Suleiman09

media type="custom" key="4649839" Suleiman I, known to many as Suleiman the Magnificent and Suleiman the Lawgiver, was the greatest sultan of the Ottoman Turks. He reigned as the tenth and longest ruling sultan from 1520-1566. He was a great general, and a patron of the arts. Suleiman is regarded to as the perfect Islamic leader. Suleiman was born on November 2, 1494. He was the only son of Selim I, or Selim the terrible, known for his cruel acts and warfare. Very little is known about Suleiman's childhood, though by the age of 16, Suleiman was already governing certain cities in the Ottoman Empire. When his father died in 1520, Suleiman became sultan and began the most glorious time of Islam and the Ottoman Empire. When Suleiman took the throne, he brought with him his childhood friend Ibrahim, who later became a grand Vizier of the empire. He began his reign with many acts of kindness towards his people such as freeing many slaves, making schools and giving his officers gifts. But in order to gain the respect of his generals, he needed to prove himself on the battlefield. Suleiman's first military campaign was led against the Hungarians. Suleiman had set his sights on Belgrade to prove to his people he was a worthy Sultan. This was the fist of his 13 military campaigns in which he captured parts of Hungary, Austria and almost Rome. After a successful siege of Belgrade, which he captured on August 29, 1521, Suleiman decided to take the island of Rhodes, 6 miles of the Turkish coast. He captured the island in December after a long 6 month siege. In 1526, Suleiman had defeated the Hungarians. He continued to campaign until his empire had grown to its largest size. But Suleiman was not just a great conqueror. He was also a patron of the arts. When he became sultan he filled his palace with with paintings and statues. Suleiman himself was a goldsmith and poet. When he was not at war, he had great architects build grand mosques throughout his vast empire. Suleiman had his first son with a member of the harem named "Rose of Spring." Though he later met a Polish slave named Roxelana who would help cause the downfall of the Ottoman Empire and the death of Suleiman's first son and best friend Ibrahim. Roxelana had two sons and a daughter with Suleiman. She wanted power in the empire and manipulated Suleiman to get it. She told Suleiman rumors about his firstborn son and Ibrahim. After telling Suleiman Ibrahim would try to take control of the Empire, Ibrahim was found strangled outside of the palace. Roxelana also had Suleiman send "Rose of Spring" to a distant city. Roxelana also wanted her son to be Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, so she told Suleiman that his firstborn son would turn on him and Suleiman ordered his son's execution. Suleiman died in a tent during his last campaign in 1566. His son Selim II became the sultan. Selim had not been taught the things necessary to ruling an Empire and and was a weak ruler, causing the downfall of the great Ottoman Empire that his father, Suleiman, had helped so much. After Selim, the Sultans were no better and eventually, the Ottoman Empire fell.

= = =Suleiman I=


 * Suleiman is regarded to as the perfect Islamic leader.
 * Born November 2, 1494.
 * Only son of Selim I.
 * Little is known about Suleiman's childhood but by the time he was 16 he was governing certain cities in the Ottoman Empire.
 * Tenth and longest reigning sultan of the Ottoman Empire. He ruled as Sultan for 46 years.
 * Known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the west and the Lawmaker in the east.
 * Annexed most of the Middle East in conflict with the Persians and large areas of North Africa.
 * He lead in the most glorious time of Islam.
 * Ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1520-1566
 * Became Sultan after his father died in 1520
 * He started his reign with many acts of kindness towards his people such as freeing many slaves, making schools for slaves and giving his officers with gifts.
 * His acts of kindness were very different from those of his cruel father who became known as Selim the Terrible.
 * Although his father was only interested in war, Suleiman filled his palace with the arts and wrote some poetry of his own.
 * Within his first year of rule, Suleiman had already led a campaign agaisnt the Hungarians, the Turks' Christian enemies.
 * Suleiman had strengthened his military greatly in his years of rule and led 13 military campaigns, capturing parts of Hungary, Austria and almost Rome.
 * Suleiman's first military move was against Belgrade, which he captured on August 29,1521, because of the Hungarians poor treatment of a Turkish embassy.
 * Suleiman's second military objective was Rhodes, an island 6 miles off the Turkish coast. He captured the island in december after a long 6-month siege. After capturing the island he gave inhabitants full civil rights.
 * In 1526 Suleiman defeated Hungary's power. The Turks temporarily took control of the capital in a raid which occurred because of his army's restlessness after being inactive for several years.
 * Suleiman's fifth campaign was agaisnt emperor Charles V in 1532.
 * In July 1534 his grand vizier took Tabriz.
 * In an 18 month break from war Suleiman visited holy places and settled his administrative business, though while he did this his conquered territories were being taken by Sham Tahmasp which forced Suleiman to return and take part in the sack of Tabriz.
 * The strongest adversary of Suleiman's great military was cold weather. Because the strongest points of his army were his cavalry, which did not operate well in cold weather, and cannons, that were very difficult to move in poor conditions, he took what he could in fair weather and then returned to his capitol in Constantinople.
 * Suleiman became one of the richest men of all time because of his many conquests, gifts from other nations and the piracy of his navy. This was demonstrated by his lifestyle. He never wore the same clothes twice, ate from solid gold plates and his harem was made up of over 300 women.
 * Suleiman had his first son with a member of his harem named "Rose of Spring." He later met a Polish slave, named Roxelana who he favored over all of the women. He had three sons and two daughters with her. Roxelana wanted power in Suleiman's kingdom so she manipulated suleiman into sending "Rose of Spring" to a distant city, killing Ibrahim, the grand vizier of his empire, and executing his first born son.
 * After Suleiman's death in 1566, his son Selim became the sultan. Selim had not been taught how to fulfill his rule as sultan by his father and was a weak ruler. The sultans who followed Selim were no better and eventually led to the downfall of the Ottoman Empire.

[] [] [] Regatz J. E. (1973). Suleiman I. //The McGraw-Hill encyclopedia of world biography//. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc.