Became The Sultan Of The Ottoman Empire [EN]: Chapter 59

Became the Sultan of Osman – Episode 59 (59/213)

The Shackles are Released (2)

His father, who destroyed the Eastern Roman Empire, transformed the Ottoman Beylik [a small Turkish principality], once seen as just a regional power, into the Ottoman Empire, a dominant force in the Eastern Mediterranean.

His son conquered Egypt, increasing the empire’s territory by 1.5 times, and his grandson, known as Suleiman the Magnificent, was the most famous ruler in Ottoman history.

Bayezid II, sandwiched between this illustrious lineup, may have had a less impressive reputation, but he was by no means incompetent.

‘Unless he’s senile and can’t tell right from wrong, he knows exactly what his choice means.’

The Sultan must have felt that embarking on the Safavid expedition was a great risk.

War is like a gamble between countries, with troops, supplies, and internal instability due to troop shortages all on the line.

Victory would bring great gains, but defeat could change the fate of the nation.

‘The Safavid conquest isn’t an easy expedition.’

Even with years of preparation, it would be insufficient, but the preparation period was only a few months, and the opponent was likely to adopt a thoroughly defensive posture.

Moreover, the old Sultan must have been concerned about his health, as the war could potentially last for years.

Not to mention the internal instability.

‘It’s like putting the knife back in because you’re afraid of cutting your hand while slicing a radish. He must have thought he could suppress the aftermath sufficiently.’

He probably thought he was still capable and that there wouldn’t be any immediate problems, but this was clearly a lack of self-awareness.

His position has been greatly shaken by this incident.

Even just listening to the news from the capital, it was clear that the princes and officials were starting to move more openly.

“Those who support Ahmed are petitioning to have his sons appointed as Sanjakbeys [provincial governors] quickly.”

Ahmed had five sons.

His youngest, Kasim, was too young to be eligible, but the remaining four sons were over 12 years old and could be appointed as Sanjakbeys.

This meant that four more Sanjakbeys supporting Ahmed would be added at once.

Yusuf smiled and said,

“Should we send our nephews to Allah’s embrace now?”

Shemsi calmly replied to Yusuf’s suggestion that it might be good to eliminate the sprouts before his nephews become enemies aiming for his neck.

“I wouldn’t stop you if you’re not thinking about the consequences.”

If he were caught assassinating nephews in the capital, the foundation he had worked so hard to build could be shaken.

There was no need to take that risk just to kill one or two nephews.

Yusuf didn’t mean it sincerely either. It was a foreseen event.

In any case, Ahmed’s four sons would likely be appointed as Sanjakbeys a year earlier than in the original history.

“Suleiman will also be appointed as Sanjakbey.”

Suleiman was appointed in 1508 in the original history anyway.

Since it was only a matter of time before five nephews were appointed as Sanjakbeys and became obstacles, the real important thing was something else.

“Which Sanjak they are appointed to is important, but there is no information yet.”

“Which region they occupy is an important issue, so isn’t that obvious? But it’s not hard to predict.”

As Shemsi said, it wasn’t difficult to predict.

The best location was a Sanjak close to the capital, which Yusuf was trying to prevent as much as possible.

In the end, they would try to occupy a region that would be helpful as a second option.

“Ahmed’s sons will try to occupy the areas around him or the gateway to the capital, and Suleiman will go to Kefe.”

Kefe, located north of the Black Sea, was adjacent to the Crimean Khanate, so Selim would choose it as a second option.

Of course, the final decision rested with the Sultan, so no one could be certain until the results were out.

“It’s a shame that Shehzade [Prince] Mehmed is still young. Couldn’t he have gotten better sooner?”

Yusuf chuckled at Shemsi’s joke.

“Do you think having children is as easy as one wants? If it were that easy, Korkut would have had plenty of sons.”

Still, he at least had a son, while Korkut had no sons and no hope.

Shemsi shrugged at Yusuf’s retort.

“I’m just saying it’s a shame. It would have been a great help to the prince if he could be appointed as Sanjakbey.”

“Well, Pasha [high-ranking official] did think highly of Mehmed.”

“Isn’t it natural since Shehzade Mehmed is a genius?”

Shemsi was famous for being harsh in his evaluation of people, perhaps because he was a talented individual who had risen to the rank of Pasha.

It was a remarkable thing to elicit such praise as a genius from his mouth.

Yusuf raised one corner of his mouth.

“That’s surprising coming from someone who called the prince an idiot.”

“To be exact, I said I didn’t know if he was a genius or just ordinary.”

Shemsi was a teacher when Yusuf had just become a Sanjakbey, though he was now a subordinate.

He had seen Yusuf, who had an ordinary learning speed but possessed all sorts of knowledge, almost as a unique creature.

While Yusuf and Shemsi were lightly bickering, a few knocks came, and the door opened slightly.

“Father.”

Mehmed peeked his face through the opening, and Yusuf chuckled.

“Speak of the devil. Come here.”

Yusuf, who uttered an Arabic proverb that even tigers come when you talk about them, hugged Mehmed who came over and sat him on the desk.

The green eyes, resembling his parents, drew a small arc, as if he liked facing Yusuf.

“So, what brings you here?”

“I came because it’s time to study with Pasha.”

Seeing that he seemed to have come with this as an excuse, Yusuf playfully stroked Mehmed’s hair.

“Pasha’s teachings won’t be easy.”

“It’s not difficult, it’s fun.”

Was Shemsi the type to be lenient because he was young?

As Yusuf looked at him questioningly, Shemsi said indifferently.

“Studying is fun for smart people.”

“I didn’t know that.”

He probably never would. Nor did he want to know.

Yusuf patted Mehmed, telling him to work hard, and frowned as he noticed a small bruise in Mehmed’s eye.

“Where did you bump into something?”

Mehmed, who didn’t expect the small bruise to be noticed, stammered slightly before answering honestly.

“I went to see Murat and got hit.”

“Who did it? Was it Hatice?”

Of course, if Hatice was the cause, there would be a valid reason.

However, he was worried that this would lead to a fight between Aisha and Hatice, and Mehmed said the culprit’s name.

“…Murat did it.”

“Hmm, Murat did.”

Murat was only about 6 months old, and he was already worried about the brotherhood between the siblings.

***

In the capital, all sorts of debates continued over the appointment of Sanjakbeys, showing fierce conflicts for the princes they each supported.

However, this was a story limited to the capital and some regions, and the Ottoman Empire as a whole was peaceful.

The Safavids, who had invaded Dulkadir, had retreated, and all the Sipahis [Ottoman cavalrymen] who had been summoned returned to their hometowns, and the war clouds had cleared.

Looking abroad, the Safavids, who had avoided a battle with the Ottomans, turned their attention to the remaining Aq Qoyunlu dynasty, and it wouldn’t be surprising if the Mamluks went to war with Portugal at any time.

The West was also not in a situation to pay attention to the Ottomans.

Pope Julius II, who wanted to expand the Papal States, was preparing for war with Venice, befitting his nickname as the Warrior Pope.

It was Korkut who broke this peace that seemed would last for a while.

“Are you leaving now?”

Korkut nodded at Ahmed’s question.

Fortunately or unfortunately, he had not achieved any military successes in Dulkadir, but there were no troop losses.

The 1,500 cavalry, including 500 heavily armed cavalry, were ready to depart.

“I didn’t want to do this, but since Father rejected my request, this is the only way.”

Korkut had requested to be sent to Saruhan again after Mahmud, who had occupied Saruhan, died during a night raid.

However, the answer he received was a rejection, and Korkut fell into deep despair.

Ahmed patted his shoulder as anger towards his father was contained in his sharp voice.

“Father is so heartless. Why would he reject such a difficult request?”

“He’s even sending me to Çorum, which is inland.”

Unlike the other princes, Korkut had invested heavily in maritime power.

He believed that it was better to enter the capital through the sea.

However, being sent to Çorum meant that more than ten years of effort were instantly reduced to nothing, and the despair and anger were beyond words.

“You can just take it back. So, is the preparation perfect?”

“Of course. I’ve already finished talking with those who followed me there. We’ll be able to enter without bloodshed when we arrive.”

Although Korkut was not even treated as a proper successor while siding with Ahmed, he was highly respected in Saruhan.

Ahmed smiled at Korkut’s confident words.

“Of course, you’ll do well. I believe in you.”

“You don’t have to worry!”

Ahmed sincerely hoped that Korkut would succeed.

To get to the capital in the Balkans, one had to cross the Bosphorus Strait, which meant that ships were needed to transport troops.

If Korkut occupied Saruhan and embraced the maritime forces he had ties with again, this problem could be solved.

‘Moreover, we can prevent those who are trying to cross over.’

The other brothers would only be able to fret without being able to cross the strait, which was less than 1 km wide.

Of course, he could suffer the same fate if Korkut betrayed him, but the possibility of him betraying was low.

‘Even after Father dies, Korkut would be denied entry to the capital as he is now.’

Korkut was someone who had already become insignificant as a prince while siding with Ahmed.

Korkut, who skillfully mounted his horse, grabbed the reins and said,

“Then I’ll see you later.”

Korkut set off for Saruhan with his troops.

***

Yusuf frowned at the information that Korkut was moving with his army to occupy Saruhan.

“I guess he couldn’t take it anymore.”

“It was inevitable even if we expected it.”

He couldn’t report it to the Sultan without anything happening, and he couldn’t raise an army to stop it.

Since the information had arrived, quite a bit of time must have passed, so he must have already moved a lot.

“His Majesty won’t be able to stop it.”

“It will be difficult to catch him by force. If he succeeds in entering Saruhan, he will have no choice but to appoint him as Sanjakbey.”

It was dangerous for the Sultan himself to punish Korkut using the central army, and it had not been long since the Sipahis had been discharged to be summoned again.

The Sultan had no choice but to watch this situation with his eyes open.

The aftermath of giving up the Safavid conquest had already come out like this, and Yusuf frowned.

“Only I’m in trouble.”

It wouldn’t be a problem for Selim to move in the Crimean Khanate.

However, this was Yusuf’s misunderstanding.

He was not the only one who felt Korkut’s movements were threatening.

***

A man who had been feeling the warm sunlight by closing his eyes and raising his head opened his eyes at the sound of horses’ hooves.

“Shahanshah [King of Kings], we have confirmed that the enemy is approaching.”

The Shahanshah, with a slightly haggard look, leisurely grabbed the reins.

“Let’s go, it seems like I’ll be able to see my brother’s face for the first time in a while.”

“Ha!”