Istanbul, which was conquered by Mehmed the Conqueror, was the capital city of the Ottoman Empire. Mehmed the Conqueror's eldest son, who succeeded him, was Sultan Bayezid II. He was born in 1452 in Dimetoka, to his mother Gülbahar Hatun. He is known as the 8th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire.
Although the spelling of his name may vary (Beyazıt, Bayezit, etc.), in Ottoman sources, it is recorded as Bayezid.
During his time as a prince, at the age of 7, he was sent to the Amasya Province where he received excellent education. Prince Bayezid was groomed to become a Sultan. He served as the Governor of Amasya for 27 years. He also participated in the Battle of Otlukbeyli in 1473.
The Cem Sultan Incident:
After the death of his father, Mehmed the Conqueror, Sultan Bayezid II (May 22, 1481) entered into a power struggle with his brother Cem Sultan. Cem Sultan did not recognize Bayezid's reign and immediately rebelled in Inegöl, Bursa, defeating Bayezid's army. Cem Sultan wanted an empire where he ruled in Anatolia, while Bayezid ruled in Istanbul and Rumelia - an equal division. Sultan Bayezid and the prominent figures of the state categorically rejected this. Cem Sultan took control of Bursa, had sermons read in his name, and minted coins. This situation pleased the Europeans greatly. There were now two claimants in the Ottoman Empire, and it was on the verge of division. European states and the Mamluks started supporting Cem Sultan.
However, Sultan Bayezid sent a better-prepared army to Bursa in June 1481. In the Battle of Yenişehir, Cem Sultan was defeated and retreated to Konya. Later, he went to Cairo upon the invitation of the Mamluk Sultan through Tarsus. There, Sultan Bayezid offered him a ransom of 1 million akçes in exchange for the throne, but it was not accepted. Cem Sultan besieged the city of Konya on May 27, 1482, but the Ottoman Army defeated him in Akşehir, and Cem fled to Ankara. Shortly after, he sought refuge with the Knights of Rhodes, accompanied by about 30 men. Cem Sultan attempted to ally with the Knights of Rhodes and start a rebellion but ended up being captured and handed over to the Pope. He later became a valuable hostage in the hands of the Pope and then the King of France, and he passed away in 1495.
Despite all these rebellious actions, Sultan Bayezid eventually negotiated and, after four years, took custody of Cem Sultan's remains. He was buried in Bursa. When Cem Sultan passed away, Sultan Bayezid declared three days of mourning and distributed plenty of alms to forgive the deceased's sins.
Reign:
Sultan Bayezid II pursued a policy of balance, anticipating that European armies would unite to reclaim Istanbul. Furthermore, due to his brother being held captive by the Pope, Ottoman expansion into Europe was halted until the death of Cem Sultan in 1495. In fact, he lost Otranto Castle (Italy), which his father had acquired, early in his reign because of this.
Nevertheless, Kili and Akkirman fortresses were captured, uniting Ottoman territories with Crimea. The capture of Akkerman Castle in particular was significant (1484). Despite three sieges by his predecessors, Sultan Bayezid managed to conquer Akkerman Castle. In this campaign, he supported and joined forces with the Crimean Khan Mengli Giray.
The defeat of Cem Sultan and the conquest of Inebahti in battles against the Venetians are significant victories. Following these battles, the Kingdom of Venice was forced to cede all its colonies in the Balkans to the Ottoman Empire. The Battle of Sapienza during this period marked the first naval victory for the Ottoman Empire on the open sea (1499). In 1498, a major campaign was launched against Poland, reaching the city of Jaroslaw with a 40,000-strong raiding party. This campaign is recorded as the largest raiding campaign in Ottoman history. In 1502, the Treaty of Constantinople was signed with Venice after the latter sought peace, marking a halt to expeditions westward until Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent's campaign to Belgrade in 1521.
While the Ottomans conducted expeditions through raiders in Bosnia and the Morea peninsula in the west, Anatolia was restless. The Shahkulu rebellion incited by Shah Ismail was barely suppressed.
Furthermore, the war that began in 1485 with the Mamluks over the Cukurova and Adana regions lasted for six years. When no decisive advantage was gained in the war that persisted without direct confrontation between the two armies, peace was established.
In 1501, the Karamanid principality initiated its last rebellion but failed to gain any traction. Following the clash, Karamanid Mustafa Bey sought refuge with the Mamluks, where he was subsequently killed by them. The Mamluk Sultan, not wanting to sour relations with the Ottomans, eliminated Karamanid Mustafa Bey in Cairo.
Sultan Bayezid II was known for his calm and devout nature. Like his father, Mehmed the Conqueror, he did not engage in constant warfare, and the grand battles of old were like dreams during Bayezid II's rule. For this reason, his sons sought to be more assertive in their reigns, taking advantage of the situation and engaging in struggles for the throne. His younger son, Prince Selim, who was the Governor of Trabzon, rebelled against his father, Sultan Bayezid. Selim perceived an Iranian threat in the east and believed that his father was inadequate.
Sultan Bayezid's Death:
With the support of the soldiers, Trabzon Governor Selim (Yavuz Sultan Selim) became a hero in the eyes of the troops, and Sultan Bayezid II was forced to abdicate. Sultan Bayezid II, whose 31-year reign came to an end, wished to spend the remainder of his life in peace at his palace in Dimetoka. However, he suddenly passed away near Çorlu on the road. (May 26, 1512) Although there have been rumors that his son Yavuz Sultan Selim or Prince Ahmed poisoned him, there is no factual basis for such claims. These rumors are considered to be part of the propaganda spread during the power struggle among the princes of that time. Ottoman sources state that Sultan, who was already saddened by the events of that period, succumbed to an exacerbated illness, which is the recorded cause of his death.
Little-Known Facts about Sultan Bayezid II:
Bayezid II was known for his piety, earning him nicknames like "Sufi" or "Veli" (both terms denote spiritual figures). In 1492, during the Belgrade campaign, he survived an assassination attempt by a Shi'ite assassin. He was known for supporting and protecting scholars and artists as
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