The Sultan’s Reputation for Cowardice
Abdul Hamid II, who was the Sultan of Turkey and turned sixty years old in September 1902, had a reputation as a great coward. People said he was so afraid that he did not dare leave his country palace or even show himself in his own capital city of Constantinople. Whether this reputation was fair or not, it was clear that he lived in constant fear for his life.
Extraordinary Security Measures
The most unusual and extreme safety precautions were taken to protect the Sultan at all times. He refused to leave the safe isolation of Yildiz Park, which was located about two miles outside the gates of Constantinople. This palace complex was surrounded by not just one wall, but a double wall for extra protection Political Conspiracies and Power Struggles in Ottoman Turkey.
The Heavily Guarded Route
The road from the palace to the Bosphorus (the waterway near Constantinople) ran between these protective walls. Every single inch of this route was carefully guarded from the gates of the park all the way to the wharf on the Bosphorus. This meant that armed guards were stationed along the entire path to ensure the Sultan’s safety during his rare trips outside the palace.
The Sultan’s One Annual Journey
Only once a year did the Sultan venture outside his secure palace. On this single occasion, he would take a state barge and be rowed across the water to the Seraglio, which was another palace complex. This journey was not for pleasure but for a religious duty that he could not avoid.
A Religious Obligation He Cannot Ignore
The Sultan made this dangerous trip to perform a religious obligation required by his Islamic faith. He had to worship the holy mantle of the Prophet Mohammed on the anniversary of the Prophet’s death. This act was absolutely required of him as the leader of the Muslim faith. If he failed to perform this religious duty, the entire Islamic religious community would rise up against him and challenge his authority.
Forced to Face His Fears
Because this religious ceremony was mandatory, the Sultan was compelled to suppress his fears and appear before the public at least once a year. However, even during this religious observance, security was extremely tight. It would have been impossible for any outsider to get anywhere near him unless they were highly recommended and their identity was thoroughly checked and verified Ephesus Sightseeing Tours.
The Ministers’ Role in His Isolation
Some people believed that the Sultan’s cowardice was actually encouraged and cultivated by his ministers and other men who surrounded him in government. These advisors found it to their personal advantage to prevent him from traveling abroad or meeting with foreign dignitaries. By keeping him isolated, they could maintain their own power and influence.
Control Through Isolation
These ministers and advisors kept the Sultan locked away in the Yildiz Kiosk (palace) where they could control his surroundings completely. They made sure he could not receive any information that would damage their reputations or reveal their mistakes and corruption. This isolation allowed them to filter all news and information that reached the Sultan, giving them enormous power behind the scenes.
The Deadly History of Ottoman Sultans
At the same time, there was no doubt that the Sultan had good reasons to fear for his life. He constantly kept in mind the terrible fact that many of the twenty-seven previous Padishahs (Sultans) who had ruled at Constantinople were believed to have died by violence. This meant that more than half of his predecessors had been murdered, often by their own subjects or government officials.
Failed Attempts to Escape Death
Several previous Sultans had tried to save their lives by giving up their throne voluntarily, a process called abdication. They hoped that by stepping down from power, they could live peacefully as private citizens. However, once they abdicated, the public never saw them again. This suggested that even former Sultans who gave up power were still killed, making Abdul Hamid II’s fears seem quite reasonable.
Living Under Constant Threat
Given this bloody history, it becomes easier to understand why Sultan Abdul Hamid II lived in such fear and took such extreme precautions. He knew that being Sultan meant living under the constant threat of assassination, and he had seen what happened to many of his predecessors who had tried to rule the Ottoman Empire before him.
