Suleyman the lawgiver biography
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By codifying these laws, Suleiman created a more standardized and consistent legal system that could be applied across the empire, regardless of local customs or traditions.
Suleiman’s legal reforms also included measures to ensure that justice was administered fairly. There are also allegations that Hurrem had some influence on Suleiman’s execution of the crowned prince Mustafa.
If you are interested in this period, you can read this article, which introduces the family of Sultan Suleiman and his wife Hurrem Sultan, and summarizes the events that took place during this period.
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In power struggles apparently instigated by Anastasiya Lisovska, Suleiman had İbrahim (a supporter of Süleyman's firstborn son Mustafa) murdered and replaced with Anastasiya’s son-in-law, Rustem Pasha (Rustem Paşa). Suleiman recognized the importance of controlling the seas to secure his empire’s trade routes, project military power, and protect Ottoman territories from European rivals.
Suleiman’s legacy is complex and multifaceted. His Legacy Today
Suleiman’s reign represents the zenith of Ottoman power.
Certainly, his rule seems closer to the ideals of the rightly guided Caliphs than to the more despotic and godless rule of some of his own successors. Suleiman also made efforts to ensure that his empire’s legal system was accessible to all citizens, regardless of their social status or religious background.
By centralizing authority, codifying laws, and fostering a sense of unity among his subjects, Suleiman helped to create a more efficient and stable state. Suleiman, who ascended the throne in 1520, ruled the Ottoman Empire for 46 years until 1566.
The young Sultan soon proved to be a man of many talents. He was remembered not only as a powerful ruler but also as a symbol of the Ottoman Empire’s cultural and political achievements.
By her he had one daughter, Mihrimar(Mihrumâh), and the sons Mehmed (who died young), Selim II, Bayezid and Cihangir (born physically disabled). For the next several decades, the Ottoman navy remained a dominant force in the Mediterranean, allowing Suleiman to project his power across North Africa, the Levant, and the Aegean Sea.
In addition to its military prowess, the Ottoman navy played a key role in facilitating trade and commerce within the empire.
Though the siege failed, it marked the high tide of Ottoman expansion into Europe. However, Sultan Suleiman married Hurrem, who gave him many children, and it is known that he remained monogamous after this marriage.
Hurrem (aka Roxelana) was born in Ruthenia, which was part of the Kingdom of Poland in the past, and is now in Ukraine.
Early Life in Trabzon
Suleiman was born on November 6, 1494, in Trabzon, a coastal city on the Black Sea. He was the only son of Şehzade Selim (later Selim I, known as Selim the Grim) and Hafsa Sultan, a woman of possibly Crimean or Circassian origin.
In 1566, at the age of 72, he led his last military expedition against the Habsburg-controlled fortress of Szigetvár in Hungary. One of the most significant naval battles of Suleiman’s reign was the Battle of Preveza in 1538. Corruption and abuse of power were not tolerated, and officials who engaged in such behaviors faced severe consequences under Suleiman’s rule.
It is also known that Suleiman wrote poetry under the pen name “Muhibbi”.
Hurrem Sultan’s influence on the sultan caused the Harem Rooms to be moved from the old palace to the Topkapi Palace.