Page 56 - All About History - Issue 56-17

Suleiman The Magnificent

The sultan watches over the
execution of prisoners in Belgrade

The Battle of Preveza showed that
the Ottomans were a force to be
reckoned with

Suleiman as depicted by Lord
Melchior in the 1500s

“ His formidable

elite infantry were

the feared
Janissaries”

grain and gold and enslaving their Muslim compel the Christians to adopt Islam of stability. What began as a fear of a ‘Turkish
crews. Now that Suleiman had declared and he promised that no church would Terror’ in Eastern Europe evolved into ‘Pax
war on the West, the knights could pose an be desecrated or turned into a mosque. In Turcica’, the Turkish Peace.
even greater threat. fact, much of Suleiman’s approach to expansion Things were not the same in Western Europe.
The sultan had inherited an already powerful was very diplomatic. Francis I and Charles V were almost constantly at
naval fleet from his father and had made For decades, the Moors and Jews expelled war; in the words of Francis’ sister, they were born
a considerable effort to strengthen it. With from Spain had flocked to Constantinople, which to hate each other. Interestingly, it was his enmity
approximately 400 well-equipped ships and acquired a reputation for being a city of tolerance; with Charles that forced Francis to look to the
100,000 fit and loyal men, he emerged victorious all religions could be practised freely without fear Ottoman Empire as a potential ally.
in Rhodes in December 1522 – though it took six of persecution. These new citizens contributed When the Holy Roman emperor took Francis
months of brutal fighting. their skills as merchants, craftsmen and bankers. hostage after the Battle of Pavia in 1525, the French
Again, Suleiman was shrewdly merciful. Out It is true that all non-Muslims had to pay an king’s mother suggested a rapprochement with the
of his respect for their ardent defence, he gave additional tax, which contributed to the Ottoman sultan. Suleiman saw an opportunity, a new way
the knights 12 days to leave and allowed them to coffers, but they could live in peace. of furthering his position on the chessboard of
take their weapons and any valuables or religious Suleiman sent envoys into the mountain Europe, and wrote a rousing and reassuring letter
icons they desired. Suleiman also ordered that ranges near Transylvania, to the chieftains of the of support to Francis. It was a circumspect and
any inhabitants of the island who wished to leave Bosnians and Croats, where he further cultivated subtle beginning to the Franco-Ottoman alliance
would be able to do so at any time within a three- loyalty through peaceful relations. In parts of that would span centuries, one judged by Europe
year period. Greece that had come under Ottoman rule, it as “the impious alliance” and “the sacrilegious
Suleiman chose to rule not through fear but by was reported that farmers flourished more than union of the Lily and the Crescent.”
winning over an otherwise hostile population, and they had under the Venetians. Greek and French In 1526, Suleiman, with Francis’ tacit
so the inhabitants of Rhodes were encouraged to merchants enjoyed a thriving trade and the encouragement, marched on Hungary and
stay, albeit as his subjects. Importantly, he did not Ottoman Empire was generally viewed as a realm defeated their king at the Battle of Mohács. But
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