Became The Sultan Of The Ottoman Empire [EN]: Chapter 213

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

Yusuf the Great (1489~1589)

The Great Padishah, the greatest emperor in human history, prophet, protector of Islam, protector of Christianity (a point of contention for some), invincible emperor, father of all subjects… (omitted)

As the Padishah who forged the Ottoman Empire into the largest empire in human history, this book will focus on the details students find interesting, rather than his numerous achievements, which already make up half of their history exams.

Controversy over Exploitation of Officials.

A recurring debate when discussing Yusuf the Great is the claim that 16th-century officials often worked 100-hour weeks. Some historians argue that even the provision of coffee was intended as a means of exploitation.

However, Yusuf the Great himself worked intensely due to a shortage of manpower, and providing expensive coffee and red ginseng should be viewed as a form of welfare.

The cases of Grand Vizier Shemsi and his son, Grand Vizier Ilhan, whose resignations were rejected dozens of times, are considered attempts to quell their dissatisfaction with their extended tenures.

Relationship with Charles V.

Charles V, who presided over a dark age in Spain, was in many ways the antithesis of Yusuf the Great.

It is said that Charles V’s final defeat occurred when Yusuf the Great personally crossed the Atlantic to liberate the indigenous peoples of the Americas. Charles V reportedly died of shock upon hearing the news.

Princess Hasna.

The Great Emperor’s only daughter, so beautiful that Michelangelo, the Great Emperor’s artist, lamented that he could only capture her likeness in a mere painting, unable to find stone worthy of her appearance.

Yusuf the Great’s family portrait is not displayed publicly because her beauty was believed capable of unsettling the hearts of the people. Those who were granted a viewing after making significant contributions all concurred.

The fact that Ivan IV finally succeeded in marrying her in Constantinople [modern-day Istanbul] after courting her for 10 years remains famous as the love story of the century.

(Omitted)

Lastly, there is this prophecy among those attributed to Nostradamus, the famed European prophet (Francois II, upon hearing the news of the marriage between Ivan IV and Princess Hasna, was enraged and permanently exiled Nostradamus from France).

“When the great tree is about to fall, the giant will rise again.” The Sufis of Osman, who revere Yusuf the Great, believe that the giant in the prophecy is Yusuf the Great.

The author believes that the primary reason Yusuf the Great is considered the greatest emperor is not because he created an empire where the sun never sets, but because at its core, he possessed a heart that loved his people.

※This book was written with the support of the Ottoman dynasty.

***

Yusuf II (1592~1655)

Angry people shouted, smashing the looms that made cloth.

“If Yusuf the Great were here, he would never have tolerated these machines that steal the jobs of the people!”

“That’s right! It’s an outrage!”

This was a backlash from workers who believed they were losing their jobs due to the industrial revolution that began in the late 16th century, and it spread rapidly to other countries where wages were much lower than in Osman.

In response to the workers’ unrest, Yusuf II quelled the uprising by announcing a large-scale railway project to create jobs and a minimum wage to prevent rampant exploitation.

This decision accelerated the development of trains, which were still in their early stages, and expanded the living area of the Ottomans. According to some accounts, this solution was found in a book left to posterity by Yusuf the Great.

Yusuf III (1676~1760)

It was a time of global tragedy.

“How long must we live under the thumb of the Ottoman Empire?! The Panama Canal they control was originally ours, Spain!”

“The two canals of the Ottoman Empire must now be used for the benefit of the entire world!”

“Their long-time allies, the Mughal Empire, France, and Venice, have also agreed to join us.”

This marked the formation of the Anti-Ottoman Alliance and the beginning of the World War.

The war between the Anti-Ottoman Alliance and the Ottoman Empire escalated into a larger conflict involving the Tsardom of Rus [Russia] and the Qing Dynasty [China], Ottoman’s allies. After 20 years, victory ultimately went to the Ottoman side.

The Anti-Ottoman Alliance, unable to withstand the mounting losses, had no choice but to declare defeat and cede substantial reparations and key strongholds.

However, the protracted war was a Pyrrhic victory [a victory that inflicts such a devastating toll on the victor that it is tantamount to defeat] for Osman, and it paved the way for Osman to evolve into a federal state.

***

The death of Padishah Batur IV of the Ottoman Federation, which occurred as the wounds of war were beginning to heal, was sudden and unexpected.

Padishah Yusuf IV, his successor, was only 7 years old.

Due to the Padishah’s youth, a regency was established, and Osman quickly became mired in corruption.

As a result, the lives of the people grew increasingly difficult, and fissures began to appear throughout Osman.

“Everyone! Look at our starving children! The era of the great Padishahs is over! We, too, must now govern our country directly, like the Europeans!”

The defeat in the World War had ignited a wave of revolution across Europe, leading to the execution or forced abdication of many monarchs, their places taken by parliaments.

As the Ottoman dynasty weakened, this revolutionary fervor spread to Osman.

“Since when has our nation been Ottoman?! Look back on the glorious history of Athens. We are not Ottomans, but Greeks!”

The Europeans, who had keenly felt the power of Osman due to their defeat in the World War, opted for a different strategy than outright war: inciting nationalism to fracture the empire.

As the tyranny intensified, the winds of revolution shook the empire, and the boy at the eye of the storm opened his eyes.

“What a mess.”

A chillingly cold voice echoed in the wide, empty space.

The boy, whose hands were still small, as if he hadn’t finished growing, clenched and unclenched his fists a few times and stood up.

The boy, looking down at a gun that was more than 200 years old and now only found in museums, twisted his lips.

“You idiot. If you were going to commit suicide, you should have removed the ramrod. To think that such a guy is a descendant.”

Yusuf, having removed the rod stuck in the muzzle, slung the gun over his shoulder.

The gun that his father-in-law, Tahir, had made for him when he was a prince seemed to have been meticulously maintained as a relic of Yusuf the Great for all this time.

‘More absurd than that.’

He had always believed that incompetent descendants were better off dead since he was young, but he never imagined he would become that incompetent guy.

Yusuf slowly reflected on the years that had passed.

He wasn’t disappointed that America, Africa, and Australia were bound together in a loose federation.

If it was for the good of the people, it was the right thing to do.

“But now the empire is no longer an empire for the people.”

Yusuf spat out coldly, then turned and left the room, where access was strictly controlled, heading towards the place where the relics of Yusuf the Great were kept.

When the Padishah, carrying an old-fashioned gun on his shoulder, emerged, the Janissary guards [elite Ottoman soldiers] were taken aback.

“…Padishah?”

“Follow me.”

The Janissaries involuntarily obeyed, drawn by a commanding voice that made them question if this was the same weak Padishah they had known.

He could see that the scenery of Topkapi Palace [a large museum in Istanbul, Turkey] and the clothes of the people had changed greatly over the years, but Yusuf paid it no mind.

He simply looked straight ahead and continued walking.

When Yusuf, who had been secluded in the Third Courtyard, appeared, people’s eyes followed him.

“What’s wrong with the Padishah?”

“…More than that, he’s different from usual?”

Instead of his usual timid steps, his powerful stride and clear eyes radiated a dignity that Yusuf IV had never possessed before.

The people, momentarily stunned by the Padishah’s transformation, were surprised when they realized where he was headed.

The door that burst open led to the Divan Council Hall [the Imperial Council of the Ottoman Empire], which the Padishah had never entered before.

A shrill voice could be heard through the sliding door.

“So, shouldn’t we just send troops to crush the insects that dare to crawl out of their holes! What’s so difficult about it that you’re making such a fuss… Oh, what brings the Padishah here?”

The Grand Vizier [the prime minister of the Ottoman Empire], who had been raising his voice irritably in front of the officials, was taken aback when Yusuf opened the door and entered.

The Grand Vizier, striding up to Yusuf, smiled ingratiatingly.

“Padishah, you don’t need to come here yet. If you have any questions, you can always ask me. Why did you trouble yourself to come all the way here? And isn’t that Yusuf the Great’s gun?!”

The Grand Vizier, noticing the gun Yusuf was carrying on his shoulder, said sternly.

“You must not handle the relics of Yusuf the Great carelessly, even if you are the Padishah. They are things that must be preserved for the sake of the eternally continuing empire. So give it to me now.”

“Grand Vizier.”

The Grand Vizier, who was reaching out his hand, realized that the Padishah’s demeanor was different from usual only after hearing his voice.

The corners of his mouth, twisted in sarcasm, and his green eyes, which shone frighteningly as if he could see through everything, were enough to make him shiver.

For a moment, a being he had only read about in old books came to mind.

‘He has Yusuf the Great’s eyes.’

The Grand Vizier’s back was drenched in cold sweat the moment this blasphemous thought crossed his mind.

“Why, why are you calling me? Padishah.”

“Am I truly the Padishah?”

“How can you say such a thing? You are the Padishah, the master of this Ottoman Empire.”

“I see.”

The Grand Vizier, slightly relieved by Yusuf’s nod, froze at the cold words that followed.

“But why didn’t you pay your respects? Who dares to look down on the master of this empire?”

Dangerous.

Yusuf was faster than the Grand Vizier, who was about to hastily pay his respects, spurred by an eerie instinct.

-Taang!

With a deafening roar that echoed through the interior of the building, the Grand Vizier, a hole in his head, collapsed.

Everyone was frozen in shock at what had happened so suddenly, but Yusuf, who had committed the act, calmly looked down at the gun, from which hot air was still rising.

“You waited well for a long time. You have completed your last mission wonderfully.”

The barrel of the gun, which had been waiting for its master for so long, was cracked in several places. Yusuf laid the gun on the corpse without any remorse.

Yusuf spoke in a commanding voice in the Divan building, where a terrible silence had fallen.

“Who does not pay respects before the master of this empire?”

At Yusuf’s words, everyone in the Divan building paid their respects in unison.

-We greet the Padishah!

As the deafening voice echoed through the building, the door of the Divan opened.

“Padishah, what is all this about?”

The Janissary Aga [commander of the Janissaries], dressed in ornate clothes, paid his respects with a confused expression.

The Grand Vizier, who had been running rampant without fear of anyone, was now a corpse, and the weak Padishah was calmly wiping the blood from his face.

Yusuf greeted the Janissary Aga, who was struggling to understand the situation.

“You’ve come just in time.”

Yusuf, standing in front of the Janissary Aga, lowered his head and whispered.

“I used the bullets and gunpowder you gave me well.”

Yusuf smirked at the Janissary Aga, who was trembling as if struck by lightning.

Where would a guy who had been holed up in the palace have gotten old gunpowder and bullets that even soldiers don’t use?

It meant that someone was manipulating him.

“Pa, Padishah, that is…”

“I believe that your actions were for the sake of the people of the empire, and I will not pursue the matter. But there will be no second time.”

Yusuf, staring intently into his trembling eyes, nodded in satisfaction and gave an order.

“Janissary Aga! Carry out the order!”

“Order me!”

“From now on, seal off the capital! Prevent even one insect from escaping. Change will begin here, at the heart of the empire.”

“I understand!”

Yusuf, hearing the Janissary’s loud reply, declared.

“From today, the empire will be great again.”

The giant has risen again.

This is the end of my Yusuf Chronicles.

The story that I started after researching the word Sultan for 5 days has come to an end.

I didn’t know anything about Osman except for the name before I wrote it, so I think there must have been many readers who were like that.

I think that the fact that this story, which was my first alternative history novel and was written while constantly researching, has come to an end despite its many shortcomings is thanks to the readers who have been reading it. Thank you.

Alternative history novels are so difficult that I regret the reckless challenge. I have come to respect the writers who write alternative history novels.

Anyway, my next work will be a little lighter than alternative history novels. If I come up with a good subject later, I may take on another reckless challenge.

I will say my last greeting in a slightly different way than usual.

Thank you for reading so far.