Bayezid II

Bayezid II was the son of Mehmed II, the conqueror of Constantinople, and Gülbahar Hatun, an Albanian concubine. He was born in Demotika, a town in Thrace, and educated in Amasya, where he served as a governor for 27 years. He fought in the Battle of Otlukbeli against the Aq Qoyunlu in 1473. He became the sultan of the Ottoman Empire in 1481, after his father's death and a brief civil war with his younger brother Cem, who claimed the throne and sought support from the Mamluks and the Knights of St. John. Cem was eventually captured by the Knights and handed over to Pope Innocent VIII, who hoped to use him as a tool to drive the Turks out of Europe. However, Cem died in Naples in 1495, before any crusade could materialize. Bayezid II was known as a patron of western and eastern culture, as well as a just and benevolent ruler. He improved the administration of the empire, reformed the tax system, built schools, hospitals, bridges, and mosques, and promoted trade and commerce. He also expanded the Ottoman navy and conquered the Venetian possessions in Morea, securing the Ottoman control of the eastern Mediterranean. He fought against the Safavid dynasty in Iran, which posed a threat to the Sunni Ottoman state with its Shia ideology and propaganda. He defeated the Safavid leader Ismail I in the Battle of Chaldiran in 1514, but failed to capture Tabriz, the Safavid capital. Bayezid II is also remembered for his humanitarian act of welcoming the Sephardi Jews who were expelled from Spain after the Alhambra Decree in 1492. He issued a decree that allowed the Jews to settle in the Ottoman lands, especially in Salonica, where they contributed to the economic and cultural development of the city. He also granted asylum to the Muslim refugees from Spain and Portugal, who faced persecution and forced conversion under the Inquisition. Bayezid II abdicated his throne in 1512, under pressure from his advisers and the Janissary corps, who favored his son Selim I over his other son Ahmed. He departed for retirement in his native Dimetoka, but he died on 26 May 1512 at Havsa, before reaching his destination. He was buried next to the Bayezid Mosque in Istanbul, which he had built during his reign.