Abdul Hamid I

On the day of Mustafa's death on 21 January 1774 , Abdul Hamid ascended to the throne with a ceremony held in the palace. The next day Mustafa III's funeral procession was held. The new sultan sent a letter to the Grand Vizier and Serdar-ı Ekrem Muhsinzade Mehmed Pasha on the front and informed him to continue his duty. On 27 January 1774, the sword was armed in Eyup Sultan. At the time, the Ottoman-Russian front wars continued, the army was at once, and there was a shortage of food in Istanbul. [4]

Abdul Hamid's long imprisonment had left him indifferent to state affairs and malleable to the designs of his advisors. Yet he was also very religious and a pacifist by nature. At his accession the financial straits of the treasury were such that the usual donative could not be given to the Janissary Corps. The new Sultan told the Janissaries "There are no longer gratuities in our treasury, as all of our soldier sons should learn."

The Ottoman Army advances from Sofia, its largest garrison in Rumelia, in the year 1788.

Abdul Hamid now sought to reform the Empire's armed forces. He enumerated the Janissary corps and tried to renovate it, and also the navy. He established a new artillery corps. He was also credited with the creation of the Imperial Naval Engineering School.[1]

Abdul Hamid tried to strengthen Ottoman rule over Syria, Egypt, and Iraq.[1] However, slight successes against rebellions in Syria and the Morea could not compensate for the loss of the Crimean Peninsula, which had become nominally independent in 1774, but was in practice now controlled by Russia.

Russia repeatedly exploited its position as protector of Eastern Christians to interfere in the Ottoman Empire, and explicitly. Finally the Ottomans declared war against Russia in 1787. Austria soon joined Russia. Turkey held its own in the conflict, at first, but on 6 December 1788, Ochakov fell to Russia (all of its inhabitants being massacred). It is said that this sad defeat broke Abdul Hamid's spirit, as he died four months later.

In spite of his failures, Abdul Hamid was regarded as the most gracious Ottoman Sultan. He personally directed the fire brigade during the Constantinople fire of 1782. He was admired by the people for his religious devotion, and was even called a Veli ("saint"). He also outlined a reform policy, supervised the government closely, and worked with statesmen.

Abdul Hamid I turned to internal affairs after the war with Russia ended in this way. He tried to suppress internal revolts through Algerian Gazi Hasan Pasha, and to regulate the reform works through Silâhdar Seyyid Mehmed Pasha (Karavezir) and Halil Hamid Pasha.

Especially in Syria, the rebellion of Zahir al-Omar, who cooperated with the admirals of the Russian navy in the Mediterranean, benefiting from the confusion caused by the Russian expedition of the 1768 Russian campaign, and suppressed the rebellion in Egypt in 1775, as well as the Kölemen who were in rebellion in Egypt. was brought to the road. On the other hand, the confusion in Peloponnese was ended, and calm was achieved. Kaptanıderyâ Gazi Hasan Pasha and Cezzâr Ahmed Pasha played an important role in suppressing all these events. [5]

Despite his pacific inclinations, the Ottoman Empire was forced to renew the ongoing war with Russia almost immediately. This led to complete Turkish defeat at Kozludzha and the humiliating Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca, signed on 21 July 1774. The Ottomans ceded territory to Russia, and also the right to intervene on behalf of the Orthodox Christians in the Empire.

With the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca, the territory left, as well as Russia's ambassador at Istanbul level and an authorized representative, this ambassador's participation in other ceremonies at the state ceremonies, the right to pass through the Straits to Russia, as the envoys of the Russian envoy were given immunity. Marketing opportunities for all kinds of commodities in Istanbul and other ports, as well as the full commercial rights of England and France were given. It was also in the treaty that the Russian state had a church built in Ga lata. Under the circumstances, this church would be open to the public, referred to as the Russo-Greek Church, and forever under the protection of Russian ambassadors in Istanbul. [6]

In 1789, Tipu Sultan, ruler of the Sultanate of Mysore sent an embassy to Abdul Hamid, urgently requesting assistance against the British East India Company, and proposed an offensive and defensive alliance. Abdul Hamid informed the Mysori ambassadors that the Ottomans were still entangled and exhausted from the ongoing war with Russia and Austria.

Consorts

Abdul Hamid had nine wives:

• Ayşe Kadın[9][10] (died 1775, buried in New Mosque, Istanbul), Senior Consort;[9][10]
• Ruhşah Kadın alias El-Hace Hatice[9][10] (died 1808, buried in Tomb of Abdul Hamid I), Second Consort→Senior Consort;[11][12]
• Hümaşah Kadın[9][10] (died 1778, buried in New Mosque, Istanbul), Third Consort→Second Consort;[13]
• Sineperver Sultan (died 11 December 1828, buried in Eyüp Sultan Mosque),[11] Fourth Consort→Third Consort→Second Consort;[14][15]
• Binnaz Kadın[16] (died June 1823, buried in Tomb of Abdul Hamid I), Fifth Consort→Fourth Consort→Third Consort;[17]
• Mehtabe Kadın, Fifth Consort→Fourth Consort;[11][18]
• Mutebere Kadın (died 16 May 1837,[9] buried in Tomb of Abdul Hamid I),[19] Sixth Consort→Fifth Consort;[20]
• Şebsefa Kadın[9][10] (died 1805, buried in Şebsefa Kadın Mosque, Eminönü, Istanbul), Sixth Consort;[11]

Şebsafa Kadın Mosque from high

• Nakşidil Sultan[11] (died 22 August 1817, buried in Nakşidil Sultan Mausoleum, Fatih Mosque, Istanbul), Seventh Consort;[21] (A mythical legend claims her to have been Aimée du Buc de Rivéry, a distant cousin-in-law of Napoleon's wife, Empress Josephine);[22]

Sons

His sons were:

• Mustafa IV (reigned 1807–08) – with Sineperver;[11]
• Mahmud II (reigned 1808–39) – with Nakşidil;[11]
• Şehzade Abdullah (10 January 1776 – 10 January 1776);[13]
• Şehzade Mehmed (22 August 1776 – 3 February 1781, buried in Tomb of Abdul Hamid I) – with Hümaşah;[11][23]
• Şehzade Ahmed (12 December 1776 – 18 December 1778, buried in Tomb of Abdul Hamid I) – with Sineperver;[11][24]
• Şehzade Abdurrahman (31 July 1777 – 2 August 1777);[13]
• Şehzade Süleyman (13 March 1779 – 19 January 1786, buried in Tomb of Abdul Hamid I) - with Mutebere;[25][26]
• Şehzade Abdülaziz (19 August 1779 – 19 August 1779) – with Ruhşah;[13]
• Şehzade Mehmed Nusret (20 September 1782 – 23 October 1785) – with Şebsafa;[27]
• Şehzade Seyfullah Murad (22 October 1783 – 21 January 1786, buried in Tomb of Abdul Hamid I) - with Nakşidil;[13][28]

Daughters

His daughters were:

• Hatice Sultan (12 January 1776 – 8 November 1776, buried in New Mosque); [29]
• Ayşe Sultan (30 July 1777 – 9 September 1777);
• Esma Sultan (16 July 1778 – 4 June 1848, buried in Tomb of Mahmud II) – with Sineperver,[30] married 29 May 1792, Damat Küçük Hüseyin Pasha (died 8 January 1803), foster-sister of Sultan Selim III;[11]
• Rabia Sultan (19 April 1780 – 28 June 1780, buried in Tomb of Abdul Hamid I);[11][23]
• Aynışah Sultan (10 July 1780 – 28 July 1780, buried in Tomb of Abdul Hamid I);[26]
• Melikşah Sultan (29 December 1780 – 1781, buried in Tomb of Abdul Hamid I); [31][28]
• Rabia Sultan (10 August 1781 – 3 October 1782, buried in Tomb of Abdul Hamid I);[28]
• Fatma Sultan (19 January 1782 – 11 January 1786, buried in Tomb of Abdul Hamid I) - with Sineperver;[13][31][28]
• Alemşah Sultan (10 November 1784 – 10 March 1786, buried in Tomb of Abdul Hamid I) - with Şebsafa;[13][31][28]
• Saliha Sultan (28 November 1786 – 10 April 1788, buried in Tomb of Abdul Hamid I) - with Nakşidil;[13][32]
• Emine Sultan (4 February 1788 – 9 March 1791, buried in Tomb of Abdul Hamid I) – with Şebsafa;[13][24]
• Hibetullah Sultan (16 March 1789 – 18 September 1841, buried in Tomb of Mahmud II) – with Şebsafa, married 3 February 1804, Damat Alaeddin Pasha (died at Scutari, January 1813), son of Damat Seyid Ahmed Pasha.[11]

Adopted daughter

Abdul Hamid had adopted a daughter when he was a prince:

• Dürrüşehvar Hanım (1767-1826), married Damat Ahmed Nazif Bey (killed 21 May 1789), son of Hacı Selim Agha.