I Became the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire

Fire Dragon (2)

The sound of an explosion erupted with flames, and a person screamed while bleeding.

The subjects who came to see the padishah were frozen in place, unsure of what was happening, only grasping the situation when shouts to catch the assassins ensued.

As soldiers drew their swords and surrounded the square, the subjects fell into extreme confusion.

Worried that they might get caught in the crossfire with the assassins, they instinctively moved away from them.

The square, packed with people, was thrown into chaos, and as the risk of casualties among the subjects increased, a gunshot rang out once again.

– Stop!

Yusuf stood calmly and fired his pistol into the air despite the assassination attempt, leisurely looking around at the stunned subjects watching him.

His attitude made it seem as if it were merely a trivial matter, and the subjects halted their actions, allowing the soldiers to capture the assassins without significant casualties.

Although they captured the assassins without major damage, everyone knew this was not the end of the matter.

Even if the target were a high official, the Empire would be thrown into an uproar if they attempted to assassinate the padishah in a public space, and needless to say, they were caught.

A state of emergency akin to wartime enveloped the capital, and as the investigation results were announced under frozen conditions in the Empire—

– The results of the intelligence agency’s investigation indicate the actions of those who believe extremely in Islam. They committed this crime believing that the padishah’s reputation threatened that of the great prophet, Muhammad…

Once the results of the investigation were revealed, the Empire was even more shaken than upon learning about the assassination attempt.

“Isn’t the investigation result strange? I can’t understand why they would attempt to assassinate the padishah, who is also a caliph.”

“They probably wouldn’t lie about something like this. I see a possibility. Every time rumors circulate about the padishah being a prophet, the reactions from Islamic figures aren’t positive.”

The people gathered at the coffeehouse nodded in agreement.

While they could be arrested for insulting the padishah, they never formally objected to the rumor of him being a prophet, but it wasn’t uncommon for those who claimed Yusuf was a prophet to be attacked.

It wouldn’t be odd if such a radical reaction manifested itself in the worst form of attempting to assassinate the padishah, and the perceptive ones focused on the description of “extreme.”

‘They drew the line to prevent harm from reaching ordinary believers in Islam.’

‘The problem is how far that extreme designation is drawn.’

The Ottoman Empire was not composed solely of Muslims, and unlike previous padishahs, Yusuf had received enthusiastic support from Christians by abolishing past discriminations.

If it had stopped at merely using the term “extreme” without specifying, it could lead to a collision between the two major religions within the Empire.

From the announcement alone, it felt as though they were approaching this situation cautiously, yet it was unimaginable that it would pass without any changes.

And this thought turned out to be spot on.

Clank! Clank!

Pilgrims visiting Mecca, one of Islam’s three holy sites, dodged soldiers entering the city.

Given the area, seeing Africans wasn’t unusual, but there was only one person leading a unit composed entirely of Africans in the Ottoman Empire.

“Welcome, Prince Murad.”

“It is unfortunate to meet in such circumstances, Sharif.”

The term “Sharif,” meaning noble, indicated Mecca’s governor responsible for protecting the pilgrims visiting the city.

Choosing to submit quickly to the Ottomans after the fall of the Mamluk, Sharif Abu Numai II had significant autonomy in the Hejaz region along the eastern coast of the Red Sea, including Mecca, Medina, and Jeddah, yet his expression was dark.

A guest had already arrived before Murad.

The Janissaries, armed with muskets and wearing tall hats, patrolled Mecca with a fierce demeanor, and scenes of bound men being dragged away were also visible.

It was not difficult to recognize scholars of Islam like the ulama, and a group of men appeared, seemingly having heard about Murad’s visit.

A gruff-looking man with a large scar on his face bowed to Murad.

“It’s been a long time, Prince Murad.”

“I didn’t expect you to come all the way here, Hasan Shaytan Pasha. If I had known you would come personally, I would have tailored my approach accordingly.”

In the Hejaz region, the Sharif held tremendous authority due to being from the same clan as Muhammad and ruling the area for centuries.

Had a mediocre figure come, they would have likely been unable to conduct a proper investigation due to pressure.

‘But Hasan is different.’

Hasan was the sharpest sword Yusuf possessed, and merely looking at the situation in Mecca revealed how effective that sword was.

“Let’s discuss the details inside.”

Only seeing Hasan taking charge despite the presence of the Sharif indicated the unfolding events.

Seating Murad at the head of the table, Hasan sharply remarked,

“Sharif, do not forget that your neck remains attached due to the padishah’s grace.”

“…I understand.”

The Sharif replied weakly.

Mecca was the site where the most Islamic scholars gathered, and religious research was most active.

As the main culprits and accomplices in this incident hailed from Mecca, it would not be an overstatement to say that the Sharif’s head should roll several times over.

“I was appalled by the investigation results. I never expected there would be so many who blasphemed against the padishah. It seemed natural for traitors to emerge from here.”

“That’s not the case.”

“Right now!”

Cutting off the Sharif’s rebuttal with a shout, Hasan glared at him with fierce eyes.

“Are you implying there’s a lie in my investigation?”

The intensity of Hasan’s gaze, having faced death countless times, was something the Sharif, who had peacefully lived in Mecca all his life, could hardly endure.

Already caught in the Empire’s fury over the assassination attempt against the padishah, he had no more words to say and had no choice but to be expelled in a manner akin to being chased out.

After kicking the Sharif out, Hasan sat down leisurely, looking as if he hadn’t looked worried for a day in his life, and Murad asked,

“What are your father’s plans?”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t play coy. Your father wouldn’t willingly subject himself to an assassination attempt like this.”

It was impossible for a man who had survived through the precariousness of being the youngest prince to get caught up in a sloppy assassination plot now that he wielded absolute power.

With that firm belief, Hasan curled the corners of his mouth into a smile.

“The padishah does not torment innocent subjects. He might stir things up a bit to control variables, however.”

With the assertion that innocent people wouldn’t be turned into assassins, Murad relaxed his stern expression and rose from his seat.

“Then that’s good.”

“Are you leaving already after just arriving?”

“I can’t stay in a situation where I should unwind, and my curiosity has been satisfied, so I must return.”

As Murad waved his hand and disappeared, Hasan shook his head disapprovingly.

Though it wasn’t something to say to royalty, he was a quirky one.

*

The intelligence agency was so deeply involved in the assassination plan that tracing those involved would be an easy task.

They identified those directly and indirectly associated with the assassination, as well as those who reacted sensitively in the investigation regarding the rumors of Yusuf being a prophet, resulting in the numbers swelling to hundreds.

Many respected scholars from Mecca were among them, and it wouldn’t be overkill to say that Mecca had turned into a shambles.

Leaning back in his chair after receiving the final report, Yusuf pondered.

“Şemsi Pasha, what is religion?”

It wasn’t simply a question about Islam but a more encompassing inquiry, and Şemsi hesitated to respond.

“In the end, it is education.”

Allah, heaven, the afterlife, achieving enlightenment, nirvana, etc.

Setting aside personal beliefs, if the state evaluates the value of religion, Yusuf would say it functions as education.

“Just looking at the Ten Commandments shows it teaches the basic ethics for humans to live as humans and stabilizes society.”

Although Islam does not regard the Bible as an absolute authority and therefore does not overly value the Ten Commandments, they consider Moses and Jesus as prophets and thus, commands similar to the Ten Commandments exist in the Quran.

In a time without public education, religion served as an excellent tool for teaching such universal ethics.

Following the teachings of religion alone, it would be hard for serious crimes to arise.

“But what should we do if that religion shakes society instead?”

“Then we must correct it, right?”

“Of course, that’s how it should be.”

From a modern perspective, Islam has many sharp edges.

Many elements of gender discrimination, such as honor killings, exist, and there are verses in the Quran that say to strike the necks of infidels during war (jihad).

The term jihad could be used in various contexts beyond merely meaning holy war, which creates a problem of easily justifying murder.

‘I understand it isn’t unreasonable.’

Considering the era when Muhammad preached Islam and the surrounding circumstances, the excessiveness of the Quran becomes comprehensible.

Even Muhammad faced numerous life-threatening situations due to frequent wars, so it’s natural that it could be more extreme than other religions.

However, that was a long time ago, and in a time where the number of Muslims has grown, maintaining doctrines established to withstand persecution poses a significant risk.

“The situation at hand is favorable. The anger towards extreme Islamic figures runs deep within the Empire.”

The expression “extreme” was critical.

Are humans social beings? Muslims were more enraged by this incident than people of other religions, and a public sentiment formed that demanded severe punishment.

As if to prove that they had no relation to the incident, they expressed their ire even more vehemently than others.

“If we are in such a situation, intervening in the holy Quran may be possible.”

“Even with the reputation of being a prophet, it won’t be easy.”

“I’m not thinking of changing the Quran.”

Islam is such that they wouldn’t even attempt to translate the Quran written in Arabic for fear of altering its meaning.

“However, it may be possible to slightly clarify the contents of the Quran and gloss over nonsense that ordinary Muslims can agree with.”

Narrowing down situations described as jihad to war or placing greater emphasis on the strict prohibition of honor killings, one could certainly find room for intervention.

With near-absolute secular power and holding the position of caliph, this opportunity for Muslims desiring change must not be missed.

“And I plan to abolish religious laws like Sharia applicable in the Empire and enact laws that apply to all subjects.”

Currently, the Ottoman Empire runs a millet system where communities of different cultures and religions can govern themselves to manage subjects with diverse beliefs smoothly.

They punish based on religious laws like Sharia, which is the Islamic legal system, including how strict countries manage these laws even today, much like Saudi Arabia does by cutting off hands for theft.

There have even been issues where refugees created their own Sharia police to punish offenders.

For the future, there’s a need to address this during this opportunity.

“It would be better to create a higher law that incorporates religious laws rather than simply declaring their abolition.”

“To minimize issues, it would be wise to proceed in that manner.”

“I expect to be quite busy for a while.”

Gathering Islamic figures who obey Yusuf, including Shaykh al-Islam, to fix matters ahead would undoubtedly burden the officials with substantial workloads.

Recalling the coffee-stained days, Yusuf stated meaningfully to Şemsi.

“If only the work were limited to internal organization, that would be fortunate.”

“…Your Majesty?”

At Şemsi’s look of confusion over what he was plotting, Yusuf grinned slyly.

*

“I will execute the judgment!”

The subjects in the capital gazed upon a device they had never seen before.

A guillotine loomed threateningly above the throat of the kneeling execution prisoner on the platform.

Witnessing a guillotine for the first time, the subjects whispered among themselves.

“The padishah is quite merciful. How can he send off such scoundrels so comfortably?”

“They’ll die with a single blow and without pain.”

It is not an ordinary feat to sever a neck clean with a blade, so typically, one would swing the axe down multiple times like chopping wood to carry out an execution.

Even beheading, the most humane form of execution, is still a brutal process, let alone an execution involving torture.

It was only natural that subjects expressed tirades against the prisoners about to be executed.

The cries filled with anger towards the would-be assassins resonated through the square as blood flowed from the guillotine.

Close to a hundred related individuals were executed, and the square was filled with shouts carrying outrage towards the assassination attempt.

Once the executions concluded and the new direction for reforms was announced, an odd rumor began to circulate among the people.

– The Portuguese were involved in the assassination of the padishah.

While the criminals that could protest were all dead, this strange rumor quickly spread.

This occurred shortly before the arrival of the Habsburg envoy for mediation.