Suleiman I is the tenth sultan of the Ottoman Empire. In Christian countries it is called Magnificent, and in the Muslim world it is better known by the nickname Kanuni, which means “legislator” or “law”. This Turkish word is associated with justice. The biography of Suleiman the Magnificent is well known. He was born in 1494. His father was Sultan Selim I.
Suleiman from youth participated in various campaigns of the Ottoman army, so he gained serious military experience. He ascended the throne of the empire in 1520. The biography of Suleiman the Magnificent is rich and rich in interesting events. He set out to expand the borders of the country and began to prepare for war. In addition, he carried out many important reforms in the state, which during the years of his reign reached the peak of his power.
Wars
The biography of Suleiman the Magnificent abounds in military campaigns. The first war the young ruler declared Hungary. The huge army in 1521 approached the banks of the Danube and took Belgrade. After that, the Mediterranean island of Rhodes was conquered. His siege began in 1522. Troops were landed, and the fleet blocked a patch of land from the sea. Despite stubborn resistance, the Knights of St. John were forced to surrender, having run out of food supplies. A lot of this was facilitated by the diplomatic gift of Suleiman, who agreed to give the vanquished the opportunity to leave the island.
In 1526, the second Ottoman invasion of Hungary began. Their army totaled more than 80 thousand people and had about 300 guns. The Hungarians were able to collect 30 thousandth army and 80 guns. They were commanded by King Layos II. The prudent ruler of the Ottomans agreed with the Poles about neutrality, so that the Polish troops could not help the Hungarians.
The biography of Suleiman the Magnificent suggests that he was a talented politician. Near the town of Mohach, a general battle took place. Hungarians with allies, despite heroic resistance, were defeated, and King Lajos, fleeing the battlefield, drowned in a swamp.
Three years later, the Turkish ruler launched a large-scale war against the Austrian Habsburgs. His army approached Vienna and besieged the city. The garrison steadily withstood all attacks and bombardment from heavy guns. The besieged were helped by the fact that significant food supplies were stored in the city, as well as large warehouses with ammunition were located. The general assault ended in failure, and the Turks were forced to retreat beyond the Danube. The cursed biography of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent includes three more wars with the Austrians.
The result was the partition of Hungary and the imposition of tribute to the Austrians, as well as a significant increase in Ottoman influence on the policies of European states. In addition , the Sultan conducted active military operations against Persia. In naval battles, his fleet won many victories in the Mediterranean Sea.
Suleiman the Magnificent: biography, family
The Sultan, as is customary in the East, had many concubines, but the Slavic slave Roksolana (Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska in the Turkish version) deserves special attention. She was the favorite of Suleiman, and later he even took her as his wife, which was nonsense for that time. Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska had a great influence on the Sultan, and their relationship was so lively and romantic that they wrote poems to each other. Roksolana gave birth to Suleiman of six children, one of whom died in childhood. The sultan also had a son Mustafa from another concubine - the Circassian Medihevran, who was older than the children of Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska and who was to inherit the throne, but then was executed by order of Suleiman himself. Many believe that the reason for this was the plot of Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska, since Mustafa's death was very beneficial to her. As a result of what happened, the Turkish throne was inherited by her son Selim.