Mehmed II
The Conqueror of Constantinople
Mehmed II was born on 30 March 1432 in Edirne, the Ottoman capital, to Sultan Murad II and Hüma Hatun, a slave of uncertain origin. At age eleven, he was sent to Amasya with advisors to govern and gain experience, as was customary for Ottoman heirs. His father provided teachers for an Islamic education that deeply shaped his beliefs, and he was influenced by practitioners of science, especially his mentor Molla Gürâni. The teachings of Akshamsaddin instilled in him from a young age the imperative to conquer Constantinople as an Islamic duty. After Murad II made peace with Hungary in June 1444, he abdicated in favor of twelve-year-old Mehmed. During this first reign, Hungarian incursions violated the Treaties of Edirne and Szeged, and Mehmed defeated a crusade led by John Hunyadi. Cardinal Julian Cesarini had convinced Hungary’s king that breaking the truce with Muslims was not betrayal. Mehmed asked his father to reclaim the throne; when Murad refused, Mehmed reportedly wrote ordering him to lead the armies. Murad then led the Ottoman force to victory at the Battle of Varna in November 1444, though some sources credit Çandarlı Halil Pasha for bringing Murad back. In 1446, Murad returned as sultan while Mehmed governed Manisa. After Murad’s death in 1451, Mehmed became sultan again. He immediately strengthened the Ottoman navy and prepared to attack Constantinople, building the fortress Rumelihisarı on the European side of the Bosphorus to control the strait. A Venetian vessel ignoring signals was sunk, its captain impaled as a warning. As his army approached Constantinople, Akshamsaddin discovered the tomb of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, a companion of Muhammad who had died during an earlier siege. Mehmed later built the Eyüp Sultan Mosque there to emphasize the conquest’s Islamic significance and his role as ghazi. In 1453, he besieged Constantinople with a large army, heavy artillery, and a substantial fleet. The city’s walls initially held, but Mehmed’s forces eventually breached them, ending the Byzantine Empire. After the conquest, he claimed the title caesar of Rome, arguing Constantinople had been the Eastern Roman capital since 330 AD. The Patriarchate of Constantinople recognized this claim, but most European monarchs rejected it. Mehmed continued campaigns, reunifying Anatolia and reaching Bosnia. Domestically, he implemented political and social reforms a
- born
- 30 March 1432, Edirne
- died
- 3 May 1481
- field
- Sultan, military commander
- nationality
- Ottoman
- known_for
- Conquest of Constantinople (1453); claiming title caesar of Rome
Lore & Background
During his first reign, he defeated the crusade led by John Hunyadi after Hungarian incursions into his lands violated the Treaties of Edirne and Szeged. Upon his restoration to the throne in 1451, he strengthened the Ottoman Navy and made preparations to attack Constantinople. In 1453, at the age of 21, he conquered Constantinople and effectively brought an end to the Byzantine Empire. After the conquest, Mehmed claimed the title caesar of Rome (Ottoman Turkish: قیصر روم, romanized: qayṣar-i rūm), on the grounds that Constantinople had been the seat and capital of the surviving Eastern Roman Empire since its consecration in 330 AD by Emperor Constantine I. The claim was soon recognized by the Patriarchate of Constantinople, but rejected by most European monarchs. Mehmed continued his conquests and reunified Anatolia, and campaigned as far west as Bosnia in Southeast Europe. At home, he implemented many political and social reforms. He was a patron of the arts and sciences, and by the end of his reign, Constantinople had been transformed into a thriving imperial capital. He is considered a hero in modern-day Turkey and parts of the wider Muslim world, with Istanbul's Fatih district, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge and Fatih Mosque being named after him.
Reader's Guide
Mehmed II was born on 30 March 1432, in Edirne, then the capital city of the Ottoman Empire. His father was Sultan Murad II (1404–1451) and his mother Hüma Hatun, a slave of uncertain origin. When Mehmed II was eleven years old, he was sent to Amasya with his two lalas (advisors) to govern and thus gain experience. Sultan Murad II also sent a number of teachers for him to study under. This Islamic education had a great impact in molding Mehmed's mindset and reinforcing his Muslim beliefs. He was influenced in his practice of Islamic epistemology by practitioners of science, particularly by his mentor, Molla Gürâni, and he followed their approach. The influence of Akshamsaddin in Mehmed's life became predominant from a young age, especially in the imperative of fulfilling his Islamic duty to overthrow the Byzantine Empire by conquering Constantinople. After Murad II made peace with Hungary on 12 June 1444, he abdicated the throne in favour of his 12-year-old son Mehmed II in July/August 1444. During Mehmed II's first reign, he defeated the crusade led by John Hunyadi after the Hungarian incursions into his country broke the conditions of the truce per the Treaties of Edirne and Szeged in September 1444. Cardinal Julian Cesarini, the representative of the Pope, had convinced the king of Hungary that breaking the truce with Muslims was not a betrayal. At this time, Mehmed II asked his father Murad II to reclaim the throne, but Murad II refused. According to the 17th-century chronicles, Mehmed II wrote, 'If you are the sultan, come and lead your armies. If I am the sultan, I hereby order you to come and lead my armies.' Then, Murad II led the Ottoman army and won the Battle of Varna on 10 November 1444. Halil Inalcik states that Mehmed II did not ask for his father. Instead, it was Çandarlı Halil Pasha's effort to bring Murad II back to the throne. In 1446, while Murad II returned to the throne, Mehmed retained the title of sultan but only acted as a governor of Manisa. Following the death of Murad II in 1451, Mehmed II became sultan for the second time. Ibrahim II of Karaman invaded the disputed area and instigated various revolts against Ottoman rule. Mehmed II conducted his first campaign against İbrahim of Karaman; the Byzantines threatened to release Ottoman claimant Orhan. When Mehmed II ascended the throne again in 1451, he devoted himself to strengthenin
Did You Know?
- Mehmed II was only 21 years old when he conquered Constantinople in 1453.
- He claimed the title 'caesar of Rome' after conquering Constantinople, but this was rejected by most European monarchs.
- Mehmed II transported his warships overland into the Golden Horn during the siege of Constantinople.
- He built the Rumelihisarı fortress on the European side of the Bosphorus to control the strait.
Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)
"True art is to create a magnificent city and fill the hearts of its people with happiness." — Mehmed II "Tell to your emperor that where my power has reached, not even his dreams can!" — Mehmed II "We are not afraid of the owl, we are sometimes hawks." — Mehmed II "O, Constantinople! It's either I who'll take you, or you!" — Mehmed II
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