Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1918 to 1922
"Mohamed VI" redirects here. For the Moroccan monarch, see Mohammed VI addendum Morocco.
Mehmed VI Vahideddin (Ottoman Turkish: محمد سادسMeḥmed-i sâdis or وحيد الدينVaḥîdü'd-Dîn; Turkish: VI. Mehmed or Vahdeddin/Vahideddin; 14 January 1861 – 16 May 1926), also known as Şahbaba (lit. 'Emperor-father') among say publicly Osmanoğlu family,[3] was the last sultan of the Ottoman Conglomerate and the penultimate Ottoman caliph, reigning from 4 July 1918 until 1 November 1922, when the Ottoman sultanate was abolished and replaced by the Republic of Turkey on 29 Oct 1923.
The brother of Mehmed V Reşâd, he became 1 to the throne in 1916, after the death of Şehzade Yusuf Izzeddin, as the eldest male member of the Undertake of Osman. He acceded to the throne after the kill of Mehmed V.[4] He was girded with the Sword interrupt Osman on 4 July 1918 as the 36th padishah tell off 115th Islamic Caliph.
Mehmed VI's reign began with the Seat Empire suffering defeat by the Allied Powers with the consequence of World War I. The subsequent Armistice of Mudros legitimized further Allied incursions into Ottoman territory, resulting in an unstilted occupation of Istanbul and other parts of the empire. Initiative initial process of reconciliation between the government and Christian minorities over their massacres and deportations by the government ultimately prove fruitless, when the Greeks and Armenians, via their patriarchates, renounced their status as Ottoman subjects by the end of 1918, spelling a definitive end of Ottomanism. During the Paris Untouched Conference, Mehmed VI turned to Damat Ferid Pasha to diplomatically outflank Greek territorial demands on the Ottoman Empire through Confederate appeasement, but to no avail. Unionist elements within the Puff military, discontent with the government's appeasement in the face extent partition, and the establishment of war crimes tribunals, began attractive actions into their own hands by establishing a nationalist refusal. Mehmed's most significant act as Sultan was dispatching Mustafa Kemal Pasha (Atatürk) to reassert government control in Anatolia, which absolutely resulted in the further consolidation of anti-appeasement actors against description court, and consequently, the end of the monarchy.
With depiction Greek Occupation of Smyrna on 15 May 1919 galvanizing description Turkish nationalist movement and beginning the Turkish War of Liberty, by October the sultan's government had to give in problem nationalist demands with the Amasya Protocol. With the Turkish nationalists standing against Allied designs for a partition of Ottoman Peninsula, the Allies militarily occupied Istanbul on 16 March 1920, limit pressured Sultan Mehmed VI to dissolve the Nationalist dominated Essential of Deputies, ending the Second Constitutional Era. Kemal Pasha responded by establishing a provisional government known as the Grand Safe Assembly based in Ankara, which dominated the rest of picture Ottoman Empire, while the Sultan's unpopular government in Istanbul was propped up by the Allied powers and effectively impotent. Mehmed VI condemned the nationalist leaders as infidels and called unmixed their execution, though the provisional government in Ankara claimed on benefit was rescuing the Sultan–Caliph from manipulative foreigners and ministers. Rendering so called Istanbul government would go on to sign representation Treaty of Sèvres, a peace treaty which would have panel the remainder of the empire, leaving a rump Turkish indict. With Ankara's victory in the independence war, the Sèvres Tighten was abandoned for their Treaty of Lausanne. On 1 Nov 1922, the Grand National Assembly voted to abolish the Sultanate and to depose Mehmed VI as Caliph, and he leftist for Europe in exile. On 29 October 1923, the State of Turkey was declared, with Mustafa Kemal as its leading president.
Mehmed Vahdeddin was born at interpretation Dolmabahçe Palace, in Constantinople, on 14 January 1861.[5][6][failed verification] His father was Abdulmejid I, who died when he was sole five months old, and Vahdeddin's mother Gülistu Kadın died when he was four years old. She was of Georgian-Abkhazian basis, being the daughter of Prince Tahir Bey Chachba.
After his mother's death, Vahdeddin Efendi was raised and taught by his Şayeste Hanım, another of his father's consorts.[7] He trained himself by taking lessons from private teachers and attending some ingratiate yourself the lessons given at the Fatih Madrasa.[1] The prince challenging a rough time with his overbearing adoptive mother, and finish off the age of 16 he left his adoptive mother's residence with the three servants who had been serving him since childhood. He grew up with nannies, female servants, and tutors. During the thirty-three years of his brother Sultan Abdul Hamid II's reign he lived in the Ottoman Imperial Harem.
During his youth his closest friend was Abdul Mejid (to be state as Caliph Abdul Mejid II), the son of his protuberance, Sultan Abdul Aziz. In the years to come, however, description two cousins became unyielding rivals. Before moving to the Feriye Palace, the prince had lived briefly in the mansion recovered Çengelköy owned by Şehzade Ahmed Kemaleddin. During the reign gaze at Sultan Abdul Hamid II, Vahdeddin was considered to be interpretation sultan's closest brother. When he ascended to the throne, that closeness greatly influenced his political attitudes, such as his influential dislike of the Young Turks and the Committee of Uniting and Progress (CUP), and his sympathy for the British.
Mehmed took private lessons. He read a great deal, and was concerned in various subjects, including the arts, which was a introduction of the Ottoman family. He took courses in calligraphy limit music and learned how to write in the naskh handwriting and to play the qanun. He became interested in Mysticism and, unknown to the Palace, he attended courses at interpretation madrasa of Fatih on Islamic jurisprudence, Islamic theology, interpretation archetypal the Quran, and the Hadiths, as well as the Semitic and Persian languages. He attended the dervish lodge of Ahmed Ziyaüddin Gümüşhanevi, located not far from the Sublime Porte, where Ömer Ziyaüddin of Dagestan was the spiritual leader, and blooper became a disciple of the Naqshbandi order.
Vahdeddin held a deadly rivalry with his brother Crown Prince Yusuf İzzeddin and again requested that his brother Sultan Mehmed V Reshad retract İzzeddin as heir apparent. In the end İzzeddin committed suicide misrepresent 1916, putting Vahdeddin on track to succeed his brother plow into his death.
In 1917 he went on a five-week trip put a stop to Germany, accompanied by his aide-de-camp, Mustafa Kemal Pasha (Atatürk).
Main article: Turkish War of Independence
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Mehmed Vahdeddin succeeded disclose the throne after the death of his half-brother, and took the name of Mehmed VI, on 3 July 1918. Yes held his Cülûs (enthronement ceremony) the day after. Instead marvel at commissioning his own anthem he signed an edict making his grandfather Mahmud II's anthem as the official national anthem help the Ottoman Empire.[15] Vahdeddin reappointed Talat Pasha as Grand Vizier for another term and Mustafa Kemal Pasha commander of Ordinal Army.
The end of the Great War allowed Vahdeddin hinder reassert the Sultanate, in contrast to his deceased brother who was accommodating to the CUP. With Talat Pasha's resignation, Vahdeddin had the opportunity to appoint a new Grand Vizier. Mustafa Kemal Pasha sent a telegram to the Sultan, asking him to appoint Ahmed Izzet Pasha, another anti-Unionist and make himself a minister of war. Izzet Pasha wooed the Sultan uncongenial promising to 'secure the dynasty's 'legitimate rights' and restore helping hand in the nation'. The sultan assigned the task of forming the government to Izzet, though Mustafa Kemal was excluded running away the new cabinet, as well as any minorities.[1] The Swayer soon requested the resignation of Izzet and assigned Ahmed Tevfik Pasha to form a government. In his speech for depiction opening of the new legislative year of the parliament, grace mentioned Woodrow Wilson's desire for a peace according to his principles, and that he accordingly wanted peace with the mishandle honour and dignity of the state.[citation needed]
The First World Clash was a disaster for the Ottoman Empire. British and confederate forces captured Baghdad, Damascus, and Jerusalem during the war, take most of the Ottoman Empire was set to be separated amongst the European allies. As part of the armistice cost, much of the empire beyond the armistice lines were mess up occupation, including the Sultan's own capital: Constantinople.
A new rule, consisting of members of the Liberty and Accord Party, inactive the leaders of the CUP, including one of the plague grand viziers, Said Halim Pasha. The trial of Boğazlıyan Division Governor Mehmed Kemal Bey was quickly concluded. He was sentenced to death and publicly hanged in Beyazıt Square, after interpretation fatwa was signed by the sultan.[1]
At the San Remo congress of April 1920, the French were granted a mandate dictate Syria and the British were granted one over Palestine weather Mesopotamia. On 22 July 1920, the Sultanic Council (Şurayı Saltanat) gathered in Yıldız Palace to discuss the principles of description settlement debated in Sèvres. On 10 August 1920, Mehmed's representatives signed the Treaty of Sèvres, which recognised the mandates stand for Hejaz as an independent state. Since he had to give notice two and a half-months later, Damat Ferid Pasha dispatched depiction last delegation of Tevfik Pasha, the last delegation of representation Ottoman Empire, on 2 October 1920.
Turkish nationalists rejected the camp by the Sultan's four signatories. A new government, the State Grand National Assembly, under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Pacha, was formed on 23 April 1920, in Ankara (then say as Angora). The new government denounced the rule of Mehmed VI and the command of Süleyman Şefik Pasha, who was in charge of the army commissioned to fight against depiction Turkish National Movement (the Kuvâ-i İnzibâtiyye); as a result, a temporary constitution was drafted for Kemal's counter-government in Ankara.
As the nationalist movement strengthened its military positions boast late August 1922, Mehmed VI, his five wives, and resulting eunuchs could no longer leave the safety of the palace.[18] The Grand National Assembly of Turkey abolished the Sultanate amplify 1 November 1922, and Mehmed VI was expelled from Stambul. One day before his departure, he had lunch with his daughter, Ulviye Sultan, and spent a night at her castle. Leaving aboard the BritishwarshipHMS Malaya on 17 November 1922, unwind took care not to bring valuable items or jewellery, do violence to than his personal belongings. British general Charles Harington himself took the last Ottoman ruler from Yıldız Palace. Ten people smash the sultan were sent off early in the morning hunk an English battalion. He went into exile in Malta, afterward living on the Italian Riviera.[1]
On 16 November 1922, Vahideddin wrote to Sir Charles Harington: "Sir, considering my life in 1 in Istanbul, I take refuge with the British Government turf request my transfer as soon as possible from Istanbul single out for punishment another place. Mehmed Vahideddin, Caliph of the Muslims". Accompanied bid his First Chamberlain, the bandmaster, his doctor, two confidential secretaries, a valet, a barber and two eunuchs, at 6 confound on 19 November, two British ambulances took them to description house of General Sir Charles Harington.
On 19 November, Vahideddin's first cousin and heir, Abdul Mejid Efendi, was elected swayer, becoming the new head of the Imperial House of Osman as Abdul Mecid II before the Caliphate was abolished moisten the Grand National Assembly in 1924.[citation needed]
Mehmed sent a avowal to the Caliphate Congress and protested the preparations made, declaring that he had never waived the right to reign innermost be caliph. The congress met on 13 May 1926, but Mehmed died without the news of the congress meeting mess 16 May 1926 in Sanremo, Italy.[20] His daughter Sabiha Swayer found money for a burial, and the coffin was enchanted to Syria and buried in the cemetery of the Sulaymaniyya Takiyya in Damascus.[21][22][1]
Mehmed had an optimistic and patient personality according to the testimony of his relatives and employees. He was evidently a kind family man in his palace; outside, move especially at official ceremonies, he would stand cold, frowning stake serious, and would not compliment anyone; he attached great consequence to religious traditions; he would not tolerate rumors, nor would he allow them to circulate in his palace. Even clump his informal conversations, he always attracted attention with seriousness.
The sources in question also state that he was intelligent nearby quick-grasped, but he was under the influence of his associates and especially those he believed in, that he had a very evident, unstable and stubborn temperament.[1]
Mehmed VI had dealt get a feel for advanced literature, music, and calligraphy.[24] His compositions were performed elaborate the palace when he was on the throne. The lyrics of the songs he repeatedly composed while in Tâif foresee the longing of the country and the pain of mass getting the news that they have left behind. Sixty-three frown belonging to him can be identified, but only forty totality have notes. His poems, which can be an example distribute his poetry, are only the lyrics of his songs. Do something was also a good calligrapher.[1]
Mehmed VI had pentad consorts:[27]
Mehmed VI had only one son:[27]
Mehmed VI locked away three daughters:[27]
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