Michael Kantakouzenos Şeytanoğlu facts for kids

The name of Michael at the base of the family tree on the grave of Gheorghe Grigore Cantacuzino in the Bellu Cemetery in Bucharest, Romania

Michael Kantakouzenos (also spelled Cantacuzenus) was a very rich and powerful Greek man who lived in the Ottoman Empire from 1510 to 1578. He was so wealthy and had so much influence that people called him "Şeytanoğlu," which means "Son of the Devil" in Turkish. This nickname came from how strict and demanding he was in his business dealings.

Michael was a leading figure in the Greek Orthodox community within the Ottoman Empire. He had a big say in who became important religious leaders, like bishops and even the head of the church, known as the Patriarch. He also influenced who became rulers in some regions.

Who Was Michael Kantakouzenos?

Not much is known about Michael Kantakouzenos's early life or where he came from. He used the name Kantakouzenos, which belonged to a very famous and old royal family from the Byzantine Empire. Many wealthy Greeks during that time would use old noble names to show their importance.

Some people wondered if he was truly from that famous family. However, it's clear that he became incredibly rich and powerful on his own.

How Michael Became Rich and Powerful

Michael Kantakouzenos made his huge fortune through smart business deals. He was especially good at something called tax farming. This meant he would pay the government a set amount of money to collect taxes from a certain area. Whatever he collected above that amount was his profit. He was known for being very tough when collecting these taxes.

He also gained control over many profitable businesses. These included:

• The salt mines in a city called Anchialos.
• The customs duties (taxes on goods) in Istanbul (which was then called Constantinople).
• Fishing rights.
• The fur trade with Russia. This fur trade alone brought him about 60,000 ducats (a type of gold coin) every year!

Michael's wealth was so great that after the Ottoman fleet (navy) was destroyed in a big battle in 1571, he was able to pay for and equip 60 new warships all by himself. His power was also strong because he had close friends in high places, especially the powerful Grand Vizier (a top minister) named Sokollu Mehmed Pasha. These powerful friends shared in his profits.

Because of his wealth and connections, Michael became the most important and influential Greek leader in the Ottoman capital. People at the time even called him "the pillar" of the Greek people, and one scholar called him "the God" of the Greeks. To show his power, he used a special seal on his letters that had a double-headed eagle, a symbol used by the old Byzantine emperors.

Michael's Influence on Leaders

Michael used his power to influence who got important jobs within the Greek Orthodox community. This included positions like:

• Bishops in different areas.
• The Patriarch of Constantinople, who was the head of the Greek Orthodox Church.
• Even the rulers of two important regions called Moldavia and Wallachia.

For example, in 1565, he helped remove the popular Patriarch Joasaph II and put Metrophanes III in his place. Michael had also helped Metrophanes become a bishop before. In return, Metrophanes promised to pay Michael a large sum of money each year. A lot of this money then went to Michael's powerful friend, Sokollu Mehmed.

Even though Metrophanes first helped Michael, they later had a disagreement. Metrophanes was removed from his position in 1572. Michael also played a part in the downfall of the ruler of Wallachia, Prince Peter. It seems Michael gained control over the money from both Wallachia and Moldavia, and he taxed them heavily.

The Fall of a Powerful Man

Michael Kantakouzenos preferred to live in Anchialos, a city mostly inhabited by Greeks. There, he built an amazing palace that cost 20,000 ducats. People said it was so grand that it could compete with the Sultan's own palace!

However, Michael's lavish lifestyle and huge wealth made many people, both Greeks and Turks, jealous and angry. When his powerful friend, Sokollu Mehmed, started to lose influence, Michael's enemies saw their chance.

In July 1576, Michael was arrested, and all his property was taken away. But thanks to Sokollu Mehmed's help, he managed to save his life and get released. Michael was able to get his fortune back, but he was soon accused again of plotting against the Sultan.

Finally, on March 3, 1578, Michael Kantakouzenos was hanged at the gate of his own palace in Anchialos.

After his death, all his belongings were sold off. This included a huge collection of silk, brocaded, and velvet clothes, decorated with gold and jewels. He also had many horses and other valuable items. The sale was so big that for generations afterward, people would say "bought at Şeytanoğlu's auction" to mean something was a great deal. Michael also had a large library with many valuable old books, which were mostly bought by the monasteries on Mount Athos.

Michael's Family

Michael Kantakouzenos was married twice. We don't know much about his first wife, but they had at least one daughter.

His second wife was a daughter of Prince Mircea, a ruler of Wallachia.

Michael had three sons who survived him:

• Andronikos (born 1553)
• Demetrios (born 1566)
• John (born 1570)

Andronikos, his oldest son, managed to get back some of his father's wealth. Like his father, Andronikos became very influential in choosing the rulers of Wallachia. For example, he helped make Michael the Brave the prince of Wallachia in 1593. Two of Andronikos's sisters also married important princes.