Abdulaziz

Abdülâziz was the 32nd sultan of the Ottoman Empire and the 111th caliph of Islam. He ascended to the throne in 1861, after the death of his brother Abdulmejid I. He was an ambitious and energetic ruler, who sought to modernize and reform the Ottoman state. He was especially interested in the development of the Ottoman navy, which became the third largest in the world by 1875. He also initiated several public works projects, such as railways, telegraphs, bridges, and schools. He was the first Ottoman sultan to visit Western Europe, traveling to France, Britain, and Austria in 1867. He was impressed by the achievements of the Western civilization, and tried to adopt some of their ideas and practices in his own empire. He also supported the arts and sciences, and was a patron of literature and music. He composed some classical music pieces, which were collected in the album European Music at the Ottoman Court. He was also a collector of paintings, jewels, and books. He faced many challenges and difficulties during his reign, such as the Crimean War, the Russo-Turkish War, the Balkan uprisings, the Egyptian question, and the financial crisis. He was unable to cope with the internal and external pressures, and became increasingly autocratic and paranoid. He was deposed by a coup d'état in 1876, led by his ministers and relatives, who accused him of mismanaging the Ottoman economy and affairs. He was confined to the Feriye Palace, where he died six days later from a hemorrhage. His death was officially declared as a suicide, but some sources claim that he was murdered by his captors. He was buried in the Tomb of Sultan Mahmud II in Istanbul. He was succeeded by his nephew Murad V, who was also deposed shortly after.