His Imperial Majesty Sultan Abdülhamid II

The Gilded Cage on the Bosphorus

The Ottomans : The Story of a Family

Thank you to everyone who either commented or sent me a message in response to the question I posed at the end of my previous post. It seems that you are all more interested in the characters of the book rather than in the themes running through the story, so I will continue to make my introductions. The votes ended in a tie between my main antagonist, Murad’s younger brother Sultan Abdülhamid II, and Murad’s two grandsons and five granddaughters. As this week marks the 102nd anniversary of Sultan Abdülhamid’s death on 10th February 1918, I felt it would be appropriate to write something about my great-great-great uncle.

Libraries and bookshops are filled with books written about Sultan Abdülhamid II. Many academic, expertly-researched and highly acclaimed studies have been done on the complexities of Abdülhamid’s character, on the nature of his reforms and policies, and on the extent of his success as a ruler. This short post could never attempt to do justice to these fascinating topics. So what can I possibly write that might be new and interesting?

You might also ask a different question. Can a Muradiye princess restrain her personal feelings sufficiently to present a balanced view of the man who deposed her great-great-great grandfather, usurped his throne and then held him and other members of her family in enforced confinement for nearly thirty years? Perhaps it is unfair to expect me to do so? What I will say in answer to that is that I do not wish to disrespect Sultan Abdülhamid II, or offend my Hamidian cousins. However, every story needs an antagonist, and mine happens to be Abdülhamid! So, I will present some facts, make a few observations, and then ask that you try to understand and excuse any bias you may detect…

Childhood

Abdülhamid was born in the Old Çırağan Palace on 22nd September 1842. In the same palace and on the same day as his elder brother Murad, but two years later.

He was the second son of Sultan Abdülmecid and the only son of his fourth consort, the Lady Tirimüjgân. She sadly died of tuberculosis when Abdülhamid was only 10 years old.

His father then appointed his beloved consort, the Lady Perestû, to be Abdülhamid’s adoptive mother. She had no children of her own and devoted herself to the little prince. Abdülhamid adored the Lady Perestû, and honoured her with the title of Valide Sultan when he ascended the throne. She would be the last Valide Sultan – mother of the Sultan – to rule over the Imperial Ottoman harem.

Two Brothers in Europe : 1867

My book begins in October 1903, but there are a number of flashbacks to the summer of 1867. This was the summer that Murad and Abdülhamid accompanied their uncle, Sultan Abdülaziz, to Europe on his state visit. These flashbacks give an insight into the differences in the characters of the two brothers, and the relationship that I imagine existed between them.

My impression is that like Sultan Abdülaziz, Abdülhamid felt a little jealous of his elder brother. This manifested itself during this trip to the royal courts of Europe and was remarked upon at the time.

Obviously Murad was the Crown Prince, and as heir to the Ottoman throne it was natural that he attracted more attention than Abdülhamid. But, Murad was also more handsome, more charming and more charismatic than his younger brother. He struck up conversations more easily. And he openly enjoyed all the receptions and festivities that were organised in their honour. Abdülhamid, on the other hand, felt uncomfortable and awkward at such occasions. He disapproved of Murad’s behaviour and signs of tension between the two brothers began to appear.

Two Brothers in İstanbul : 1903 – 1905

Obviously, by 1903 the brothers’ roles had been somewhat reversed. Murad had become the invisible prince, while Abdülhamid was the one in the limelight. I get the sense that Abdülhamid continually wrestled with his conscience because of this. He knew he was not the rightful sultan. And he knew he never could be as long as Murad was alive. In fact, he considered executing his brother a number of times in order to remove the threat he posed to the throne. He was even granted a fatwa from the Sheikh ul-Islam authorising Murad’s execution. However, when it came to it, he could not bring himself to issue the order and never acted upon the fatwa. It remained securely hidden in a drawer, under lock and key.

Instead Abdülhamid chose to do all he could to make the world forget about Sultan Murad V. He hoped that the memory of his popular elder brother would fade in the hearts of his people. And he prayed that Murad would not be used as a pawn against him by the opposition groups. Yet the threat remained… As Abdülhamid got older, his paranoia got worse. He saw the assassin’s blade in every shadow; the anarchist’s bomb round every corner. Ironically, in many ways he became as much a prisoner as his brother – afraid to leave the security of Yıldız, a prisoner of his own fears.

Murad’s Death 1904

And then, in the summer of 1904, Murad died. Abdülhamid finally ruled as the rightful sultan. The fact that Murad died a natural death, and did not die in mysterious circumstances tells us something very important about Abdülhamid. It had been Murad’s greatest fear that following his deposition he would be surreptitiously murdered, as his uncle Sultan Abdülaziz had been. But Abdülhamid had shown his brother mercy. For this reason, he will always have my respect and gratitude.

I believe that Abdülhamid was a true Machiavellian prince. The end justified the means in his mind… He simply believed that Murad was not mentally strong enough to rule the Empire at such a critical period in history. He felt that only he was capable of making the difficult and ruthless decisions needed at the time. Maybe he was right. I have included a scene in the story where Abdülhamid is alone for a moment with Selahaddin and Nihad. I find it deeply moving. He whispers to his nephews: “All I have done, I have done for the greater good of the Empire. Never believe for one moment that I did not love my brother.” This is how I like to believe Abdülhamid felt towards Murad.

Abdülhamid : A Sultan who Divides Opinion

Praise of Abdülhamid

There is no question that Sultan Abdülhamid II ruled over the Ottoman Empire at an incredibly challenging time. There is also no doubt that he was a highly intelligent man who played the game of politics most expertly. During the course of his reign, he cleverly pitted his enemies against each other and largely succeeded in maintaining the precarious balance of power which ensured the survival of the Ottoman Empire into the twentieth century.

He continued the traditions of the Tanzimat in many areas, particularly in the field of education. Hundreds of schools were built throughout the Empire – primary and secondary schools, as well as many military schools, technical academies and a university. Abdülhamid also invested heavily in hospitals, factories, the telegraph network and in the railways. Most notably in the Hejaz Railway. He reduced the monstrously high foreign debt and enacted a wide range of successful economic reforms.

Perhaps his greatest achievement was providing a political focus to the Islamic world through his policy of Pan-Islamism. As the Caliph of Islam, he stood proudly as the defender and protector of the faithful. In this capacity he actively offered all Moslems leadership, guidance and unity in religious, political, and cultural matters. The abolition of the Caliphate in 1924 left the Islamic world without this leadership, guidance and unity – the repercussions of which continue to be felt across the world today… The importance of this role should therefore never be underestimated.

I most certainly admire Abdülhamid’s infinite skill, his great vision, his huge capacity for work, and I admire his unswerving dedication to the Empire. But….

Criticism of Abdülhamid

Obviously my greatest criticism of Abdülhamid is that he betrayed his brother, stole his throne and then imprisoned Murad and his family in the Çırağan Palace. But I think you are aware of my feelings on this already!!

Another major criticism I have is that Abdülhamid prorogued Parliament barely a year after the first constitution was proclaimed. He was intent on centralising power and holding the reins of government in his own hands. He enforced a strict censorship of the press and would not tolerate any form of criticism or opposition. Perhaps he felt that this was the only way to push through the dramatic programme of reform that he knew was essential for the Empire to survive. Perhaps he did not feel that the Empire was ready for a liberal government and a constitutional sultanate. Or perhaps he simply enjoyed the feeling of absolute power. Whatever the reason, it gave the Western Powers an excuse to interfere in Ottoman affairs, and this had dire consequences for the Empire and the Dynasty.

Finally, vast swathes of Ottoman territory were lost during the reign of Abdülhamid. More than at any other time up to that point in the history of the Ottoman Empire. Land in the Caucasus was ceded to Russia. Thessaly was ceded to Greece. Britain occupied Egypt, Sudan, Somalia and Cyprus, while Tunisia became a French protectorate. Bulgaria and Crete became autonomous, and Montenegro and Serbia gained independence. In addition, the covetous eyes of the Western Powers were fixed firmly on our sacred, strategically placed and oil-rich lands. Despite all his skill in the subtleties of political diplomacy, Abdülhamid was unable to prevent western infiltration taking root in the Holy Land and in Mesopotamia. In this, he was only able to delay what was perhaps inevitable…

In Conclusion

I believe that in 1876 the Ottoman Empire was ready to embrace a liberal constitutional government – one that Murad V would have introduced and nurtured if given the chance. The Empire had extremely able men and a very willing Sultan which would have ensured its success. If only Abdülhamid had agreed to act as regent, at least for a period of time long enough to determine whether or not Murad’s health would recover. But he refused and insisted on being girded with the sword of Osman. Incidentally, Murad regained his strength and faculties only a couple of months after he was deposed, as his original doctor had always predicted.

I cannot help but wonder what might have happened if Abdülhamid had been more patient? If he had acted as regent for the months Murad was incapacitated, and then succeeded him on his death, as would have been the natural order of things, could he have prevented the Ottoman Empire from becoming embroiled in WWI? Would Abdülhamid’s policy of pacification, preserving neutrality and his determination to avoid getting entangled in European politics have encouraged the Empire to take a different path? We will never know. But just imagine how different the course of history would have been…