Became The Sultan Of The Ottoman Empire [EN]: Chapter 165

Became the Sultan of Osman – Episode 165

4 Princes (1)

In Osman, there was still much debate over whether Padishah Yusuf was a prophet or not, and this controversy had even spread to the West.

However, the higher Ottoman officials rose in rank, the more they realized that Yusuf’s real strangeness wasn’t the prophecies that accurately predicted earthquakes.

Suleiman looked at the map he had received.

‘The real issue is the information gap between the Padishah and us.’

High-ranking officials obtain information similar to the Padishah’s level. In fact, they often have more information than the Padishah in their respective fields.

The empire was vast, so many things happened, and reporting all of this would bury him under piles of documents.

However, when working with Yusuf, information that even high-ranking officials didn’t know often surfaced, including information that seemed impossible to know.

The map he received this time was like that.

“I am curious how he knew about an island that even the early Portuguese had never set foot on, but that’s not the most important thing right now.”

Utilizing the information was more important than figuring out how he obtained it.

Sweat dripped due to the humid tropical climate, and the sun was scorching, but Suleiman diligently surveyed the coast.

There was an additional note that there were large mountain ranges in the east and center, so there was no need to pay attention to them for the time being, and the Ottoman fleet moved along the west coast.

“The harbor looks quite large compared to the fishing boats around here.”

“I agree with the admiral. But it seems poorly managed, as if it doesn’t receive many visitors.”

Kemal and Suleiman assessed the small port town they passed.

The large pier compared to the size of the town implied that there had been visitors, but a large area appeared to have been neglected at first glance.

As the locals, terrified by the appearance of the Ottoman fleet, grabbed their bows and gathered near the pier, Suleiman issued an order.

“Don’t kill them, just scare them.”

The soldiers who received Suleiman’s instructions fired their arquebuses [early type of long gun] into the air, and the locals sat down or ran away at the gray smoke and bursting noise.

The terrified locals seemed to have completely lost their will to fight.

“Now we can have a conversation.”

It might sound ridiculous that a force arriving with weapons is asking to have a conversation, but Suleiman intended to maintain the most amicable relationship possible with the locals.

Although the number of Ottoman troops in the fleet was large, local cooperation was essential to quickly establish a foothold.

‘The sooner, the better. We need to fortify this place and use it as a base, and also make contact with other countries besides Ming [China under the Ming Dynasty].’

Suleiman clenched his fist as he watched Ibrahim, who had come down first and was trying to communicate with the locals using hand gestures.

The red flag of the Ottomans was planted on the land inhabited by the Siraya tribe, the indigenous people of Taiwan, a land called Tainan.

***

The situation was better compared to Mehmed, who had to build a new city, or Murad, who had to manage the Yemen region where Arab nomads engaged in looting for survival.

However, the situation in Buda, where Kasim was appointed as Sanjakbey [governor of a district], was not very good either.

The only consolation was that Buda, where only Jews remained, was intact because it had not been subjected to a siege.

When the Ottomans completely occupied Buda and adopted lenient policies, some people returned to the city, but it was not enough considering the original population of over 5,000.

Eventually, Kasim made a decision.

“Relocate the people of Pest to Buda.”

Buda and Pest were divided by the Danube River, and compared to Buda, which was built with palaces and greatly prospered under the influence of the Renaissance, Pest was closer to a refugee camp.

This was because the Danube River created a significant barrier between the two cities.

After relocating some of the people of Pest and maintaining security with soldiers to stabilize Buda to some extent, Kasim immediately made a decision.

“I will go to Vienna.”

“Sanjakbey, is there a reason to rush? We are bound by a peace treaty, but we don’t know when we will become enemies. Wouldn’t it be better to observe the situation a little more?”

Pareddin Pasha, who had joined Kasim like Shemsi had followed Yusuf in the past as an advisor, expressed concern, but Kasim shook his head.

“We must act now because the peace treaty is shaky as we occupy Hungary.”

Although the Ottomans and Bohemia had signed a peace treaty, this was not enough to erase the anxiety of a city like Vienna, which was right in front of them.

“Just looking at the Archduke of Austria collecting Ottoman taxes, we don’t know what will happen.”

Ferdinand, the proxy emperor of the Holy Roman Empire and Archduke of Austria, began collecting special taxes to counter the Ottomans when the Ottomans occupied the land of Lajos II.

Austria’s financial situation was not good, so they additionally collected taxes labeled as Turkish taxes or Ottoman taxes to counter the Ottomans.

This was proof that they did not fully trust the peace treaty signed between Charles V and the Ottomans.

“I’m not just going to soothe their anxiety. I’m going to lay the foundation for obtaining information. Pasha, if we want to obtain their information, we must go among them. Do you think that’s possible?”

“It will be difficult.”

It was almost impossible to obtain high-quality information from those who were wary of the Ottomans from the start.

“If we can’t go into them, we have to set the stage. As it happens, my father uses a method, doesn’t he?”

Kasim playfully shook the cup filled with coffee.

“Are you thinking of opening a kahveh [coffee] shop to collect information?”

“Yes, my father also uses barley tea shops, but kahveh would be more suitable for nobles.”

The princes, who had heard stories about their father’s days as a prince through Fatima, knew well how Yusuf had used barley tea shops.

They also knew that his influence was reaching the coffee houses that were starting to emerge thanks to the coffee craze.

“In order for the plan to succeed, we must first introduce kahveh to the nobles, so I have no choice but to go and promote it myself.”

Realizing that he wouldn’t listen even if he tried to stop him, Pareddin bowed his head as if he couldn’t help it.

“First, I will inform the Archduchy of Austria of your visit. If they don’t want to fight a war with the Ottomans, they will guarantee the prince’s safety as much as possible.”

“Yes, please do. I need to write a letter to my father. I need his permission to get kahveh cheaply.”

Kasim picked up a quill and stationery.

***

Yusuf, who received the letter from Kasim, twisted his lips.

“A cunning fellow.”

One of the routes through which the Padishah’s direct intelligence agency, led by Hasan, obtained information was coffee houses, which corresponded to cafes in modern times.

However, even knowing this, it wasn’t easy to come up with the idea of using it in the same way, and the contents of the letter were not simply copying.

‘To make coffee houses a social gathering place for noble men and women… It’s an idea that would be hard to imagine if it weren’t for Kasim.’

Just as a peacock spreads its colorful tail feathers to be chosen by a female, men tend to become more talkative in order to impress women.

This idea could not have emerged if he did not know this tendency, and this showed Kasim’s strengths intact.

It is an idea that Mehmed, who has an excellent mind but is poor at understanding people, or Murat, who thinks that fists are more comfortable than conversation, could never have come up with.

Moreover, this was even more true in a society like the Ottoman Empire, where the upper class lived a life clearly separated between men and women, and usually had arranged marriages without even seeing each other’s faces once.

It was literally a thought that was possible because Kasim was deeply interested in male-female relationships.

“Who is the letter from that makes you like that?”

“It’s a letter from Kasim. He’s having a thought like himself.”

Yusuf, who lightly answered Hürrem, folded the letter and put it in his arms.

He could invest as much as he wanted in supplying coffee cheaply and supporting the capital to open coffee houses.

Of course, he would be disappointed in Kasim if the results did not meet the investment.

Yusuf, who took his eyes off the letter, looked down at Orhan, the fifth prince born between Hürrem and himself, who was wriggling in his arms.

“As expected, children seem to grow a lot in the meantime. Are there any other problems?”

“Princess Hasna takes good care of Orhan, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

At Hürrem’s words, Yusuf tilted his head slightly, and Hasna, who received his gaze, smiled gracefully.

The standards of beauty vary depending on the region and era, but a snow-white face, a symbol of a noble woman who has not suffered, was also a symbol of beauty in Islam.

It is argued that the first veils to cover the face, like the niqab [face veil], were used to prevent the face from tanning.

Currently, in the Ottoman Empire, veils that are inconvenient to work with were a symbol of the upper class, so it was natural to prefer white faces.

From this point of view, Hasna was a perfect beauty.

Her snow-white face and sparkling green eyes reminded him of the beauties of Circassia, and the royal etiquette that was ingrained in her body since she was born a princess further enhanced her dignity.

It was no coincidence that high-ranking officials who heard the rumors continued to ask Yusuf to marry Hasna off to them.

‘Old geezers.’

Ottoman princesses have traditionally married high-ranking officials, but those who rise to high-ranking positions are usually over 40 years old.

It meant that it was not uncommon for a princess in her 20s to marry a high-ranking official in his 50s, but there was no need to make such a choice unless Hasna wanted it.

Hasna was helpful enough even if she remained a princess without getting married.

“I heard you’ve been busy lately, but I didn’t know you were even taking care of Orhan.”

“What’s so difficult about meeting and talking with wives? It’s fun to spend time with a younger sibling I haven’t seen in a long time.”

“If that’s the case, it doesn’t matter, but don’t overdo it. There’s also the matter of the West.”

Jean de la Forêt, who had been sent as an envoy to Lajos II from France, had settled in the capital as the Ottoman ambassador, and Western nobles were also visiting the Ottoman Empire.

Among them were noble ladies, and Hasna was mainly in charge of meeting these people.

She played a role in thoroughly influencing the minds of noble ladies with Ottoman culture with her high charm, so her importance was by no means small.

“I will keep that in mind, Father.”

“Yes, I’m sure you’ll do well on your own.”

While chatting lightly in the harem [private living quarters reserved for women], the voice of a eunuch was heard from outside.

-Padishah, Prince Mustafa is waiting in the palace.

Princes could only stay in the harem until puberty, so Mustafa could not enter the harem, and Yusuf got up from his seat at the word that Mustafa was waiting.

The fact that Mustafa, who had not been seen for a while, had come to visit meant that he had found the answer to the problem he had given.

Yusuf, who handed Orhan, who was trying not to fall, into Hasna’s arms, returned to Topkapi Palace, where Tazlu and Mustafa were waiting.

“Mustafa, have you decided which Sanjakbey to go to?”

“I want to go to Basra.”

“Basra, huh.”

Basra was a port city in the Persian Gulf, and it had prospered with Baghdad since ancient times.

Basra’s light as a trading port had faded as the canal was opened, but it had the advantage of being easy to reach the Indian Ocean.

“You haven’t given up on your dream of going to the sea.”

“I didn’t think there was any reason to give up.”

Basra was the right choice to satisfy both the dream of going to the sea and the duty as Sanjakbey.

‘If he ends up choosing Basra, it’s only half the answer.’

Yusuf asked coldly.

“It’s good that you chose Basra, but do you think you can properly perform your duties as Sanjakbey there? That place is where Tazlu’s power does not properly reach.”

“I know. I mean that there is a Shiite government that has been established there for a long time.”

In the original history, those who ruled Basra even dragged in Portugal to escape from Safavid’s arms.

They were still obedient in Ottoman’s arms, but they were not so easy to follow the prince who became Sanjakbey.

“Then how do you plan to solve that problem?”

“I’m going to make it profitable for them to follow me.”

Yusuf raised the corners of his mouth at Mustafa’s words.

“How so?”

“I’m going to get investments. I heard that merchants these days are raising capital to purchase ships for trade.”

It cost a lot to purchase a single ship, and considering the risk of sinking, purchasing a ship was close to gambling.

In order to reduce this risk, the number of cases in which contracts were made to divide the capital required for trade and divide the profits by proportion increased.

“They are people who cannot get permission to pass through the canal without my help. They will follow me even for money.”

“Is that the end?”

“No. I’m going to increase the scale further. I’m also going to get investments from the Kurds and Armenians who are influenced by my mother.”

It was a clever idea.

Currently, they were connected through Tazlu, but the bond would be broken at any time if Tazlu died.

However, if they were connected by money, the bond would be stronger, and it was an option that was enough to turn Tazlu’s heart around.

Yusuf looked at Tazlu, who was smiling slightly.

“Tazlu, is that your idea?”

“No. Mustafa thought of it.”

Mustafa, who received Yusuf’s gaze, bowed his head.

“That’s the answer. I’ll prepare your place in Basra.”

Mustafa, who thought of a joint-stock company like the East India Company, deserved praise.