Mehmed VI Vahideddin ( ota, محمد سادس ''Meḥmed-i sâdis'' or ''Vaḥîdü'd-Dîn''; tr, VI. Mehmed or /; 14 January 1861 – 16 May 1926), also known as Şahbaba () among the
Osmanoğlu family
The Osmanoğlu family are the members of the historical Ottoman dynasty, House of Osman (the Ottoman dynasty), which was the namesake and sole ruling house of the Ottoman Empire from 1299 until the establishment of the Republic of Turkey in 192 ...
, was the
36th and last Sultan of the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
, reigning from 4 July 1918 until 1 November 1922, when the
Ottoman Empire was dissolved after World War I and replaced by the
Republic of Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
on 29 October 1923.
The brother of
Mehmed V
Mehmed V Reşâd ( ota, محمد خامس, Meḥmed-i ḫâmis; tr, V. Mehmed or ; 2 November 1844 – 3 July 1918) reigned as the 35th and penultimate Ottoman Sultan (). He was the son of Sultan Abdulmejid I. He succeeded his half-brother ...
, he became heir to the throne in 1916, after the suicide of
Abdülaziz's son,
Şehzade Yusuf Izzeddin
Şehzade Yusuf Izzeddin ( ota, شهزادہ یوسف عزالدین; 29 September 1857 – 1 February 1916) was an Ottoman prince, the eldest son of Sultan Abdulaziz and his first wife Dürrünev Kadın.
Early life and education
Şehzade Yusuf ...
, as the eldest male member of the
House of Osman. He acceded to the throne after the death of Mehmed V. He was girded with the
Sword of Osman
The Sword of Osman ( ota, تقلیدِ سیف; tr, Osman'ın Kılıcı) was an important sword of state used during the enthronement ceremony ( tr, Kılıç alayı) of the sultans of the Ottoman Empire. This particular type of enthronement cerem ...
on 4 July 1918 as the thirty-sixth ''
padishah
Padishah ( fa, پادشاه; ; from Persian: r Old Persian: *">Old_Persian.html" ;"title="r Old Persian">r Old Persian: * 'master', and ''shāh'', 'king'), sometimes Romanization of Persian, romanised as padeshah or padshah ( fa, پادشاه; ...
''. His father was Sultan
Abdulmejid I
Abdulmejid I ( ota, عبد المجيد اول, ʿAbdü'l-Mecîd-i evvel, tr, I. Abdülmecid; 25 April 182325 June 1861) was the 31st Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and succeeded his father Mahmud II on 2 July 1839. His reign was notable for the ...
, and his mother was
Gülistu Kadın
Gülistü Kadin, called also Gülüstü Kadin, Gülistu Hanim or Gülüstu Hanim (; ota, کلستو خانم; "''rose in garden''" or "''above rose''"; born Princess Fatma Chachba; 1830 - 1861) was a consort of Sultan Abdulmejid I, and the mothe ...
(1830–1865). She was of
Georgian
Georgian may refer to:
Common meanings
* Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country)
** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group
** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians
**Georgian scripts, three scrip ...
-
Abkhazian origin, the daughter of Prince Tahir Bey Chachba, who was originally named Fatma Chachba. After her death, Mehmed was adopted by
Şayeste Hanım
ota, شائسته خانم
, birth_date = 1838
, birth_place =
, death_date =
, death_place = Çengelköy Palace, Constantinople (now Istanbul), Ottoman Empire
, burial_place = Şehzade Ahmed Kemaleddin Mausoleum, Yahya Efendi Cemet ...
.
Mehmed stepped down when the
Ottoman Sultanate was abolished in 1922 and the secular Republic of Turkey was created, with
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, or Mustafa Kemal Pasha until 1921, and Ghazi Mustafa Kemal from 1921 Surname Law (Turkey), until 1934 ( 1881 – 10 November 1938) was a Turkish Mareşal (Turkey), field marshal, Turkish National Movement, re ...
as the first president.
Early life and education
![1909 10 Resimli Kitab Vahdettin](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/1909_10_Resimli_Kitab_Vahdettin.jpg)
Mehmed VI was born at the
Dolmabahçe Palace
Dolmabahçe Palace ( tr, Dolmabahçe Sarayı, ) located in the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul, Turkey, on the European coast of the Bosporus strait, served as the main administrative center of the Ottoman Empire from 1856 to 1887 and from 1909 t ...
, in
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
, on 14 January 1861. Mehmed's father died when Mehmed was only five months old, and Mehmed's mother died when he was four years old. He was raised and taught by his step-mother
Şayeste Hanım
ota, شائسته خانم
, birth_date = 1838
, birth_place =
, death_date =
, death_place = Çengelköy Palace, Constantinople (now Istanbul), Ottoman Empire
, burial_place = Şehzade Ahmed Kemaleddin Mausoleum, Yahya Efendi Cemet ...
. He trained himself by taking lessons from private teachers and attending some of the lessons given at Fatih Madrasa.
The prince had a rough time with his overbearing stepmother, and at the age of 16 he left his stepmother's mansion with the three servants who had been serving him since childhood. He grew up with nannies, female servants, and tutors. During the thirty-three years of his brother Sultan
Abdul Hamid II
Abdülhamid or Abdul Hamid II ( ota, عبد الحميد ثانی, Abd ül-Hamid-i Sani; tr, II. Abdülhamid; 21 September 1842 10 February 1918) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 31 August 1876 to 27 April 1909, and the last sultan to ...
's reign he lived in the
Ottoman Imperial Harem
The Imperial Harem ( ota, حرم همايون, ) of the Ottoman Empire was the Ottoman sultan's harem – composed of the wives, servants (both female slaves and eunuchs), female relatives and the sultan's concubines – occupying a secluded ...
.
During his youth his closest friend was
Abdulmejid II
Abdulmejid II ( ota, عبد المجید ثانی, ʿAbdü'l-Mecîd-i sânî, tr, II. Abdülmecid, 29 May 1868 – 23 August 1944) was the last Caliph of the Ottoman Dynasty, the only Caliph of the Republic of Turkey, and nominally the 37 ...
, the son of his uncle, Sultan
Abdulaziz
Abdulaziz ( ota, عبد العزيز, ʿAbdü'l-ʿAzîz; tr, Abdülaziz; 8 February 18304 June 1876) was the 32nd List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and reigned from 25 June 1861 to 30 May 1876, when he was 187 ...
. In the years to come, however, the two cousins became unyielding rivals. Before moving to the
Feriye Palace
The Feriye Palace ( tr, Feriye Sarayı) is a complex of Ottoman imperial palace buildings along the European shoreline of the Bosphorus strait in Istanbul, Turkey. Currently, the buildings host educational institutions such as a high school and a ...
, the prince had lived briefly in the mansion in Çengelköy owned by
Şehzade Ahmed Kemaleddin
Şehzade Ahmed Kemaleddin ( ota, شهزادہ احمد کمالالدین; 16 July 1848 - 26 April 1905) was an Ottoman prince, son of Sultan Abdulmejid I and his seventh wife Verdicenan Kadın.
Early life
Şehzade Ahmed Kemaleddin was born on 1 ...
.
During the reign of Sultan Abdul Hamid, Mehmed was considered to be the Sultan's closest brother. In the years to come, when he ascended to the throne, this closeness would greatly influence his political attitudes, such as his intense dislike of the Young Turks and the
Union and Progress Party
The Committee of Union and Progress (CUP) ( ota, اتحاد و ترقى جمعيتی, translit=İttihad ve Terakki Cemiyeti, script=Arab), later the Union and Progress Party ( ota, اتحاد و ترقى فرقهسی, translit=İttihad ve Tera ...
, and his sympathy for the British.
Mehmed took private lessons. He read a great deal, and was interested in various subjects, including the arts, which was a tradition of the Ottoman family. He took courses in calligraphy and music and learned how to write in the naskh script and to play the
kanun.
Then he became interested in
Sufism
Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, r ...
and, unknown to the Palace, he followed courses at the madrasa of Fatih on Islamic jurisprudence, Islamic theology, interpretation of the
Quran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...
, and the Hadiths, as well as in Arabic and Persian. He attended the dervish lodge of Ahmed Ziyaüddin Gümüşhanevi, located not far from the Sublime Porte, where Ömer Ziyaüddin of Dagestan was the spiritual leader, and he became a disciple of the
Naqshbandi
The Naqshbandi ( fa, نقشبندی)), Neqshebendi ( ku, نهقشهبهندی), and Nakşibendi (in Turkish) is a major Sunni order of Sufism. Its name is derived from Baha-ud-Din Naqshband Bukhari. Naqshbandi masters trace their ...
order.
Reign
Mehmed succeeded to the throne after the death of his half-brother
Mehmed V
Mehmed V Reşâd ( ota, محمد خامس, Meḥmed-i ḫâmis; tr, V. Mehmed or ; 2 November 1844 – 3 July 1918) reigned as the 35th and penultimate Ottoman Sultan (). He was the son of Sultan Abdulmejid I. He succeeded his half-brother ...
, on 3 July 1918.
The
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
was a disaster for the Ottoman Empire. British and allied forces captured
Baghdad
Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...
,
Damascus
)), is an adjective which means "spacious".
, motto =
, image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg
, image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg
, seal_type = Seal
, map_caption =
, ...
, and
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
during the war, and most of the Ottoman Empire was divided amongst the European allies. At the
San Remo conference
The San Remo conference was an international meeting of the post-World War I Allied Supreme Council as an outgrowth of the Paris Peace Conference, held at Villa Devachan in Sanremo, Italy, from 19 to 26 April 1920. The San Remo Resolution pas ...
of April 1920, the
French were granted a mandate over
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
and the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
were granted one over
Palestine
__NOTOC__
Palestine may refer to:
* State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia
* Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia
* Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...
and
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the F ...
. On 10 August 1920, Mehmed's representatives signed the
Treaty of Sèvres
The Treaty of Sèvres (french: Traité de Sèvres) was a 1920 treaty signed between the Allies of World War I and the Ottoman Empire. The treaty ceded large parts of Ottoman territory to France, the United Kingdom, Greece and Italy, as well ...
, which recognised the mandates and recognised
Hejaz
The Hejaz (, also ; ar, ٱلْحِجَاز, al-Ḥijāz, lit=the Barrier, ) is a region in the west of Saudi Arabia. It includes the cities of Mecca, Medina, Jeddah, Tabuk, Yanbu, Taif, and Baljurashi. It is also known as the "Western Provin ...
as an independent state.
The Sultan requested the resignation of the Unionist government and assigned
Ahmed Tevfik Pasha to form the government. In the speech of the opening of the new legislative year of the parliament,
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...
said that he applied for peace according to his principles, that he wanted peace in accordance with the honour and dignity of the state, that he believed that the precious places of the homeland were not occupied, and that the army would begin heroically. Mustafa Kemal Pasha, who sent a telegram to the Sultan, asked the government to establish Ahmed Izzet Pasha and make him a
minister of Harbiye.The sultan assigned the task of forming the government to his son Ahmed Izzet Pasha.
The new government, consisting of members of the
Liberty and Accord Party, arrested the leaders of the Committee of Union and Progress, including one of the former grand viziers,
Said Halim Pasha
Mehmed Said Halim Pasha ( ota, سعيد حليم پاشا ; tr, Sait Halim Paşa; 18 or 28 January 1865 or 19 February 1864 – 6 December 1921) was an Ottoman statesman of Albanian originDanişmend (1971), p. 102 who served as Grand Vizier of ...
. The trial of
Boğazlıyan
Boğazlıyan is a town and district of Yozgat Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. Neighbouring districts are Sarıkaya on the north, Yenifakılı on the west, Çandır and Çayıralan
Çayıralan is a town and district of Yozgat ...
District Governor
Kemal Bey Kemal may refer to:
;People
* Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, a Turkish politician and the first president of Turkey
* Kemal (name), a common Turkish name
;Places
* Kemalpaşa, İzmir Province, Turkey
* Mustafakemalpaşa, Bursa Province, Turkey
;See also ...
was quickly concluded, and the death penalty was carried out in
Beyazıt Square
Beyazıt Square ( tr, Beyazıt Meydanı) lies to the north of Ordu Caddesi in the district of Fatih, Istanbul, Turkey. Officially named ''Freedom Square'' (), it is more generally known as Beyazıt Square after the early Ottoman Bayezid II Mosqu ...
after the fatwa was signed by the sultan.
Meanwhile, the French General d'Esperey, who came to Istanbul, threatened to go to the palace with a battalion of soldiers and make what he wanted by burning the distractions of the sultan and his government. He called him to the embassy without visiting the Grand Vizier. The French handed over a list of thirty-six people they wanted to arrest to the government.
Turkish nationalists rejected the settlement by the Sultan's four signatories. A new government, the
Turkish Grand National Assembly
The Grand National Assembly of Turkey ( tr, ), usually referred to simply as the TBMM or Parliament ( tr, or ''Parlamento''), is the unicameral Turkish legislature. It is the sole body given the legislative prerogatives by the Turkish Consti ...
, under the leadership of
Mustafa Kemal (Atatürk), was formed on 23 April 1920, in
Ankara
Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, maki ...
(then known as Angora). The new government denounced the rule of Mehmed VI and the command of
Süleyman Şefik Pasha
Süleyman Şefik Pasha ( ota, سلیمان شفیق پاشا) was the commander of the '' Kuvâ-i İnzibâtiyye'', an army established on 18 April 1920 by the Imperial Government of the Ottoman Empire in order to fight against the Turkish Nation ...
, who was in charge of the army commissioned to fight against the
Turkish National Movement
The Turkish National Movement ( tr, Türk Ulusal Hareketi) encompasses the political and military activities of the Turkish revolutionaries that resulted in the creation and shaping of the modern Republic of Turkey, as a consequence of the defe ...
(the
Kuvâ-i İnzibâtiyye); as a result, a
temporary constitution was drafted.
On 22 July 1920, Şurayı Saltanat was gathered in Yıldız Palace to discuss the principles of the
Treaty of Sèvres
The Treaty of Sèvres (french: Traité de Sèvres) was a 1920 treaty signed between the Allies of World War I and the Ottoman Empire. The treaty ceded large parts of Ottoman territory to France, the United Kingdom, Greece and Italy, as well ...
. The Sèvres Agreement was signed on 10 August 1920. Since he had to resign two and a half-months later, Ferid Pasha founded the last delegation of Tevfik Pasha, the last delegation of the Ottoman Empire, on 2 October 1920.
Exile and death
![Former Ottoman Sultan Mehmed VI arrives in Malta on a British warship](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/Former_Ottoman_Sultan_Mehmed_VI_arrives_in_Malta_on_a_British_warship._9_Dec_1922.jpg)
As the nationalist movement strengthened its military positions in late August 1922, Mehmed VI, his five wives, and attendant eunuchs could no longer leave the safety of the palace. The Grand National Assembly of Turkey abolished the
Sultanate
This article includes a list of successive Islamic states and Muslim dynasties beginning with the time of the Islamic prophet Muhammad (570–632 CE) and the early Muslim conquests that spread Islam outside of the Arabian Peninsula, and continui ...
on 1 November 1922, and Mehmed VI was expelled from
Istanbul
Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...
. One day before his departure, he had lunch with his daughter,
Ulviye Sultan
Fatma Ulviye Sultan ( ota, فاطمه علویه سلطان, "''one who abstain''" and "''exalted, lofty''"; 11 September 1892 – 25 January 1967) was an Ottoman princess, the daughter of Sultan Mehmed VI and Nazikeda Kadın.
Early life
Fatma U ...
, and spent a night at her palace. Leaving aboard the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
warship
A warship or combatant ship is a naval ship that is built and primarily intended for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the armed forces of a state. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster a ...
''Malaya'' on 17 November 1922, he took care not to bring valuable items or jewellery, other than his personal belongings. British general
Charles Harington himself took the last Ottoman ruler from
Yıldız Palace
Yıldız Palace ( tr, Yıldız Sarayı, ) is a vast complex of former imperial Ottoman pavilions and villas in Istanbul, Turkey, built in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was used as a residence by the sultan and his court in the late 19th ...
. Ten people with the sultan were sent off early in the morning by an English battalion. He went into exile in
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
, later living on the
Italian Riviera
The Italian Riviera or Ligurian Riviera ( it, Riviera ligure; lij, Rivêa lìgure) is the narrow coastal strip in Italy which lies between the Ligurian Sea and the mountain chain formed by the Maritime Alps and the Apennines. Longitudinall ...
.
On 16 November 1922, the Sultan wrote to Sir Charles Harington: "Sir, considering my life in danger in Istanbul, I take refuge with the British Government and request my transfer as soon as possible from Istanbul to another place. Mehmed Vahideddin, Caliph of the Muslims". Accompanied by his First Chamberlain, the bandmaster, his doctor, two confidential secretaries, a valet, a barber and two eunuchs, at 6am on 19 November, two British ambulances took them to the house of General Sir Charles Harington. On 19 November, Mehmed's first cousin and heir, Abdulmejid Efendi, was elected
caliph
A caliphate or khilāfah ( ar, خِلَافَة, ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph (; ar, خَلِيفَة , ), a person considered a political-religious successor to th ...
, becoming the new head of the Imperial House of Osman as
Abdulmejid II
Abdulmejid II ( ota, عبد المجید ثانی, ʿAbdü'l-Mecîd-i sânî, tr, II. Abdülmecid, 29 May 1868 – 23 August 1944) was the last Caliph of the Ottoman Dynasty, the only Caliph of the Republic of Turkey, and nominally the 37 ...
before
the Caliphate was abolished by the Turkish Grand National Assembly in 1924.
![Damascus Sulaymaniyya Takiyya tomb of the last Sultan Mehmet VI 7886](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Damascus_Sulaymaniyya_Takiyya_tomb_of_the_last_Sultan_Mehmet_VI_7886.jpg)
Mehmed sent a declaration to the Caliphate Congress and protested the preparations made, declaring that he had never waived the right to reign and be caliph. The congress met on 13 May 1926, but Mehmed died without the news of the congress meeting on 16 May 1926 in
Sanremo
Sanremo (; lij, Sanrémmo(ro) or , ) or San Remo is a city and comune on the Mediterranean coast of Liguria, in northwestern Italy. Founded in Roman times, it has a population of 55,000, and is known as a tourist destination on the Italian Rivie ...
,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
. His daughter Sabiha Sultan found money for a burial, and the coffin was taken to Syria and buried in the cemetery of the
Sulaymaniyya Takiyya
The Sulaymaniyya Takiyya ( ar, التَّكِيَّة السُّلَيْمَانِيَّة, at-Takiyya as-Sulaymāniyya), known in Turkish as , is a '' takiyya'' ( Ottoman-era Arabic name for a mosque complex which served as a Sufi convent) in D ...
in
Damascus
)), is an adjective which means "spacious".
, motto =
, image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg
, image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg
, seal_type = Seal
, map_caption =
, ...
.
Personality
Mehmed had an optimistic and patient personality according to the testimony of his relatives and employees. He was evidently a kind family man in his palace; outside, and especially at official ceremonies, he would stand cold, frowning and serious, and would not compliment anyone; he attached great importance to religious traditions; he would not tolerate rumors, nor would he allow them to circulate in his palace. Even in his informal conversations, he always attracted attention with seriousness. The sources in question also state that he was intelligent and quick-grasped, but he was under the influence of his entourage and especially those he believed in, that he had a very evident, unstable and stubborn temperament.
Mehmed VI had dealt with advanced literature, music, and calligraphy. His compositions were performed in the palace when he was on the throne. The lyrics of the songs he repeatedly composed while in Tâif envision the longing of the country and the pain of not getting the news that they have left behind. Sixty-three works belonging to him can be identified, but only forty works have notes. His poems, which can be an example to his poetry, are only the lyrics of his songs. He was also a good calligrapher.
Gallery
File:Sultanvahideddin.jpg, Departure of the Mehmed VI from Dolmabahçe Palace
Dolmabahçe Palace ( tr, Dolmabahçe Sarayı, ) located in the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul, Turkey, on the European coast of the Bosporus strait, served as the main administrative center of the Ottoman Empire from 1856 to 1887 and from 1909 t ...
after the abolition of monarchy
The abolition of monarchy and anti-royalism is a legislative or revolutionary movement to abolish monarchical elements in government, usually hereditary.
Abolition of absolutist monarchy in favor of limited government under constitutional monarch ...
, 1922
File:Sébah & Joaillier - Sultan Mehmed VI.jpg, Photograph of Mehmed VI by Sébah & Joaillier, c. 1920
File:Mehmet Vahdeddin.jpg, A portrait of Mehmed VI, from before 1923
Honours
Ottoman honours
*
Order of House of Osman, Jeweled
*
Order of Glory, Jeweled
*
Imtiyaz Medal, Jeweled
*
Order of Osmanieh, Jeweled
*
Order of the Medjidie, Jeweled
Foreign honours
*
Prussia
Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...
:
Order of the Black Eagle of Prussia, ''15 October 1917''
Family
Consorts
Mehmed VI had five consorts:
*
Nazikeda Kadın (9 October 1866 - 4 April 1941).
BaşKadin and only consort for twenty years, she is considered the last Ottoman Empress. She was born Emine Marşania, she was Abkhazian and before marrying Mehmed she was in the service of
Cemile Sultan
Cemile Sultan ( ota, جمیله سلطان; "''beautiful, radiant''"; 17 August 1843 – 26 February 1915) was an Ottoman princess, the daughter of Sultan Abdulmejid I and Düzdidil Hanım. She was the half sister of Sultans Murad V, Abdul Hami ...
with her sisters and cousins. Mehmed got her married in 1885, after a year of insistence, after he threatened never to marry otherwise and that Nazikeda would be his only consort. He kept his word until, after giving him three daughters, Nazikeda could no longer have children, which forced Mehmed to take other consorts to have male heirs. She was described as tall and beautiful, buxom, with fair skin, light hazel eyes, and long auburn hair.
*
Inşirah Hanim (10 July 1887 - 10 June 1930). Born Seniye Voçibe, she was Circassian, the niece of
Durriaden Kadin, consort of
Mehmed V
Mehmed V Reşâd ( ota, محمد خامس, Meḥmed-i ḫâmis; tr, V. Mehmed or ; 2 November 1844 – 3 July 1918) reigned as the 35th and penultimate Ottoman Sultan (). He was the son of Sultan Abdulmejid I. He succeeded his half-brother ...
, older half-brother of Mehmed VI. She was tall, with beautiful blue eyes and very long dark brown hair. She was proposed by Mehmed in 1905. Inşirah refused, but was obliged by her father and her brother. Unhappy but still jealous, she divorced Mehmed in 1909, when she found a servant in his quarters. Having divorced before Mehmed's accession to the throne, she was never an Imperial Consort. Later she fell into depression. She tried to return to her husband in 1922, when he was in exile at
Sanremo
Sanremo (; lij, Sanrémmo(ro) or , ) or San Remo is a city and comune on the Mediterranean coast of Liguria, in northwestern Italy. Founded in Roman times, it has a population of 55,000, and is known as a tourist destination on the Italian Rivie ...
, Italy, but she was not allowed to see him and he was not notified of her presence. She attempted suicide twice. The first of hers was saved by her niece, but the second she managed by drowning herself in the Nile.
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Müveddet Kadın
ota, مودت قادین
, house = Çıhçı (by birth) Ottoman (by marriage)
, father = Kato Davut Çıhcı
, mother = Ayşe Hanım
, birth_name = Şadiye Çıhçı
, birth_date = 12 October 1893
, birth_place = De ...
(12 October 1893 - 20 December 1951). Second Imperial Consort and only consort other than Nazikeda to obtain the title of Kadın. Born Şadiye Çıhcı, she was introduced to the court by Habibe Hanım, treasurer of Mehmed's harem. They were married in 1911. She was tall, with blue eyes and auburn hair and was known as a very sweet, shy, kind-hearted and hardworking woman. She was also loved and respected by her stepdaughters. She bore Mehmed her only son, whose death caused her to fall into depression. After Mehmed's death she remarried, but divorced her after four years.
*
Nevvare Hanim (4 May 1901 - 13 June 1992).
BaşIkbal. Born Ayşe Çıhçı, she was niece of Müveddet Kadın, who raised her. She married Mehmed in 1918, although Müveddet did everything possible to prevent this. She was tall and beautiful, with green eyes and long black hair, of a kind but proud disposition. She filed for divorce in 1922, when Mehmed was deposed and exiled, and she was granted it in 1924. After that, she remarried.
*
Nevzad Hanim (2 March 1902 - 23 June 1992). Second Ikbal and last woman to become consort of an Ottoman sultan. Born Nimet Bargu. She married Mehmed in 1921, previously she had been a
Kalfa
Kalfa ( Turkish for 'apprentice, assistant master') was a general term in the Ottoman Empire for the women attendants and supervisors in service in the imperial palace.
Novice girls had to await promotion to the rank of . It was a rank below th ...
(servant) in the household of
Şehzade Mehmed Ziyaeddin
Şehzade Mehmed Ziyaeddin ( ota, شهزادہ محمد ضیاالدین; 26 August 1873 – 30 January 1938) was an Ottoman prince, eldest son of Sultan Mehmed V and his senior consort Kamures Kadın.
Early life
Şehzade Mehmed Ziyaeddin was bor ...
, son of Sultan
Mehmed V
Mehmed V Reşâd ( ota, محمد خامس, Meḥmed-i ḫâmis; tr, V. Mehmed or ; 2 November 1844 – 3 July 1918) reigned as the 35th and penultimate Ottoman Sultan (). He was the son of Sultan Abdulmejid I. He succeeded his half-brother ...
. She was Mehmed's favorite consort in his later years, so much so that it is said that he never agreed to part with her. After Mehmed's death she retake her name to Nimet and remarried. By her second marriage she had a son and a daughter. She never agreed to talk about her years as Imperial Consort.
Sons
Mehmed VI had only one son:
*
Şehzade Mehmed Ertuğrul
Şehzade Mehmed Ertuğrul ( ota, شہزادہ محمد ارطغرل; 5 November 1912 – 2 July 1944) was an Ottoman prince, the only son of Sultan Mehmed VI and his wife Müveddet Kadın.
Early life
Şehzade Mehmed Ertuğrul was born on 5 ...
(5 November 1912 - 2 July 1944) - with Müveddet Kadın. He never married or had children.
Daughters
Mehmed VI had three daughters:
*Münire Fenire Sultan (1888 - 1888, two weeks later) - with Nazikeda Kadın. Died an infant, she is sometimes regarded as two twins rather than a single princess.
*
Fatma Ulviye Sultan (11 September 1892 - 1 January 1967) - with Nazikeda Kadın. Married twice, she had one daughter.
*
Rukiye Sabiha Sultan (2 April 1894 - 26 August 1971). She married
Şehzade Ömer Faruk
Şehzade Ömer Faruk ( ota, شهزادہ عمر فاروق; 27 February 1898 – 28 March 1969) was an Ottoman prince, the son of last caliph of Muslim world Abdulmejid II and Şehsuvar Hanım. He was the imperial son-in-law of Sultan Mehmed VI ...
and had three daughters.
See also
*
Line of succession to the former Ottoman throne
References
Sources
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Further reading
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Fromkin, David
David Henry Fromkin (August 27, 1932 June 11, 2017) was an American historian, best known for his interpretive account of the Middle East, ''A Peace to End All Peace'' (1989), in which he recounts the role European powers played between 1914 an ...
, 1989. ''
A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East''
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mehmed 06
1861 births
1926 deaths
Dethroned monarchs
20th-century Ottoman sultans
19th-century people from the Ottoman Empire
People from the Ottoman Empire of Abkhazian descent
Dolmabahçe Palace
Turks from the Ottoman Empire
Emigrants from the Ottoman Empire to Italy
Exiles from the Ottoman Empire
Heads of the Osmanoğlu family
Burials in the cemetery of the Sulaymaniyya Takiyya