Ogier Ghislain de Busbecq: A Diplomat in the Ottoman Court
Ogier Ghislain
de Busbecq was born in 1522 in Lille, a city now situated on the
French-Belgian border, which was then under the rule of Charles V of the
Holy Roman Empire. He belonged to a noble lineage and was raised in an
intellectual environment profoundly shaped by the Renaissance and the
Reformation.
His humanist
worldview was likely solidified during his academic pursuits at the
universities of Leuven, Padua, and Venice. A true polymath of his time,
Busbecq possessed extensive knowledge in various disciplines,
including botany, zoology, and linguistics, and is reputed to have been
proficient in eight languages, among them Turkish.
The
Diplomatic Mission to İstanbul
Around
1554, he entered the service of Emperor Ferdinand
I of Austria. His initial diplomatic assignment was to represent his
sovereign at the wedding of Queen Mary Tudor and King Philip II of Spain in
England. That same year, he was dispatched to İstanbul on a mission that would later form the basis of his
renowned writings. His primary objective was to negotiate the resolution of a
protracted border dispute between the Ottoman
Empire and Austria.
However,
the diplomatic process proved lengthy. Busbecq endured approximately eighteen months in semi-confinement
at the Ottoman court before returning to his homeland. In 1556, he was once again sent to the
Ottoman Empire to finalize the unresolved negotiations.
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| Jean Baptiste Vanmour - Sultan Ahmet III Receiving a European Ambassador |
The Fate of an Ottoman Prince
Prince
Mustafa was at the height of his youth and had gained
great fame as a soldier. However, being the son of a Turkish
sultan was a great misfortune because when one of them ascended the
throne, it meant inevitable death for the others.
The Turks did not tolerate rivals to the throne.
Rüstem Pasha’s Plot
When the sultan went to war against Shah Tahmasp of Iran, Rüstem was sent as the chief
commander. As he approached the Iranian border, he suddenly stopped and sent a
message to the sultan, claiming that he was facing a serious situation.
He reported that he had been betrayed, that the army had been
bribed, and that they refused to accept anyone but Mustafa.
He added that he could not handle the situation alone and urged the sultan to
come immediately if he wanted to save his throne.
The Summons and
Mustafa’s Dilemma
Süleyman
immediately set out and sent a letter to Mustafa, summoning him. He told him to
clear himself of the accusations and assured him that if he did so, he would
not face any danger.
Mustafa was in a
difficult situation. If he faced his father, he would undoubtedly put himself
in danger; if he refused, he would be admitting to treason.
Choosing the boldest and most dangerous option, he left Amasya and travelled to his father’s nearby
camp. Unknown to him, Süleyman had already decided to kill his son before
leaving the capital.
The Execution in the
Sultan’s Tent
When Mustafa arrived at the camp, the soldiers
were filled with excitement. They took him to his father’s
tent. Everything seemed calm; there were no soldiers, no servants, and
no sign of treachery.
However, in the inner chamber, a few strong, dumb executioners were waiting to
kill Mustafa. As soon as he stepped inside, they attacked, trying to strangle him with a bowstring.
Mustafa fought bravely. Behind a curtain, Süleyman was watching. When he
saw that the execution was taking too long, he leaned forward and gave the
executioners a furious, threatening look. The mute men, frightened, tried
harder and finally managed to pin Mustafa down, strangling him with the
bowstring.
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| Hüner-nāme, II, Library of the Topkapi Palace Museum, Hazine 1524, f. 168b |
Drinking Wine is
Forbidden, But Eating Grapes is Not
The Greek Protest Against the Wine
Ban
Magnificent
Suleiman had strictly
banned wine. In response, some Greeks
came up with a clever plan to challenge his decision. Hoping to make a
political statement, they decided to stage a dramatic protest.
When they learned that the Sultan
would pass through an area with vineyards, they gathered together and uprooted the vines. Some were thrown
onto the road, while others were piled onto carts, creating a scene of
destruction along his path.
A Clever Plan Backfires
When the Sultan arrived, he stopped,
curious about what had happened. He called the nearest men and asked what they
were doing.
They replied with a prepared excuse:
since he had banned wine, the vineyards
were now useless, so they were removing the vines to use as firewood. They hoped this would force
the Sultan to reconsider his ban to save agriculture.
Suleiman’s Wisdom: Grapes vs. Wine
However, the Sultan’s response was
not what they expected. Instead of anger or retraction, Suleiman offered a logical rebuttal:
"You are mistaken; you have
misunderstood my intention. I banned the drinking of wine, not the eating of grapes. Grapes are among the
noblest fruits bestowed upon man by God.
There is nothing stopping you from
enjoying fresh grape juice unless
you store it in barrels and, with your harmful inventions, turn it into
something improper. Just because apples are not made into wine, should we cut
down apple trees? Fools, stop
this nonsense and leave these fruitful vineyards alone."
Thus, the Greeks’ clever plan failed
completely against the Sultan's sharp wit.
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Sultan Suleiman’s
historic retort to farmers uprooting their vineyards in protest. (Generated AI) |
To understand the tragic events that
followed, one must look at Suleiman’s
family structure. He had five sons. The eldest was Mustafa, born to his concubine, Mahidevran.
From his legitimate marriage to Roxolana (Hürrem Sultan), he had four
more sons: Mehmed, Selim, Bayezid, and Cihangir.
Since Mehmed had died at a young age, the rivalry was left to the remaining
brothers.
The Tragic Death of Cihangir
When the news of Mustafa’s execution
reached Istanbul, Cihangir, who
was physically and mentally frail (he suffered from a hunchback), became terrified. He believed he would meet the same
fate.
His only hope was that no harm would
come to him as long as his father lived. However, he knew the Ottoman law of
fratricide: if Suleiman were to die, whoever took the throne would inevitably
see him as a rival and eliminate him. These thoughts filled him with such dread,
as if a decree for his execution had already been issued, that he fell ill and
died of grief and fear.
The "False Mustafa" Rebellion
With Mustafa and Cihangir gone, two
sons remained: Selim and Bayezid. The elder one, Selim, had
been chosen by his father as the heir, while Bayezid had the strong support of
his mother, Roxolana.
Bayezid, in his ambitious quest for
the throne, took dangerous measures. He even supported a rebellion led by an impostor claiming to be the dead
Prince Mustafa. When Suleiman learned of this, he reprimanded the provincial
governors and ordered them to suppress the revolt.
Forces led by Pertev Pasha besieged the rebels, capturing the impostor Mustafa
and other leaders. They were sent to İstanbul, where, under torture, they
confessed to Bayezid’s involvement. Suleiman had the rebels executed by drowning at sea.
Hürrem Sultan’s Intervention and the Poison Test
When Bayezid’s punishment became a
matter of discussion, Hürrem Sultan
cleverly intervened. She argued that her son had merely made a "youthful
mistake" and should be forgiven. Influenced by his beloved wife, Suleiman
softened and pardoned Bayezid.
Bayezid appeared before his father to swear his loyalty, but the atmosphere was tense. Fearing poison, Bayezid hesitated to drink the sherbet offered to him. To ease his son’s worries and prove his forgiveness, Suleiman drank from the same cup, ensuring Bayezid’s temporary safety.
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The execution of the rebels who rallied behind the impostor |
Conclusion
Ogier Ghislain de Busbecq was a master storyteller. Throughout
his work, we can find countless sharp observations regarding the daily social
life, military discipline, and customs of the 16th-century Ottoman Empire.
However, I have specifically selected these particular narratives: the tragic execution of Prince Mustafa, the witty dialogue regarding the vineyards, and the deadly palace intrigues for a reason. These stories vividly illustrate the delicate balance of power in Suleiman the Magnificent’s court.
