Mustafa II Facts for Kids

Mustafa II was an important sultan of the Ottoman Empire. He ruled from 1695 to 1703. He was born on February 6, 1664, and passed away on December 29, 1703.

Early Life
Reign as Sultan
Personal Interests
Family Life
- Consorts
- Sons
- Daughters
Death
Images for kids
See also

Early Life

Mustafa II was born at Edirne Palace on February 6, 1664. His father was Sultan Mehmed IV. His mother was Gülnuş Sultan, who came from a Greek family in Crete.

Mustafa spent his childhood in Edirne. He began his education at a young age. He learned writing from the famous calligrapher Hafiz Osman.

Reign as Sultan

The Great Turkish War

When Mustafa II became sultan, the Great Turkish War was still happening. This war had started in 1683. The Holy League, a group of European countries, had taken over many parts of the Ottoman Empire in Europe. Their armies even reached Niš in modern-day Serbia.

Sultan Mustafa II wanted to win back the lands lost in Hungary. He personally led his armies into battle. He started his campaigns from Niš with a large Ottoman Army.

Battles and Victories

First, the Ottoman Navy won back the island of Chios. They defeated the Venetian fleet twice in February 1695. These victories were in the Battle of the Oinousses Islands and the Battle of Chios.

In June 1695, Mustafa II began his first military campaign against the Habsburg Empire. By September 1695, the town of Lipova was captured. The Ottoman Navy also defeated the Venetian Navy again. A few days later, the Habsburg army was defeated in the Battle of Lugos.

Meanwhile, the Ottoman fortress in Azov was successfully defended against Russian forces. The recovery of Chios was a big success. It was celebrated with large parties in Edirne.

More Campaigns and Losses

In April 1696, Mustafa II started his second campaign against the Habsburg Empire. In August 1696, Russian forces captured Azov. However, Ottoman troops won battles against the Habsburg army. They captured Timișoara. After these wins, the army returned to the Ottoman capital.

In June 1697, Mustafa II began his third campaign. But the Ottoman Army suffered a big defeat in the Battle of Zenta. The Grand Vizier, Elmas Mehmed Pasha, died in this battle. After this, the Ottomans signed a peace treaty with the Holy League.

The most difficult event of his rule was losing Hungary. This happened with the Treaty of Karlowitz in 1699.

Mustafa II tried to make the Sultan's power stronger. This power had become less important since the mid-1600s. He tried to make the position of timars, who were Ottoman cavalrymen, hereditary. This would make them loyal to him. However, the timars were becoming less important in the Ottoman military.

Mustafa II is Deposed

Mustafa's plan did not work. Soldiers who were unhappy started a rebellion in the capital. This event is known as the "Edirne event". Because of this, Mustafa II was removed from power on August 22, 1703. His brother, Ahmed III, became the new sultan.

Personal Interests

Mustafa II was known for his red beard and majestic look. He enjoyed hunting and entertainment, much like his father. He was also interested in literature and wrote poems. He was skilled in calligraphy and archery.

Family Life

Mustafa II had several consorts and many children. After he was removed from power, some of his consorts were married to other people by order of the new sultan, Ahmed III.

Consorts

Mustafa II had at least ten consorts. Some of the notable ones include:

Alicenab Kadın: She was his first imperial consort until she passed away.
Afife Kadın: She was Mustafa's most loved consort. She had five sons with him, but sadly, they all died as babies. She also had a daughter.
Saliha Kadın: She became the mother of Sultan Mahmud I.
Şehsuvar Kadın: She became the mother of Sultan Osman III.

Sons

Mustafa II had at least eight sons. Two of them later became sultans:

Mahmud I (born 1696): He became the 24th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire.
Osman III (born 1699): He became the 25th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire.
Other sons included Şehzade Mehmed, Şehzade Hasan, Şehzade Hüseyn, Şehzade Selim, Şehzade Ahmed, and Şehzade Suleyman. Many of them died when they were very young.

Daughters

Mustafa II had at least twelve daughters. Some of them were:

Ayşe Sultan (born 1696)
Emine Sultan (born 1696)
Safiye Sultan (born 1696)
Emetullah Sultan (born 1701)

Death

After he was removed from power, Mustafa II was kept in the Kafes (a special part of the palace where princes were confined). He stayed there for four months. He passed away on December 29, 1703. He was buried next to his grandmother in the New Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.

Images for kids

The Battle of Zenta, a major defeat for the Ottoman Empire during Mustafa II's reign.

Mustafa II facts for kids

Contents