Alan: Decades ago, I learned that a mid-Eastern caliph extended a blanket invitation to the Muslims and Jews whom Ferdinand and Isabela expelled from Spain in 1492. Countless thousands took advantage of the Caliph's offer and for centuries Muslims and expatriate Jews lived convivially in peace and prosperity. It bears mention that these same expatriate Jews and Muslims were expelled by the Roman Catholic Inquisition. This week at Chautaqua, I met Professor Ori Soltis on the Hall of Mission porch and asked if he knew the name of this peace-seeking caliph whose history is detailed below. (Earlier this week, Professor Soltis, of Georgetown University, gave an enlightening talk on "The History of the Jews in Turkey." http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-history-of-jews-in-turkey.html)
Bayezid II
 Bayezid II | |
|---|---|
| Ottoman Sultan | |
 | |
| Reign | 1481–1512 |
| Period | Growth of the Ottoman Empire |
| Full Name | Sultan Bayezid II |
| Predecessor | Mehmed II |
| Successor | Selim I |
| Royal House | House of Osman |
| Dynasty | Ottoman Dynasty |
| Father | Mehmed II |
| Valide Sultan | Mükrime Hatun |
Bayezid II or Sultân Bayezid-î Velî (December 3, 1447 – May 26, 1512) (Ottoman Turkish: بايزيد ثانى Bāyezīd-i sānī, Turkish:II. Bayezid or II. Beyazıt) was the eldest son and successor of Mehmed II, ruling as Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1481 to 1512. During his reign, Bayezid II consolidated the Ottoman Empire and thwarted a Safavidrebellion soon before abdicating his throne to his son, Selim I. He is most notable for evacuating Jews from Spain after the proclamation of the Alhambra Decree and, being both a Roman emperor and Caliph of Islam, resettling them throughout the Ottoman Empire.
Contents
[hide]Early life[edit source]
Bayezid II was born in Dimetoka Palace (now Didymoteicho) in Thrace as the son ofMehmed II (1432–81) and Valide Sultan Gülbahar Hatun, who died in 1492.[1][2] Bayezid II married Ayşe Hatun, who was the mother of his eldest son Şehzade Ahmet, as well as Bayezid II's heir and successor, Selim I.
Fight for the throne[edit source]
Bayezid II's overriding concern was the quarrel with his brother Cem, who claimed the throne and sought military backing from the Mamluks in Egypt. Having been defeated by his brother's armies, Cem sought protection from the Knights of St. John in Rhodes. Eventually, the Knights handed Cem over to Pope Innocent VIII (1484–1492). The Pope thought of using Cem as a tool to drive the Turks out of Europe, but, as the papal crusade failed to come to fruition, Cem was left to languish and die in a Neapolitan prison.
Reign[edit source]
Bayezid II ascended the Ottoman throne in 1481. Like his father, Bayezid II was a patron of western and eastern culture and unlike many other Sultans, worked hard to ensure a smooth running of domestic politics, which earned him the epithet of "the Just". Throughout his reign, Bayezid II engaged in numerous campaigns to conquer the Venetian possessions in Morea, accurately defining this region as the key to future Ottoman naval power in the Eastern Mediterranean. The last of these wars ended in 1501 with Bayezid II in control of the whole Peloponnese. Rebellions in the east, such as that of the Qizilbash, plagued much of Bayezid II's reign and were often backed by the Shah of Persia, Ismail, who was eager to promote Shi'ism to undermine the authority of the Ottoman state. Ottoman authority in Anatolia was indeed seriously threatened during this period, and at one point Bayezid II's grand vizier, Ali Pasha, was killed in battle against rebels.
Jewish and Muslim emigration[edit source]
Further information: Nasrid–Ottoman relations
In July 1492, the new state of Spain expelled its Jewish and Muslim populations as part of theSpanish Inquisition. Bayezid II sent out the Ottoman Navy under the command of Admiral Kemal Reis to Spain in 1492 in order to evacuate them safely to Ottoman lands. He sent out proclamations throughout the empire that the refugees were to be welcomed.[3] He granted the refugees the permission to settle in the Ottoman Empire and become Ottoman citizens. He ridiculed the conduct of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile in expelling a class of people so useful to their subjects. "You venture to call Ferdinand a wise ruler," he said to his courtiers — "he who has impoverished his own country and enriched mine!"[4] Bajazet addressed a firman to all the governors of his European provinces, ordering them not only to refrain from repelling the Spanish refugees, but to give them a friendly and welcome reception.[4] He threatened with death all those who treated the Jews harshly or refused them admission into the empire. Moses Capsali, who probably helped to arouse the sultan's friendship for the Jews, was most energetic in his assistance to the exiles. He made a tour of the communities, and was instrumental in imposing a tax upon the rich, to ransom the Jewish victims of the persecutions then prevalent.
The Muslims and Jews of al-Andalus (Iberia) contributed much to the rising power of the Ottoman Empire by introducing new ideas, methods and craftsmanship. The first printing press in Constantinople was established by the Sephardic Jews in 1493. It is reported that under Bajazet's reign, Jews enjoyed a period of cultural flourishing, with the presence of such scholars as the Talmudist and scientist Mordecai Comtino; astronomer and poet Solomon ben Elijah Sharbiṭ ha-Zahab; Shabbethai ben Malkiel Cohen, and the liturgical poet Menahem Tamar.
Succession[edit source]
On September 14, 1509, Constantinople[5][6] was devastated by an earthquake. Bayezid II's final years saw a succession battle between his sons Selim I and Ahmet. Ahmet unexpectedly captured Karaman, an Ottoman city, and began marching to Constantinople to exploit his triumph. Fearing for his safety, Selim staged a revolt in Thrace but was defeated by Bayezid and forced to flee back to the Crimean Peninsula. Bayezid II developed fears that Ahmed might in turn kill him to gain the throne and refused to allow his son to enter Constantinople.
Selim returned from Crimea and, with support from the Janissaries, forced his father to abdicate the throne on April 25, 1512. Beyazid departed for retirement in his native Demotika, but he died on May 26, 1512 at Büyükçekmece before reaching his destination, and only a month after his abdication. He was buried next to the Bayezid Mosque inIstanbul.
In popular culture[edit source]
- Bayezid II is depicted in his childhood by Yiğitcan Elmalı in the 2012 Turkish film Fetih 1453.
- Sultan Bayezid II's statesmanship, tolerance, and intellectual abilities are depicted in the historical novel The Sultan's Helmsman,which takes place in the middle years of his reign.
- Sultan Bayezid II and his struggle with his son Selim is a prominent motive in the video game Assassin's Creed: Revelations. In the game, due to Bayezid's absence from Constantinople, the Byzantines had the opportunity to sneak back into the city, hoping to revive their fallen empire. Near the end of the game, Bayezid surrendered the throne to his son Selim.
References[edit source]
- Notes
- ^ Edmonds, Anna. Turkey's religious sites. Damko. p. 1997. ISBN 975-8227-00-9.
- ^ Babinger, Franz (1992). Mehmed the Conqueror and His Time. Princeton University Press. p. 51. ISBN 0-691-01078-1.
- ^ Egger, Vernon O. (2008). A History of the Muslim World Since 1260: The Making of a Global Community. Prentice Hall. p. 82. ISBN 0-13-226969-4.
- ^ a b The Jewish Encyclopedia: a descriptive record of the history, religion, literature, and customs of the Jewish people from the earliest times to the present day, Vol.2 Isidore Singer, Cyrus Adler, Funk and Wagnalls, 1912 p.460
- ^ The Encyclopædia Britannica, Vol.7, Edited by Hugh Chisholm, (1911), 3; Constantinople, the capital of the Turkish Empire...
- ^ Britannica, Istanbul:When the Republic of Turkey was founded in 1923, the capital was moved to Ankara, and Constantinople was officially renamed Istanbul in 1930.
- Bibliography
- Sidney Nettleton Fisher. "The foreign relations of Turkey (1481-1512)" (PDF). Utrecht University.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Bajazet II". Jewish Encyclopedia. 1901–1906.
External links[edit source]
 | Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bayezid II |
Bayezid II
Born: Dec 3, 1447 Died: May 26, 1512 | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Mehmed II | Sultan of the Ottoman Empire May 3, 1481 – April 25, 1512 | Succeeded by Selim I |
| Titles in pretence | ||
| Preceded by Mehmed II | Byzantine Emperor | Claim merged into Sultanate |
| Caliph of Islam | Succeeded by Selim I | |
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