Ottoman Succession
I have read about empires that collapsed not because of weak armies but because of poor administration. It doesn’t really matter if a king is born into a great dynasty and keeps expanding the borders of his empire. What truly matters is how he builds his system of rule, because that is what shapes the future legacy of the empire.
When you look at the state of administration before Philip II, Macedonia was in complete disorder. But Philip brought stability. He introduced a system that gave structure to the kingdom, and that turned out to be a stroke of luck for Alexander the Great.
The Ottoman Empire continued to grow even after the death of Mehmed Fatih. Mehmed had faced many challenges in his time, and one of the most brutal among them was the Wallachian ruler Vlad the Impaler. Vlad didn’t just fight Mehmed with military tactics, but he also used psychological warfare to shake his ground.
If you want to read more about this and understand it in depth, I truly recommend The Ottoman Caesar written by Mundus Gnosis. Just give it a try, and you’ll see why I said it’s one of the best.
The Origin of Ottoman Succession Laws
The Ottoman succession system was built around power, practicality, and survival. Unlike European monarchies where the eldest son usually became king, the early Ottomans had no fixed rule, and any male from the royal family could claim the throne. This often led to violent struggles, and many of them ended in civil war or the killing of brothers.
By the 15th century, this chaos forced Mehmed II to make a tough but strategic decision. He introduced a law that allowed the new sultan to execute his brothers if it was seen as necessary for the good of the empire. The idea was to stop internal conflict before it even began. Successions became a race, and the prince who reached the capital first with enough military support usually became sultan.
To prepare for ruling, princes were sent to govern provinces while their fathers were still alive. This gave them experience and their own armies, but it also made them rivals. Sultans often feared their own sons or brothers, and some were executed just because they were seen as a threat.
As time passed, people began to speak out against these killings. When Mehmed III ordered the execution of several young princes, the public reaction was so strong that the empire slowly moved away from this practice. By the 17th century, the Ottomans shifted to a seniority system, and the oldest surviving male became the next ruler even if he was not the most capable or experienced.
This system, shaped by strategy and fear, showed how the Ottomans handled one of the hardest questions any empire has to answer, and that is who should rule next.
How Mehmed Trained His Heirs for Power
Following Ottoman tradition, each prince was sent to govern a province, usually with a group of advisors and tutors, just to give them a clear perspective on how to lead small-scale armies and manage city administration.
At the same time, their education was intense. They studied religious texts like the Quran and hadith, and they also learned about philosophy, history, law, math, geography, and literature. They became fluent in Arabic, Persian, and Turkish. Physical training was just as important, and they practiced archery, horseback riding, wrestling, and weapons, learning how to lead in battle and guide during peace.
This mix of education in books, politics, and war helped prepare them for the huge responsibility that waited ahead. But it also came with pressure. Since only one son could become sultan, these well-trained princes became rivals. Their education was not just about learning—it was also about surviving.
Was It Enough? The Legacy of Mehmed’s Empire After His Death
After Mehmed II’s death in 1481, the Ottoman Empire was vast and powerful, but it was not without problems. His reign had pushed the empire’s borders further, taken Constantinople, and turned the state into a more centralized power. But that same central control, along with years of war and heavy spending, left behind challenges that his successors had to face right away.
Mehmed’s financial policies, like forced land takeovers and tax-farming, caused unrest among both the ruling elite and the common people. His death led to a struggle between his sons, Bayezid and Cem. Cem’s exile and the political tension that followed showed how fragile the dynasty could be from within.
Even with these problems, the foundation Mehmed left behind stayed firm. Some of his dreams, like conquering Italy, never came true, but his title as the “Conqueror” stayed with him.
In the end, Mehmed’s empire was not perfect, but it was strong enough to survive what came after him. His true legacy was not just in the lands he claimed, but in the system he built. The real test of his empire came after his death… and it passed.
To truly understand the mind behind this transformation and the battles that shaped his rule, dive into The Ottoman Caesar by Mundus Gnosis. This book doesn’t just tell history because it places you right at the center of the empire’s most defining moments. If you want to see how power is built, and how it is tested, and how it is remembered, then this is the story you need to read.
