Şehzade Mahmud

**Şehzade Mahmud** (Ottoman Turkish: شہزادہ محمود; 1573, Manisa Palace, Manisa - 28 January 1609, Topkapi) was an Ottoman prince, the son of Sultan Mustafa I and Hirihmene Sultan.

## Early life

Şehzade Mahmud was born in Manisa Palace, when his father was still a prince, and the governor of the Saruhan Sanjak. His mother was Hirihmene Sultan. Mahmud along with his brothers was educated by Mustafa Efendi, who was appointed by Mustafa in 1579. When Kasim I died in 1586, Şehzade Mastafa ascended the throne as Mustafa I, Mahmud came to Istanbul with his father.

Mustafa never had a good relationship with his sons, when Şehzade Orhan was executed by his father, their mother, Hirihmene Sultan tried to protect her other sons especially Mahmud who had a really critical relationship with Mustafa. Mustafa took no interest in entrusting his sons with a province, except to Iskender (future Iskender I) and Ibrahim (future Ibrahim I). thus Mahmud never had a province. When Mustafa died and the law of fratricide was abolished, Mahmud's anxiety about dying eased.

## Iskender reign

When Iskender ascended the throne as Sultan, Mahmud stayed in the palace, since Ibrahim had his own province, Mahmud considered asking his brother to entrust him with a province, but Iskender did not agree as he was disturbed by Mahmud's enthusiasm to leave the palace and assume the role of warrior prince, Iskender feared that Mahmud intended to stage a rebellion against him from within the palace. Hoping to dispel his brother's concerns about provincial rebellions and Safavid advances, Mahmud reportedly asked his brother to send him and give him command of the army.

Rumors were spreading in the capital of a conspiracy to poison Iskender given his unpopularity, in order to bring Mahmud to command of the empire. According to one version, if the conspiracy to assassinate the sultan failed, Mahmud was secretly taken to a province, where he could easily gather an army and fight for the throne.

The relationship between Iskender and Şehzade Mahmud worsened once Hirihmene was exiled to the Old Palace by Iskender. Hirihmene attempted to keep the relationship between his sons as peaceful as possible but after his absence the fragile relationship between Iskender and Mahmud started to be critical. Mahmud was accused of treason since he was the favorite among the janissaries, the relationship between Mahmud and the janissaries intimidated the sultan since his figure as sultan was already critical.

## Execution

It is said that Ayşe Sultan, the haseki of Iskender intercepted a letter between Mahmud and a certain concubine, possibly a certain Karenda Hatun. Ayşe promptly informed the sultan of Mahmud's treachery. It is not known if this was real but Iskender nevertheless accused Mahmud of treason since his presence threatened the figure of the sultan who was already critical.

Mahmud was imprisoned, and beaten to make him confess, but Mahmud had nothing to do with the conspiracies he was accused of, Iskender receiving no response executed Mahmud on 28 January 1609. When the executors were stretching rope in his neck he spoke:

> "Iskender! I wish from Allah your reign get ruined, I hope you could not reign as much as what you have deprived me of my life!"
>
>

On december of the same year, a rebel revolt of seventeen janissaries, led by the Albanian Patrona Halil, aided by the citizens as well as by the military, resulted in an insurrection before which the Sultan was forced to renounce the throne. Iskender was captured by two of the Janissaries and was executed.

Mahmud was buried beside his father in his mausoleum.

## In popular culture

In the Turksih serie "Mühteşem yüzyil: Hirihmene" Mahmud is played by the turkish actor Erhan Alcı.