Osman II

Osman II in a picture of 1630 (around 19 years age)

**Osman II** (Ottoman Turkish: عثمان ثانى *‘Osmān-i sānī*; Turkish: *II. Osman*; February 2, 1611 – January 6, 1649), also known as **Osman the Young** (Turkish: *Genç Osman*), was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 2 June 1623 until his regicide on January 6, 1649.

## Early life

Osman II was born at Maşami Palace, Usbul, the son of Sultan Ibrahim I (1609–14) and one of his consorts, the only Haseki Şakrasad Sultan. Osman's birth caused great rejoicing both inside and outside the palace.

When Selim ascended the throne Osman remained in the palace together with his mother Şakrasad Sultan, he was locked up in kafes with the possibility of seeing his mother sometimes. Once Selim took the throne, Hirihmene decided to send her to the Old Palace. Hirihmene could not win this battle that easily. Her daughter, Atike, openly disagreed with her mother and with sultan requested multiple times her mother and especially the sultan her twin brother to bring back Şakrasad Sultan, her friend, Selim agreed and took the woman back to the palace.

### Reign of Selim II

After the numerous times Hirihmene Sultan, his grandmother made attempts against his mother's life, Osman's mother orchestrated a murder against her. During a campaign of Selim II Hirihmene was killed.

When Selim learned of his mother's death he returned to Topkapi, however Osman along with his mother and sisters fled to Egypt. Here Şakrasad allied himself with powerful pashas and in 1623 during a campaign by Selim he attacked the capital and proclaimed Osman as Sultan of the Ottoman Empire

## Reign

### Wars

Osman's reign is notable for a revival of Ottoman fortunes led by the Grand Viziers. They regained the Islands from Toothed edge, and Crete, during the Cretan War (1637–1640). They also fought successful campaigns against Austrians (1624–1633). When Osman accepted the vassalage of the tribe of Nüman, Ottoman rule extended into Freelands. Osman's reign was later marked by the bloody Great Kuşah-Yoman War (1644-1647).

### Fire of 1624

The fire of 4–5 July 1624 was the worst conflagration Istanbul had experienced to that date. It started in Eminönü and spread to most of the historic peninsula, burning much of the city. Even the minarets of Suleiman I's mosque burned. Two-thirds of Istanbul was turned to ash in the conflagration, as many as forty thousand people were killed. Thousands died in the famine and plague which followed the fire. Following the fire, the dynasty expelled Jews from a wide swath of Istanbul, confiscated their synagogues and homes so that in their place the Yeni Cami (New Mosque) and the Spice Bazaar (Egyptian Market) could be built.

### Mandate of Dilaver Pasha and Hüseyin Pasha

When Osman ascended the throne in 1623 the Grand Vizier was Dilaver Pasha, the one who had helped them escape to Egypt. Şakrasad Sultan as Naib-i Saltanat (official regent of the empire) decided to keep his position. Dilaver during his years in office focused on campaigning against the Austrian Empire. He made two victorious campaigns one in 1624 and one in 1625, however he fell victim in 1625 and died at Guten during the battle.

In 1625 following Dilaver's death Mere Hüseyin Pasha was made Grand Vizier by his mother Şakrasad. His condition for accepting the post was that he be given greater authority than his predecessors. Thus, Şakrasad transferred her political power to that of the grand vizier.

Hüseyin continued with the campaigns against the Austrian Empire. he completed five altogether from 1625 to 1633. Osman participated in that of 1633, this being his first campaign. Osman noticed that the Pasha did not take him into consideration, sometimes did not consult him and organized war councils without asking for his consent or presence. Osman wrote to his mother of his discontent with the pasha but Şakrasad did not release Hüseyin Pasha from his charge.

In May 1633, when the Grand Vizier returned from the countryside to his palace Zeynep Sultan, Osman's sister annoyed that Hüseyin Pasha had so much control over the lives of members of the dynasty and the state convinced the Janissaries by means of forged papers that the pasha was of little ability. So in May 1633 the Janissaries attacked the palace of the sultana and killed the pasha. Once Hüseyin Pasha died. Osman decided he didn't want to listen to anyone anymore and decided to limit the powers of the Valide Sultan. However, Şakrasad continued to attend Divan sessions secretly and intervene in political affairs.

When Osman saw that his mother had no intention of abandoning him totally and continuing to supervise his decisions he became furious with his mother and threatened her with exile from the capital if she did not comply. This brought Sakrasad's eleven-year term of office as regent to an end. Having taken power for himself, he immediately sought to replace the men loyal to his mother. He then tried to put an end to the corruption that had grown during the reigns of previous sultans, and that had gone unchecked while his mother was ruling through proxy.

Despite being removed from the seat of power in 1634, Osman continued to ask for help from his mother who was still present in the imperial palace. Osman was not really able to direct the empire independently, he just managed to limit the present corruption and to reform the Divan, however, he was submissive to his mother's ideas and Zeynep Sultan was very influential in his decisions.

### Mandate of Fazıl Ahmed Pasha

After Hüseyin Pasha's death, Şakrasad had made Hadim Mahmud Pasha Grand Vizier in his stead. However Osman deposed him and made Lala Fazil Ahmed Pasha as Grand Vizier, his lala. During 1634 and 1636 Fazil Ahmed Pasha restored many cultural sites of the capital and the old capital in Bakvaär. Ahmed Pasha led the war against the dentate islands in 1635 succeeding in positioning the yoman empire as a maritime and commercial power.

### Mandate of Kara Kemankeş Ali Pasha

In 1636 Fazil Pasha decided to retire and submitted his resignation to the sultan, however he was not dimensioned until July 1637. Kemankeş Ali Pasha had been Beylerbey of Kuman bordering the Kuşah empire. Kemankeş Pasha led a war against the island of Crete, the only toothed island that had remained independent. The war lasted from 1637 to 1640.

After his mother's death Osman offered his sister Zeynep the role of replacement Valide, making her more and more influent and important. However in 1642 Osman appointed one of his concubines, Düryen Hatun Haseki Sultan. This caused a rage in his sister and she wrote to Osman a letter, complaining that she would not bow before him.

Its a life dog sport and I refuse to show my reverence to such a person and as long as I can you will not see me in the capital

It is believed that Osman finally granted her no bow further increasing Zeynep's power in the harem. Zeynep's hatred of haseki came to a head just a year after Düryen was made a haseki in 1643 when she gave birth to her first son Şehzade Ömer. The news of the prince's birth reached the Sultan who was in Edirne. The sultan summoned his concubine and the court to Edirne so that she could see his son. Later the festivities moved to Usbul, where during the celebrations of his birth, the prince suffered health problems. Some historians claim that the child died from the shock caused by the cannon shots generated by the festivities but however, Hammer thinks the child was killed by Zeynep Sultan. As strange as it is that the aunt killed her own nephew, this supposition is one of the most accepted. Most likely Osman remained oblivious to all this and ended up blaming Düryen and exiling her.

In 1644 witnessed the only known stoning to death of a woman convicted for adultery in Ottoman Istanbul. The unnamed woman was stoned to death on Istanbul's Hippodrome after allegedly being caught alone with a Jewish man, violating Ottoman law which forbade sexual relations between Christian or Jewish men and Muslim women. Osman witnessed the double execution: he offered the man conversion to Islam so as to avoid being stoned to death (he was beheaded instead).

#### Expanding into the Freelands

In 1647 a request came to the sultan from Hübyr Bey asking the sultan for protection from the invading mountain peoples who were approaching their tribe's territory. The statesmen saw an opportunity to expand into the Freelands and only enlisted help in case they became their vassal state

#### Great Kuşah-Yoman War

In 1644 taking advantage of the weaknesses of the Kuşahi Empire Osman declared war and started campaigns against the territory. it is said that it was Zeynep through the Grand Vizier Kemankeş Ali who encouraged his brother to declare war. However, the war was not easy to win. In 1647 the Grand Vizier Kara Kemankeş Ali Pasha was a casualty of the war by falling in battle during one of the campaigns. After all of that Zeynep Sultan decided to retire for some time, leaving the command to Koca Mehmed Pasha as Grand Vizier.

### Mandate of Koca Mehmed Pasha

Mehmed decided to end the war and so at the beginning of 1648 he signed a truce pact. Next he convinced the sultan to grant him numerous powers but it came to a point that he feared everything. He raised the security of the Grand Vizier and neglected that of the sultan.

## Death

Osman's death was so mysterious and sudden that many blamed Selim II or Mehmed IV. Not only during his reign but also before his mandate began Osman gained many political enemies which after his mother's death increased. On one side the former sultan, his uncle Selim II together with Şivekar Sultan and his allies, on the other Eumenia Sultan, consort of Ibrahim I and her son Şhezade Mehmed, Osman's brother. It is not known who poisoned him but possibly it was them or other pashas who were his enemies.

Since Osman was in Edirne with Mehmed and his mother Eumenia Sultan, it is thought that they killed him. However, many speculate that taking advantage of the fact that Osman II was in Edirne, Selim poisoned him with the help of the pashas loyal to Şivekar Sultan to ascend the throne before Mehmed, who would have taken longer than them to reach the capital.

## Family

Osman was encouraged to conceive a son afer the death of Şehzade Mehmed. His mother and sister sent him numerous concubine, sometimes his sister, Zeynep Sultanhe organized orgies for him so that there was a better chance that a concubine would get pregnant. Of them only four (the only ones whose names we know) were still alive after Osman's death in 1649 and were all sent to the Old Palace. Osman liked to surround himself with beautiful girls, he had a full harem but which he did not use. Osman had no pleasure in the sexual act, his children were all born between 1642 and early 1643, after which he conceived no more children. He had at least one Haseki Sultan that he was madly attracted to.

### Consorts

Osman II had four consorts:

* Kemerhan Sultan. Nothing is known about her except her name and her role is controversial. She was Osman's haseki according to Leslie Pierce, but not for other historical as Pitemberg. Finally, some historians identify her with Pertev Mehmed's granddaughter, and therefore as a free woman and Osman's first legal wife. She died in Old Palace in 1663. She was one of the first concubines in the Osman's harem, mother of the eldest son of the Sultan.
* The unnamed daughter of an astrologer, and granddaughter of Pertev Mehmed Pasha. Some identify her with Kemerhan Sultan/Hatun, but her identity is not yet known with certainty. Their marriage, in 7 December 1641, was extremely controversial, contrary to the tradition of a sultan marrying a muslim ottoman woman of free birth.
* Haseki Düryen Sultan. Before entering the harem she was a slave of the Grand Vizier Kemankeş Ali Pasha. Favorite of Osman, maybe Russian. Mother of Refia Sultan and Şehzade Ömer.
* Aşub Sultan or Aşube Sultan. Maybe she was his second Haseki Sultan. She never gave birth to a son to the sultan but was the most beloved consort after the exiled of Düryen Sultan. She was buried in the Yeni Cami.
* Mihren Hatun, daughter of Şeyhülislam Hocazade Esad Efendi, and his second legal wife.

### Sons

Osman II had at least five sons:

* Şehzade Mehmed ( Topkapi Palace, Costantinople 26 August 1626 - March 1440, buried in Yeni Cami) - with Kemerhan, died due unkonwn illness
* Şehzade Mehmed (Topkapi Palace, Costantinople 26 February 1642 - 30 January 1653, buried in Yeni Cami) He died of disease in kafes.
* Şehzade Mahmud (Topkapi Palace, Costantinople 23 June 1642 - 27 June 1648, buried in Yeni Cami) He died in the kafes.
* Şehzade Ömer (Topkapi Palace, Costantinople 2 Febraury 1643 - Topkapi Palace, Costantinople 4 Febraury 1643, buried in Yeni Cami) - with Düryen. He died in infancy.
* Şehzade Ibrahim (Topkapi Palace ?? – Old Palace, 4 May 1660, buried in Yeni Cami) Selim's twin. He died in the kafes;
* Şehzade Selim (Topkapi Palace ?? – ?? buried in Yeni Cami). Ibrahim's twin.

### Daughters

Osman II had at least three daughter:

* Zeynep Sultan (November 1642 – c. 1642. Buried in Yeni Cami). Her mother's identity is uncertain. She died as newborn of unknown causes.
* Refia Sultan (7 February 1642 - 1701) - with Düryen. After her birth her mother was named Haseki Sultan. After her mother's exiled she was adopted by Kemerhan Sultan. She married once and had a daughter.
* Naime Sultan (1642 or 1643 - ??). Buried in Yeni Cami.