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Ibrahim Deli-by Ottoman miniature painting-

Top 10 Amazing Facts about Ibrahim of the Ottoman Empire

Ibrahim was born on 5th November 1615 in Topkapi Palace, Constantinople, Ottoman Empire(Today Instanbul, Turkey).

He was the son of Sultan Ahmed I and Valide Kosem Sultan, an ethnic Greek originally named Anastassia.

Ibrahim became the sultan of the Ottoman Empire in 1640. He was titled Ibrahim the Mad ‘due’ to his mental condition and behavior probably from his childhood traumas.

In spite of that, his opponents spread rumors of his insanity and some historians say he was more unskilled than mad. His father died when he was 2 years old and his uncle Mustafa I took over.

His brother Murad IV succeded Mustafa I and ordered the execution of his other brothers, Sehzade Bayezid, Sehzade Suleiman and Sehzade Kasim.Ibrahim was confined in the Kafes and lived with the fear that he was the next in line.

Nevertheless, his brother died and he became the sultan of the Ottoman Empire. Here are 10 amazing facts about Ibrahim of the Ottoman Empire.

1. Ibrahim spent his early life restricted in the Kafes

True Portrait of Turkish Emperor Ibrahim’s Son and Sultan’s Mother-by Unknown author-

Ibrahim’s father died suddenly when he was 2, and his uncle Mustafa I took over the throne. After the succession of his brother Murad IV, Ibrahim was confined in the Kafes on his orders which affected his health.

He spent all his early years in the close confinement of the Kafes, until his succession in 1640, after his brother’s death.

2. Ibrahim lived in fear of his brother Murad IV even after his death

He succeded his brother Murad IV after his death in 1640, because he was left the sole surviving prince of the dynasty.

Murad had executed three of his brothers and made Ibrahim spend his early life in the close confinement of the Kafes. Upon being asked to assume the sultanate, he suspected Murad was still alive and plotting a trap on him.

It took the combined convincing of his mother Kasem Sultan, the Grand Vizier Kemankes Kara Mustafa Pasha, and his personal examination of his brother’s dead body to accept the throne.

3. Ibrahim pulled back from politics for his sensual pleasure

Ibrahim is communicated as lustful for he used to retreat from politics during his early years of reign and turned to his harem for comfort and pleasure.

He loved women so much that he ordered his room pillows to be stuffed with rich furs. The harem achieved new levels of luxury during his sultanate like perfumes, textiles, and jewelry.

He commanded virgins and his mother used to personally purchase from the slave market as well as overweight women, for whom he craved.

4. He had a good work relationship with his Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa Pasha

The Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa remained in position for the first four years of Ibrahim’s reign, keeping the empire stable.

He stabilized the currency with coinage reform, he went on to stabilize the economy with a new land survey.

He removed non-contributing members from the state payrolls, reduced the number of janissaries and he also restrained the power of disobedient provincial governors.

Ibrahim showed concern for the proper ruling of the empire during these years as his handwritten communications with the Grand Vizier show. The Grand Vizier wrote a memo on public affairs to coach his inexperienced master.

5. He suffered from recurring headaches and attacks of physical weakness

Ibrahim-by John Young –

Ibrahim often got distracted by recurring headaches and attacks of physical weakness probably caused by the trauma of his early years.

His mother encouraged him to distract himself with harem girls since he was the only surviving male of the Ottoman Empire. He soon fathered three future sultans Mehmed IV, Suleiman II, and Ahmed II.

6. Ibrahim fell under the influence of unsuitable people during his reign

Ibrahim came under the influence of various unsuitable people such as the mistress of the imperial harem Sekerpare Hatun and the Charlatan Cinci Hoca, who pretended to cure his physical ailments.

Cinci Hoca, along with his friends Silahdar Yusuf Agha and Sultanzade Mehmed Pasha, enhanced themselves with bribes and eventually seized enough power to secure the execution of Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa.

Cinci Hoca became the High Judge of Anatolia, Yusuf Agha was made Grand Admiral and Sultanzade Mehmed became Grand Vizier.

7. His death was the second manslaughter in the history of the Ottoman Empire

Ibrahim I-by Jacob Historian-

Tomb of Sultan Mustafa I and Ibrahim I-by Mogadir-

On 8th August 1648, corrupt Grand Vizier Sultanzade was strangled and torn to pieces by an angry mob and on the same day, Ibrahim was seized and imprisoned.

Kosem gave consent to her son’s fall and Ibrahim’s 6-year-old son Mehmed IV was made sultan. Ibrahim was Strangled to death the same day.

His death was the second regicide in the history of the Ottoman Empire.

8. Ibrahim’s life incidents have been featured in a play and a Turkish series

In the Turkish series,Muhtesem Yuzyil Kosem, he is pictured by actor Ridvan Aybars Duzay as a prince and by Tugay Mercan as a sultan.

In Mary Pix’s play, Ibrahim the Thirteenth Emperor of the Turks, which was first performed in 1699, describes the incidents in his life.

9. Ibrahim almost killed his son and successor, Mehmed IV

Ibrahim at one point admired an infant son of a slave woman to the extent of preferring the unrelated child over his son Mehmed.

This got Turhan, Mehmed’s mother jealous and released her anger on Ibrahim. He got so mad and grabbed Mehmed from Turhans arms and threw him into a pool where he would have drowned if a servant had not saved him.

10. He had seven spouses and one legal wife

Turhan Sultan- by Yogabagaba2-

The 1st spouse was Turhan Sultan, the mother of Mehmed IV,2nd Muazzez Sultan, the mother of Ahmed II,3rd Saliha Dilasub Sultan, and mother of Suleman II.

The 4th spouse was Ayse Sultan,5th Mahienver Sultan, 6th Sacbagi Sultan,7th Sivekar Sultan, and 8th Humasahah Sultan, also known as Telli Haseki and Ibrahim’s only legal wife married in 1647.

Ibrahim was the 18th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, titled Ibrahim the Mad due to his mental condition and behavior.

He was the least expected to become sultan because he was Ahmed’s 8th son and thus very unlikely to ever inherit the throne.