to govern became quite notorious, and therefore the necessity for deposing him became equally clear. It began to be openly spoken, that if he remained much longer at the head of the administration, he would, without doubt, waste and destroy the whole of the imperial treasures. Some of the great doctors and learned men who had been well acquainted with the affairs of the state, wrote to the queen-mother, pointing out to her the necessity there was for removing the above-mentioned ághá from the royal house. Overcome by the tears of the ághá, and the sweetness of his tongue, she, however, paid no regard to the communication sent her. In short, fraud and mismanagement arrived at such a pitch of notoriety, that the people began not only to look on the emperor with aversion, but to assemble for the purpose of actually deposing him. The aforesaid ághá wrote to the reverend mufti, to the rest of the learned men, and to the nobles, that all the princes of the blood were on the very eve of being murdered; and called on them to come forward and prevent the extinction of the Ottoman race. On their receiving this intelligence, they were roused to fury, and immediately agreed to the deposition of the emperor. In the beginning of Rabia I., under the pretence of distributing to the household troops their wages, they succeeded in getting them properly equipped, and arranged into proper order to answer their own purposes. They then barricaded the emperor’s apartment; and, by a postern door, brought forth the young Osmán, and placed him on the throne of Mustafa his uncle. The emperor’s friends about him no sooner perceived the soldiers than they immediately anticipated the deposition of their master, and began to regret, when too late, that the advice which had been given to the queen-mother had not been followed.