History of the Russian Monarchy

The creation of the summer residence of the Russian emperors, Tsarskoye Selo, largely depended on personal tastes, and sometimes simply the whims of its changing august owners. Since 1834, Tsarskoe Selo has become a “sovereign” estate belonging to the reigning monarch. From that time on, it could not be bequeathed, was not subject to division or any form of alienation, but was transferred to the new king upon his accession to the throne. Here, in a cozy corner, next to the capital St. Petersburg, imperial family was not only an august family whose life was elevated to the rank of state policy, but also a numerous friendly family, with all the interests and joys inherent in the human race.

EMPEROR PETER I

Peter I Alekseevich (1672-1725) - Tsar since 1682, Emperor since 1721. Son of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (1629-1676) from his second marriage to Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina (1651-1694). Statesman, commander, diplomat, founder of the city of St. Petersburg. Peter I was married twice: with his first marriage - to Evdokia Fedorovna Lopukhina (1669-1731), with whom he had a son, Tsarevich Alexei (1690-1718), executed in 1718; two sons who died in infancy; second marriage - to Ekaterina Alekseevna Skavronskaya (1683-1727; later Empress Catherine I), from whom he had 9 children, most of whom, with the exception of Anna (1708-1728) and Elizabeth (1709-1761; later Empress Elizaveta Petrovna), died minors. During the Northern War (1700-1721), Peter I annexed to Russia the lands along the Neva River, Karelia and the Baltic States, previously conquered by Sweden, including the territory with the manor - Saris hoff, Saaris Moisio, on which a ceremonial summer residence was later created Russian emperors - Tsarskoe Selo. In 1710, Peter I gave the manor to his wife Ekaterina Alekseevna, and the manor was named “Sarskaya” or “Sarskoye Selo”.

EMPRESS CATHERINE I

Catherine I Alekseevna (1684-1727) - Empress since 1725. She ascended the throne after the death of her husband, Emperor Peter I (1672-1725). She was declared queen in 1711, empress in 1721, and crowned in 1724. She was united in church marriage with Emperor Peter I in 1712. The daughter of the Lithuanian peasant Samuil Skavronsky bore the name Marta before accepting Orthodoxy. The first royal owner of Sarskoye Selo, the future Tsarskoye Selo, after whom the Great Tsarskoye Selo Palace was later named Catherine's Palace. Under her rule, the first stone structures were erected here in 1717-1723, which formed the basis of the Catherine Palace, and part of the regular park was laid out.

EMPEROR PETER II

Peter II Alekseevich (1715 - 1730) - Emperor since 1727. Son of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich (1690-1718) and Princess Charlotte-Christina-Sophia of Brunswick - Wolfenbüttel (died 1715); grandson of Peter I (1672-1725) and Evdokia Lopukhina (1669-1731). He ascended the throne after the death of Empress Catherine I in 1727, according to her will. After the death of Catherine I, the Sarskoe village was inherited by her daughter Tsarevna Elizaveta (1709-1761; future Empress Elizaveta Petrovna). At this time, the wings of the Great (Catherine) Palace were erected here and the park and improvement of reservoirs were further developed.

EMPRESS ANNA IOANOVNA

Anna Ioanovna (1693-1740) - Empress since 1730. Daughter of Tsar Ivan V Alekseevich (1666-1696) and Tsarina Praskovya Fedorovna, née Saltykova (1664-1723). She ascended the throne after the death of her cousin, Emperor Peter II (1715-1730), and was crowned in 1730. During this period, Sarskoe Selo (future Tsarskoe Selo) belonged to Princess Elizabeth (1709-1761; later Empress Elizaveta Petrovna) and was used as a country residence and hunting castle.

EMPEROR IVAN VI

John VI Antonovich (1740-1764) - Emperor from 1740 to 1741. The son of the niece of Empress Anna Ioannovna (1693-1740), Princess Anna Leopoldovna of Mecklenburg and Prince Anton-Ulrich of Brunswick-Lüneburg. He was elevated to the throne after the death of his great-aunt, Empress Anna Ioanovna, according to her will. On November 9, 1740, his mother Anna Leopoldovna carried out a palace coup and declared herself the ruler of Russia. In 1741, as a result of a palace coup, the ruler Anna Leopoldovna and the young Emperor John Antonovich were overthrown from the throne by Princess Elizabeth (1709-1761), daughter of Peter I (1672-1725). During this time, no significant changes occurred in Sarskoye Selo (the future Tsarskoye Selo).

EMPRESS ELIZAVETA PETROVNA

Elizaveta Petrovna (1709-1761) - empress since 1741, ascended the throne, overthrowing Emperor John VI Antonovich (1740-1764). Daughter of Emperor Peter I (1672-1725) and Empress Catherine I (1684-1727). She owned Sarskoye Selo (the future Tsarskoye Selo) since 1727, which was bequeathed to her by Catherine I. After her accession to the throne, Elizabeth Petrovna ordered a significant reconstruction and expansion of the Grand Palace (later the Catherine Palace), the creation of a New Garden and expansion of the old park, and the construction of Hermitage park pavilions , Grotto and others in Sarskoye Selo (later Tsarskoye Selo).

EMPEROR PETER III

Peter III Fedorovich (1728-1762) - Emperor from 1761 to 1762. Son of Duke Karl Friedrich of Holstein-Gottorp and Tsarevna Anna Petrovna (1708-1728), grandson of Emperor Peter I (1672-1725). Before accepting Orthodoxy, he bore the name Karl-Peter-Ulrich. The ancestor of the Holstein-Gottorp line of the House of Romanov on the Russian throne, which ruled until 1917. He was married to Princess Sophia-Frederike-August of Anhalt-Zerbst (1729-1796), who after accepting Orthodoxy received the name Ekaterina Alekseevna (later Empress Catherine II). From his marriage to Ekaterina Alekseevna he had two children: a son, Paul (1754-1801; future Emperor Paul I) and a daughter, who died in infancy. He was overthrown from the throne in 1762 as a result of a palace coup by his wife Ekaterina Alekseevna and killed. For a short reign Peter III There were no significant changes in the appearance of Tsarskoe Selo.

EMPRESS CATHERINE II

Catherine II Alekseevna (1729-1796) - Empress since 1762. She ascended the throne after overthrowing her husband, Emperor Peter III Fedorovich (1728-1762). German Princess Sophia Friederike Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst. After accepting Orthodoxy, she received the name Ekaterina Alekseevna. In 1745, she married the heir to the Russian throne, Peter Fedorovich, later Emperor Peter III. From this marriage she had two children: a son, Paul (1754-1801; future Emperor Paul I) and a daughter, who died in infancy. The reign of Catherine II significantly influenced the appearance of Tsarskoye Selo; it was under her that the former Sarskoye village began to be called that way. Tsarskoe Selo was the favorite summer residence of Catherine II. On her orders, the Great Palace was reconstructed (at the end of the reign of Catherine II it began to be called the Catherine Palace), new interiors were designed in it, the landscape part of the Catherine Park was created, park structures were erected: the Cameron Gallery, the Cold Bath, the Agate Rooms and others, and the Alexander Palace was built. palace

EMPEROR PAUL I

Pavel I Petrovich (1754-1801) - Emperor since 1796. Son of Emperor Peter III (1728-1762) and Empress Catherine II (1729-1796). He was married twice: with his first marriage (1773) to the German princess Wilhelmine-Louise of Hesse-Darmstadt (1755-1776), after accepting Orthodoxy, named Natalya Alekseevna, who died of childbirth in 1776; second marriage (1776) - to the German princess Sophia-Dorothea-Augustus-Louise of Württemberg (1759-1828; in Orthodoxy Maria Feodorovna), from whom he had 10 children - 4 sons, including the future emperors Alexander I (1777-1825 ) and Nicholas I (1796-1855), and 6 daughters. He was killed during a palace coup in 1801. Paul I did not like Tsarskoe Selo and preferred Gatchina and Pavlovsk to him. At this time, in Tsarskoe Selo, interiors in the Alexander Palace were being decorated for Grand Duke Alexander Pavlovich (later Emperor Alexander I), the eldest son of Emperor Paul I.

EMPEROR ALEXANDER I

Alexander I Pavlovich (1777-1825) - Emperor since 1801. The eldest son of Emperor Paul I (1754-1801) and his second wife Empress Maria Feodorovna (1759-1828). He ascended the throne after the assassination of his father, Emperor Paul I, as a result of a palace conspiracy. He was married to the German princess Louise-Maria-August of Baden-Baden (1779-1826), who adopted the name Elizaveta Alekseevna upon conversion to Orthodoxy, from whose marriage he had two daughters who died in infancy. During his reign, Tsarskoye Selo again acquired the importance of the main suburban imperial residence. New interiors were decorated in the Catherine Palace, and various structures were built in the Catherine and Alexander Parks.

EMPEROR NICHOLAS I

Nicholas I Pavlovich (1796-1855) - Emperor since 1825. Third son of Emperor Paul I (1754-1801) and Empress Maria Feodorovna (1759-1828). He ascended the throne after the death of his elder brother Emperor Alexander I (1777-1825) and in connection with the abdication of the throne by the second eldest son of Emperor Paul I, Grand Duke Constantine (1779-1831). He was married (1817) to the Prussian princess Frederica-Louise-Charlotte-Wilhelmina (1798-1860), who adopted the name Alexandra Feodorovna upon conversion to Orthodoxy. They had 7 children, including the future Emperor Alexander II (1818-1881). During this period, in Tsarskoe Selo, new interiors were being designed in the Catherine and Alexander Palaces, and the number of park buildings in the Catherine and Alexander Parks was expanding.

EMPEROR ALEXANDER II

Alexander II Nikolaevich (1818-1881) - Emperor since 1855. The eldest son of Emperor Nicholas I (1796-1855) and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (1798-1860). Statesman, reformer, diplomat. He was married to the German princess Maximilian Wilhelmina Augusta Sophia Maria of Hesse-Darmstadt (1824-1880), who after accepting Orthodoxy received the name Maria Alexandrovna. There were 8 children from this marriage, including the future Emperor Alexander III (1845-1894). After the death of his wife Maria Alexandrovna, in 1880 he entered into a morganatic marriage with Princess Ekaterina Mikhailovna Dolgorukova (1849-1922), who after her marriage to the emperor received the title of His Serene Highness Princess Yuryevskaya. From E.M. Dolgorukova, Alexander II had three children who inherited their mother’s surname and title. In 1881, Emperor Alexander II died from a bomb thrown at him by revolutionary terrorist I. I. Grinevitsky. During his reign, there were no significant changes in the appearance of the Tsarskoye Selo imperial residence. New interiors were created in the Catherine Palace and part of the Catherine Park was redeveloped.

EMPEROR ALEXANDER III

Alexander III Alexandrovich (1845-1894) - Emperor since 1881. Second son of Emperor Alexander II (1818-1881) and Empress Maria Alexandrovna (1824-1880). He ascended the throne after the assassination of his father, Emperor Alexander II, by a revolutionary terrorist in 1881. He was married (1866) to the Danish princess Maria Sophia Frederike Dagmar (1847-1928), who adopted the name Maria Feodorovna upon converting to Orthodoxy. From this marriage 6 children were born, including the future Emperor Nicholas II (1868-1918). At this time, there were no significant changes in the architectural appearance of Tsarskoye Selo; changes affected only the decoration of some interiors of the Catherine Palace.

EMPEROR NICHOLAS II

Nicholas II Alexandrovich (1868-1918) - the last Russian emperor - reigned from 1894 to 1917. Emperor's eldest son Alexandra III(1845-1894) and Empress Maria Feodorovna (1847-1928). He was married (1894) to the German princess Alice Victoria Helena Louise Beatrice of Hesse-Darmstadt (1872-1918), who after accepting Orthodoxy received the name Alexandra Feodorovna. From this marriage there were 5 children: daughters - Olga (1895-1918), Tatyana (1897-1918), Maria (1899-1918) and Anastasia (1901-1918); son - Tsarevich, heir to the throne Alexey (1904-1918). As a result of the revolution that took place in Russia on March 2, 1917, Emperor Nicholas II abdicated the throne. After the abdication, Nicholas II and his family were arrested and detained in the Alexander Palace in Tsarskoye Selo, from where on August 14, 1917, Nikolai Romanov and his family were sent to Tobolsk. On July 17, 1918, former Emperor Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra Feodorovna and five children were shot by order of the revolutionary government. During the reign of Nicholas II in Tsarskoe Selo, new interiors were being designed in the Alexander Palace, the construction of the Fedorovsky town in Tsarskoe Selo - an architectural ensemble designed in the forms of ancient Russian architecture.

It would seem that everything is simple in inheritance matters. The king dies, his eldest son sits on the throne. At least, this is what usually happens both in reality and in fantasy worlds. But there are so many pitfalls in this situation! What if there are no sons? Or no children at all. Or there is a God Emperor in power who has no plans to die at all. Different eras and states have given rise to many systems of succession to the throne, designed to solve potential problems.

Today, there are thirty monarchies in the world - both absolute and constitutional, and this is not counting the fifteen states that are members of the British Commonwealth of Nations and officially consider the Queen of England to be their monarch. That is, as many as forty-five monarchical states! Of course, this is very little compared to the world of two hundred years ago, but even in our time there are many interesting examples of succession to the throne.

In 1980, the famous Welsh playwright, writer and actor Emlyn Williams wrote the satirical novel Headlong. According to the plot of the book, during the celebration of the silver wedding of King George V and Queen Mary of Teck, a burning airship falls directly onto the festive site. The entire royal family dies, and the Prime Minister rushes to find the nearest living bearer of royal blood. The last one turns out to be 24-year-old failed actor Jack Green, the great-grandson (naturally, the bastard grandson) of Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence, Prince of Great Britain. And then education begins - the transformation of a dunce into a king.

Have you heard this somewhere before? Of course, the movie "King Ralph" with John Goodman leading role, a loose adaptation of Williams' book. But in reality it's not so fun. If the entire royal family were suddenly killed, who would take the throne? What actually are the rules of succession - not just in Britain, but in other monarchies?

BIRTHRIGHT

Historically, the most widespread principle of succession to the throne was the so-called Castilian, or English primogeniture, also known as the right of primogeniture. According to the rules of primogeniture, the eldest son of the monarch inherits the throne. If the eldest son died before the king, the second son died, and so on. Under the Castilian primogeniture, the king's daughters also have rights to the throne - if there are no sons at all: in this case, even if the king has younger brothers, the daughter has precedence over them. Simply put, sons have precedence over daughters, and children have precedence over uncles.

Primogeniture helped put on the crown, for example, of Elizabeth I of England, the last of the Tudors, although the history of her ascension to the throne was rather dark. The fact is that the father of the future queen, Henry VIII, had only three legitimate children - a son and two daughters, plus another officially recognized illegitimate, Henry Fitzroy. In fact, Henry had more bastards, but they were not considered heirs, and Fitzroy received the rights to the throne exceptionally when Henry was no longer young and no other sons were planned. But it so happened that in 1536, 17-year-old Henry died of consumption, but a year later the king finally had the long-awaited legitimate son!

This is where the confusion began. In 1547, Henry VIII died and his ten-year-old son Edward became king. After another six years, the young man died of tuberculosis - by right of primogeniture he should have inherited elder sister Maria. But Mary was a Catholic, and shortly before her death, Edward, persuaded by the regent John Dudley, removed her from the inheritance, “appointing a distant relative, the seventh water on jelly Jane Gray, as queen - in violation of the law. Indignant, Maria led an armed rebellion, and Privy Council quickly “rolled back” the decision - Jane, after nine days of reign, went to the Tower, and Henry’s eldest daughter became queen. But Mary Tudor died of a fever in 1558, without ever marrying, and in accordance with the primogeniture, the last sister remained among the heirs, youngest daughter Heinrich Elizabeth. Everyone has heard about her: The Iron Lady, she made England the greatest power in the world, spending forty-five years on the throne, outliving countless suitors and remaining childless, thus ending the Tudor line.

In general, primogeniture has one small bug: if a woman becomes queen, then the dynasty changes, since her children no longer bear her surname, but the surname of her husband. So in 1901, the British Hanover dynasty was replaced by the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha dynasty, now known as the Windsors (the name was changed in 1917 in order to get rid of the German roots in the surname during the war with Germany). This happened because Queen Victoria died and her son Edward bore the surname of his father, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. By the way, Victoria herself became queen in 1837 in a “circular” way: her grandfather George III had as many as nine sons, and Victoria’s father died before George, never having had time to be king! It was the primogeniture that played into Victoria’s hands - her father’s three older brothers did not leave legal heirs, and according to the primogeniture, it was Victoria, as the daughter of the fourth son, who had an advantage over the fifth son, Ernst August.

You will ask a natural question: there is now a woman on the throne of Great Britain, Elizabeth II! So her son Charles bears his father's name, Philip? Will the Windsor dynasty end? But no. Shortly after accession to the throne, on April 9, 1952, Elizabeth light hand grandmothers Queen Mary and Winston Churchill issued a proclamation stating that all of Elizabeth's descendants, without exception, would be known as members of the House of Windsor. That is, in essence, it prohibited the change of dynasty.

At the time, this made sense - the post-war situation remained unstable, and Philip was a member of the Battenberg dynasty (also known as Mountbatten after the anglicization of the surname), which once ruled Denmark and Greece. But the dynasty abdicated the Greek throne back in 1922, and grandmother Maria did not want her great-grandchildren to bear the name of the “fallen” dynasty. Subsequently, Elizabeth issued a second proclamation stating that descendants not claiming the throne have the right to bear the surname Mountbatten-Windsor, but for Philip this fact forever remained a dark spot in his relationship with his wife.

Today, the Castilian primogenitura operates in only two monarchical states - Spain and Monaco. In the UK, it was abolished in 2012 and replaced by Swedish, or absolute primogeniture, a system in which men have no advantage over women. That is, if there is an eldest daughter, she becomes the queen, even if all the other children are sons.

In addition to the UK, absolute primogeniture “works” in Sweden, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark and Luxembourg. This is a relatively new principle of succession to the throne - it was first introduced in Sweden in 1980 and has since gradually begun to spread throughout Europe.

SALIC LAW

The Salic system of succession to the throne was invented and once actively enforced by the Franks. In accordance with it, women are completely excluded from the right of inheritance - that is, this is the most severe of the variations of primogeniture. the exact opposite of absolute primogeniture. In addition to France, such a law was used by German and Italian principalities, as well as a number of other territories.

A number of curious stories are associated with the application of the Salic law. The most famous of them happened in 1316, when at the age of 26, King Louis X the Grumpy of France died for the stupidest reason. Louis was a fan of the game of jeu de paume, that is, the prototype of tennis. One fine hot day he played a lot, drank cold wine, played, drank, played, and eventually fell down with monstrous pneumonia, which quickly brought him to the grave. At that time, Louis's wife Clementia was pregnant - and everyone was waiting to see who would be born, a boy or a girl.

Meanwhile, Louis’s younger brother Philip became regent. At that time, the usual primogeniture was in force in France, and any child of Louis, regardless of gender, would have removed Philip from the throne. Therefore, Philip hastily “pushed” and issued a law introducing Salic law in order to exclude the girl and raise his chances of winning the throne to 50%. But he was unlucky: on November 15, 1316, six months after the death of the king, a boy was born, who was immediately declared king of France.

Of course, no one needed little John. Neither Philip, nor the king’s third brother Charles (by somehow poisoning Philip, he too could become king). And five days later John died for an unknown reason. But the Salic law introduced by Philip played against him: his only son died in infancy, and his daughters could not inherit the throne, and therefore, after Philip’s death six years later, Charles became king. However, Charles also had no living sons-heirs, and therefore in 1328 the Capetian dynasty was interrupted forever.

This is where the last incident arose. The closest relatives of the dynasty were Philip of Valois and King Edward III of Great Britain. According to Salic law, Philip was supposed to become king, and according to English primogeniture, Edward was supposed to become king. The first became king, the second did not recognize his rights - and this was the root cause of the Hundred Years' War between England and France.

The Salic law became the cause of conflicts in later times. For example, it was thanks to him that Luxembourg became a full-fledged state. The country gained independence from France back in 1815: after the division of the territories conquered by Napoleon, Luxembourg became a Grand Duchy in a union with the Netherlands, that is, the King of the Netherlands was at the same time the Duke of Luxembourg. On November 23, 1890, the next king of the Netherlands, Willem III, died without leaving any sons (all three of his male children died young). But in the Netherlands the usual primogeniture was in effect, and Willem's daughter Wilhelmina became queen. But Luxembourg inherited Salic law from France, and Wilhelmina had no right to the ducal title! Willem's closest male relative turned out to be the elderly Adolf, Count of Nassau - unexpectedly, the 73-year-old grandfather received the throne and an independent state to boot. Adolf's descendants still rule Luxembourg to this day, although Salic law was officially replaced by absolute primogeniture in 2011.

The only monarchy in the world where Salic law is still in effect today is Japan. Although there were some incidents here too. By 2006, Crown Prince Fumihito, the son of Emperor Akihito, was 41 years old, his wife was 39 years old, and they apparently had no plans for male children. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sounded the alarm and put forward for parliamentary discussion a law to replace Salic law with the so-called Austrian, or semi-Salic, system, in which a woman had the right to the throne in the event complete absence any male heirs in the family, including the most distant relatives. But Fumihito reacted like a man, and on September 6, 2006, his wife gave birth to a boy, Hisahito, the heir to the throne. The petition to change the law had to be withdrawn.

The semi-Salic law was applied in the past in Austria, Greece and Russian Empire. It is somewhat similar to primogeniture, but in accordance with last woman has an advantage over some men in the clan, but in the semi-Salic clan she does not, that is, she becomes queen only in the event of the death of all men of the clan without exception.

THE OLDER THE BETTER

Completely different, not similar to either the primogeniture or the Salic custom, the system of succession to the throne operates in Saudi Arabia. It is called a seignorate, and under it the eldest man in the family is considered the heir. That is, the king is succeeded not by a son, but by a brother, or, for example, an uncle, or a nephew, if one of them is the eldest in the family.

Despite the fact that the first king of Saudi Arabia, Abdul Aziz ibn Saud, died in 1953 and since then there have been five different kings, today's monarch Abdullah ibn Abdul Aziz Al Saud is the son of Abdul Aziz! The fact is that Abdul Aziz left behind as many as forty-five legitimate sons, who are not getting any younger, but by seigneurial right successively inherit the throne. Judge for yourself: Saud became king at 51, Faisal at 62, Khalid at 63, Fahd at 61, and Abdullah at the age of 81! Crown Prince Salman, the second eldest in the family after Abdullah, recently turned 78 years old, and who knows how old he will be when his brother dies.

Interestingly, in Saudi Arabia the seignorate is regularly violated. In fact, even now, Prince Bandar, Abdullah's elder brother, is alive - although extremely old - plus there are still five princes older than the king. The “overtaking” is explained by the fact that in Saudi Arabia there is a so-called Allegiance Council, government agency, whose sole function is to choose the heir to the throne. After the death of the next elderly heir, the council nominates three candidates from among the senior representatives of the family - and discusses each of them on the subject of senile insanity, the correctness of political thinking, and so on. Thus, crown prince will not necessarily be the eldest - the main thing is that he is loyal to the country and adequate. In principle, it’s sane, you can’t say anything.

LADESTER LAW

The seniority principle is characteristic of Islamic states- he acted, for example, in the Ottoman Empire - but what is more interesting is that the principle of succession to the throne adopted in Kievan Rus, the right of ladder, was nothing more than a seignorate.

As always, this right arose from precedent. Before Svyatopolk Izyaslavovich, family inheritance was accepted in Rus'. Grand Duke sat in Kyiv, and his numerous relatives ruled the appanage principalities. There was no clear law on inheritance; with death Prince of Kyiv his place was taken by the eldest son, and the place of the eldest son in the appanage principality was taken by the one with more arrogance. This led to civil strife and constant fragmentation of the already fragmented state, and in 1094-1097 a real civil war broke out.

In 1097, the princes hastily convened a congress in the city of Lyubech, where once and for all they established the rules of inheritance - the right of the ladder. In accordance with it, after the death of the Grand Duke, the eldest of his younger brothers moved to Kyiv, and the city where he reigned was transferred to the next brother. The order of seniority in the male line was determined as follows: eldest brother, younger brothers in order, sons of the eldest brother in rank, sons of the next brothers in rank, grandchildren, and so on. That is, it was an expanded version of the seignorate, convenient for the federal state, which, in essence, was Kievan Rus. However, civil strife continued for several more years.

ALL FOR THE ELECTION!

Oddly enough, the monarch can be elected by vote. The most famous elective monarchy of modern times exists in the Vatican City State. Moreover, such a democratic method of election does not prevent the monarchy from being absolute. The head of the Holy See ruling on the territory of the Vatican - the Pope - after the death of the previous one is elected from among its number by a conclave of cardinals. As in the case of classical monarchy, the Pope rules until death or abdication.

A similar system exists in Cambodia - after the death or abdication of the king, a council is convened to elect a new ruler from among candidates with royal blood flowing in their veins. The son of the previous one can become king, but the council was created for this purpose, to choose from royal family the most suitable person for such a high position. Sometimes this leads to funny incidents. For example, the previous king Norodom Sihanouk occupied the throne twice - from 1941 to 1955 and from 1993 to 2004, and abdicated both times. The current reigning monarch of Cambodia, Norodom Sihamoni, has no children (and he is already 61 years old), but this does not pose a problem for the state, as in the old days.

But Malaysia has a different system of elective monarchy - due to the extremely complex structure of the country. Malaysia is made up of fourteen entities, nine of which are monarchies and four of which are governed by appointed governors. Within these monarchies, power passes in the traditional way, by inheritance. But once every five years, nine monarchs gather and elect the main one from among them, who becomes the king of Malaysia for the specified period.

The so-called “semi-elective” monarchy exists in the European principality of Andorra. It is ruled by two princes, largely nominally - in reality the country is led by parliament. The first co-prince is the Bishop of Urgell (the Spanish city of Seu de Urgell, the former capital of the county of Urgell), and the second... is the President of France! This situation arose due to several historical incidents. In 1278, Count Roger-Bernard III de Foix and Bishop of Urgell Pere d'Hourtx agreed that “as a couple” they would lead the disputed territory, which Urgell and Foix could not divide. And so it happened. However, over time, due to the Salic law in force in Foix, the throne of the county passed to the kings of Navarre, and then to the kings of France. Everything would be fine, but in 1871 France became a republic for the third time - for a long time, and Andorra accepted the elected president as a co-prince.

An interesting variation of the elective monarchy exists in Swaziland, where the next king is the son of the king's Great Wife chosen by a special council (who usually has an unlimited number of wives and children) - regardless of seniority. In the United United Arab Emirates and Samoa too interesting systems. In the UAE, the head of state is nominally considered to be the president, chosen from seven emirs (local monarchs), but traditionally this position is always held by the emir of Abu Dhabi, and the post of prime minister is given to the emir of Dubai. At the same time, an absolute monarchy is established within each emirate, and in fact the entire state can be classified as an absolute monarchy with an ordinary Salic system. In Samoa, the monarchy “disguises” itself as a republic in the same way - presidents are elected by parliament in special sessions after the death of the previous president, and usually from royal blood. Until 1962, Samoa was officially a monarchical country, so there are plenty of these people.

However, precedents for choosing a monarch happened more than once - even in Russian state. Boris Godunov (1598) and Mikhail Romanov (1613) were elected to reign by the legislative body - Zemsky Sobor- from several noble applicants. What can you do, elections are the only thing left when all the representatives of the previous dynasty have disappeared. Similar cases occurred in many other states. In addition, history has known a number of stable elective monarchical systems - for example, the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire were chosen by a group of aristocrats (electors) from members of the House of Habsburg.

There have been other strange ways of transferring the throne in various eras. For example, in some ancient Indian states the throne was passed down through the female line. For example, the Maharaja of Travancore was succeeded not by his own son, but by the son of his sister, if there was one - and this law was officially abolished only in 1956.

In contrast to primogeniture, there is the concept of ultimogeniture - when the throne and inheritance pass not to the firstborn, but to the youngest, the last of the monarch’s children. A similar principle was used in a number of small German principalities (in particular, in the Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg), in medieval Mongolia and some other cultures.

In any state, regardless of the current principles and tricks, there will be several contenders for the throne. The 21st century is civilized and cultured enough that such discrepancies do not cause civil wars and civil strife - if any disputes arise, everything is resolved peacefully. But in the old days, claims to the throne often led to many years of bloody wars. Therefore, if you decide to declare your apartment a small monarchical state, do not forget to clearly state the laws of succession to the throne. And then you never know.

(c) Tim Skorenko

Any Hollywood script pales in comparison with the life path of Roksolana, who became the influential woman in history great empire. Her powers, contrary to Turkish laws and Islamic canons, could only be compared with the capabilities of the Sultan himself. Roksolana became not just a wife, she was a co-ruler; They didn’t listen to her opinion; it was the only one that was correct and legal.
Anastasia Gavrilovna Lisovskaya (born c. 1506 - d. c. 1562) was the daughter of the priest Gavrila Lisovsky from Rohatyn, a small town in Western Ukraine, located southwest of Ternopil. In the 16th century, this territory belonged to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and was constantly subjected to devastating raids Crimean Tatars. During one of them, in the summer of 1522, the young daughter of a clergyman was caught by a detachment of robbers. Legend has it that the misfortune happened just before Anastasia's wedding.
First, the captive ended up in Crimea - this the usual way all the slaves. The Tatars did not drive valuable “live goods” on foot across the steppe, but carried them on horseback under vigilant guard, without even tying their hands, so as not to spoil the delicate girl’s skin with ropes. Most sources say that the Crimeans, struck by the beauty of Polonyanka, decided to send the girl to Istanbul, hoping to sell her profitably at one of the largest slave markets in the Muslim East.

“Giovane, ma non bella” (“young, but ugly”), Venetian nobles said about her in 1526, but “graceful and short in stature.” None of her contemporaries, contrary to legend, called Roksolana a beauty.
The captive was sent to the capital of the sultans on a large felucca, and the owner himself took her to sell her - history has not preserved his name. On the very first day, when the Horde took the captive to the market, she accidentally caught the eye of the all-powerful vizier of the young Sultan Suleiman I, the noble Rustem, who happened to be there - Pasha. Again, the legend says that the Turk was struck by the dazzling beauty of the girl, and he decided to buy her to give a gift to the Sultan.
As can be seen from the portraits and confirmations of contemporaries, beauty clearly has nothing to do with it - I can call this coincidence of circumstances with only one word - Fate.
During this era, the sultan was Suleiman I the Magnificent (Luxurious), who ruled from 1520 to 1566, considered the greatest sultan of the Ottoman dynasty. During the years of his rule, the empire reached the apogee of its development, including all of Serbia with Belgrade, most of Hungary, the island of Rhodes, significant territories in North Africa to the borders of Morocco and the Middle East. Europe gave the Sultan the nickname Magnificent, while in the Muslim world he is more often called Kanuni, which translated from Turkish means Lawgiver. “Such greatness and nobility,” the report of the 16th-century Venetian ambassador Marini Sanuto wrote about Suleiman, “was also adorned by the fact that he, unlike his father and many other sultans, had no inclination towards pederasty.” An honest ruler and uncompromising fighter against bribery, he encouraged the development of the arts and philosophy, and was also considered a skilled poet and blacksmith - few European monarchs could compete with Suleiman I.
According to the laws of faith, the padishah could have four legal wives. The children of the first of them became heirs to the throne. Or rather, one firstborn inherited the throne, and the rest often faced a sad fate: all possible contenders for supreme power were subject to destruction.
In addition to wives, the Commander of the Faithful had any number of concubines that his soul desired and his flesh required. IN different time under different sultans, from several hundred to a thousand or more women lived in the harem, each of whom was certainly an amazing beauty. In addition to women, the harem consisted of a whole staff of castrati eunuchs and maids of different ages, chiropractors, midwives, masseuses, doctors and the like. But no one except the padishah himself could encroach on the beauties belonging to him. All this complex and hectic economy was supervised by the “chief of the girls” - the eunuch of Kyzlyaragassy.
However, one amazing beauty there were few: girls intended for the padishah’s harem mandatory taught music, dance, Muslim poetry and, of course, the art of love. Naturally, the course of love sciences was theoretical, and the practice was taught by experienced old women and women experienced in all the intricacies of sex.
Now let’s return to Roksolana, so Rustem Pasha decided to buy the Slavic beauty. But her Krymchak owner refused to sell Anastasia and presented her as a gift to the all-powerful courtier, rightly expecting to receive for this not only an expensive return gift, as is customary in the East, but also considerable benefits.
Rustem Pasha ordered it to be fully prepared as a gift to the Sultan, in turn hoping to achieve even greater favor with him. The padishah was young, he ascended the throne only in 1520 and greatly appreciated female beauty, and not just as a contemplator.
In the harem, Anastasia receives the name Khurrem (laughing). And for the Sultan, she always remained only Khurrem. Roksolana, the name under which she went down in history, is just the name of the Sarmatian tribes in the 2nd-4th centuries AD, who roamed the steppes between the Dnieper and Don, translated from Latin as “Russian”. Roksolana will often be called, both during her life and after her death, nothing more than “Rusynka” - a native of Rus' or Roxolanii, as Ukraine was previously called.

The mystery of the birth of love between the Sultan and a fifteen-year-old unknown captive will remain unsolved. After all, there was a strict hierarchy in the harem, and anyone who violated it would face severe punishment. Often - death. The female recruits - adzhemi, step by step, first became jariye, then shagird, gedikli and usta. No one except the mouth had the right to be in the Sultan's chambers. Only the mother of the ruling sultan, the valide sultan, had absolute power within the harem, and decided who and when to share a bed with the sultan from her mouth. How Roksolana managed to occupy the Sultan’s monastery almost immediately will forever remain a mystery.
There is a legend about how Hurrem came to the attention of the Sultan. When new slaves (more beautiful and expensive than she) were introduced to the Sultan, a small figure suddenly flew into the circle of dancing odalisques and, pushing away the “soloist,” laughed. And then she sang her song. The harem lived according to cruel laws. And the eunuchs were waiting for only one sign - what to prepare for the girl - clothes for the Sultan’s bedroom or a cord used to strangle the slaves. The Sultan was intrigued and surprised. And that same evening, Khurrem received the Sultan’s scarf - a sign that in the evening he was waiting for her in his bedroom. Having interested the Sultan with her silence, she asked for only one thing - the right to visit the Sultan’s library. The Sultan was shocked, but allowed it. When he returned from a military campaign some time later, Khurrem already spoke several languages. She dedicated poems to her Sultan and even wrote books. This was unprecedented at that time, and instead of respect it aroused fear. Her learning, plus the fact that the Sultan spent all his nights with her, created Khurrem's lasting fame as a witch. They said about Roksolana that she bewitched the Sultan with the help of evil spirits. And in fact he was bewitched.
“Finally, let us unite with soul, thoughts, imagination, will, heart, everything that I left mine in you and took with me yours, oh my only love!”, the Sultan wrote in a letter to Roksolana. “My lord, your absence has kindled a fire in me that does not go out. Have pity on this suffering soul and hurry up your letter so that I can find at least a little consolation in it,” answered Khurrem.
Roksolana greedily absorbed everything that she was taught in the palace, took everything that life gave her. Historians testify that after some time she actually mastered the Turkish, Arabic and Persian languages, learned to dance perfectly, recite her contemporaries, and also play according to the rules of the foreign, cruel country in which she lived. Following the rules of her new homeland, Roksolana converted to Islam.
Her main trump card was that Rustem Pasha, thanks to whom she got to the palace of the padishah, received her as a gift, and did not buy her. In turn, he did not sell it to the kyzlyaragassa, who replenished the harem, but gave it to Suleiman. This means that Roxalana remained a free woman and could lay claim to the role of the padishah’s wife. According to the laws of the Ottoman Empire, a slave could never, under any circumstances, become the wife of the Commander of the Faithful.
A few years later, Suleiman enters into an official marriage with her according to Muslim rites, elevates her to the rank of bash-kadyna - the main (and in fact, the only) wife and addresses her “Haseki,” which means “dear to the heart.”
Roksolana’s incredible position at the Sultan’s court amazed both Asia and Europe. Her education made scientists bow to her, she received foreign ambassadors, responded to messages from foreign sovereigns, influential nobles and artists. She not only came to terms with the new faith, but also gained fame as a zealous orthodox Muslim, which earned her considerable respect at court.
One day, the Florentines placed a ceremonial portrait of Hurrem, for which she posed for a Venetian artist, in an art gallery. It was the only female portrait among the images of hook-nosed, bearded sultans in huge turbans. “There was never another woman in the Ottoman palace who had such power” - Venetian ambassador Navajero, 1533.
Lisovskaya gives birth to the Sultan four sons (Mohammed, Bayazet, Selim, Jehangir) and a daughter, Khamerie. But Mustafa, the eldest son of the padishah’s first wife, Circassian Gulbekhar, was still officially considered the heir to the throne. She and her children became mortal enemies of the power-hungry and treacherous Roxalana.

Lisovskaya understood perfectly well: until her son became the heir to the throne or sat on the throne of the padishahs, her own position was constantly under threat. At any moment, Suleiman could be carried away by a new beautiful concubine and make her his legal wife, and order the execution of one of the old wives: in the harem, an unwanted wife or concubine was put alive in a leather bag, an angry cat was thrown into it and poisonous snake, they tied the bag and lowered it with a tied stone along a special stone chute into the waters of the Bosphorus. The guilty considered it lucky if they were simply quickly strangled with a silk cord.
Therefore, Roxalana prepared for a very long time and began to act actively and cruelly only after almost fifteen years!
Her daughter turned twelve years old, and she decided to marry her to... Rustem Pasha, who was already over fifty. But he was in great favor at court, close to the throne of the padishah and, most importantly, was something of a mentor and “ godfather"The heir to the throne, Mustafa, is the son of the Circassian woman Gulbehar, Suleiman’s first wife.
Roxalana's daughter grew up with a similar face and chiseled figure to her beautiful mother, and Rustem Pasha with great pleasure became related to the Sultan - this is a very high honor for a courtier. Women were not forbidden to see each other, and the sultana deftly found out from her daughter about everything that was happening in the house of Rustem Pasha, literally collecting the information she needed bit by bit. Finally, Lisovskaya decided it was time to strike the fatal blow!
During a meeting with her husband, Roxalana secretly informed the Commander of the Faithful about the “terrible conspiracy.” Merciful Allah allowed her to learn in time about the secret plans of the conspirators and allowed her to warn her adored husband about the danger that threatened him: Rustem Pasha and the sons of Gulbehar planned to take the life of the padishah and take possession of the throne, placing Mustafa on it!
The intriguer knew well where and how to strike - the mythical “conspiracy” was quite plausible: in the East, during the times of the sultans, bloody palace coups were the most common thing. In addition, Roxalana cited as an irrefutable argument the true words of Rustem Pasha, Mustafa and other “conspirators” that the daughter of Anastasia and the Sultan heard. Therefore, the seeds of evil fell on fertile soil!
Rustem Pasha was immediately taken into custody, and an investigation began: Pasha was terribly tortured. Perhaps he incriminated himself and others under torture. But even if he was silent, this only confirmed the padishah in the actual existence of a “conspiracy.” After torture, Rustem Pasha was beheaded.
Only Mustafa and his brothers were spared - they were an obstacle to the throne of Roxalana’s first-born, red-haired Selim, and for this reason they simply had to die! Constantly instigated by his wife, Suleiman agreed and gave the order to kill his children! The Prophet forbade the shedding of the blood of the padishahs and their heirs, so Mustafa and his brothers were strangled with a green silk twisted cord. Gulbehar went crazy with grief and soon died.
The cruelty and injustice of her son struck Valide Khamse, the mother of Padishah Suleiman, who came from the family of the Crimean khans Giray. At the meeting, she told her son everything she thought about the “conspiracy,” the execution, and her son’s beloved wife Roxalana. It is not surprising that after this Valide Khamse, the Sultan’s mother, lived for less than a month: the East knows a lot about poisons!
The Sultana went even further: she ordered to find in the harem and throughout the country other sons of Suleiman, whom wives and concubines gave birth to, and to take the lives of all of them! As it turned out, the Sultan had about forty sons - all of them, some secretly, some openly, were killed by order of Lisovskaya.
Thus, over forty years of marriage, Roksolana managed the almost impossible. She was proclaimed the first wife, and her son Selim became the heir. But the sacrifices did not stop there. Two were strangled youngest son Roksolans. Some sources accuse her of involvement in these murders - allegedly this was done in order to strengthen the position of her beloved son Selim. However, reliable data about this tragedy has never been found.
She was no longer able to see her son ascend the throne, becoming Sultan Selim II. He reigned after the death of his father for only eight years - from 1566 to 1574 - and, although the Koran forbids drinking wine, he was a terrible alcoholic! His heart once simply could not withstand the constant excessive libations, and in the memory of the people he remained as Sultan Selim the drunkard!
No one will ever know what the true feelings of the famous Roksolana were. What is it like for a young girl to find herself in slavery, in a foreign country, with a foreign faith imposed on her. Not only not to break, but also to grow into the mistress of the empire, gaining glory throughout Asia and Europe. Trying to erase shame and humiliation from her memory, Roksolana ordered the slave market to be hidden and a mosque, madrasah and almshouse to be erected in its place. That mosque and hospital in the almshouse building still bear the name of Haseki, as well as the surrounding area of ​​the city.
Her name, shrouded in myths and legends, sung by her contemporaries and covered in black glory, remains forever in history. Nastasia Lisovskaya, whose fate could be similar to hundreds of thousands of the same Nastya, Khristin, Oles, Mari. But life decreed otherwise. No one knows how much grief, tears and misfortunes Nastasya endured on the way to Roksolana. However, for the Muslim world she will remain Hurrem - LAUGHING.
Roksolana died either in 1558 or 1561. Suleiman I - in 1566. He managed to complete the construction of the majestic Suleymaniye Mosque - one of the largest architectural monuments of the Ottoman Empire - near which Roksolana’s ashes rest in an octagonal stone tomb, next to the also octagonal tomb of the Sultan. This tomb has stood for more than four hundred years. Inside, under the high dome, Suleiman ordered to carve alabaster rosettes and decorate each of them with a priceless emerald, Roksolana’s favorite gem.
When Suleiman died, his tomb was also decorated with emeralds, forgetting that his favorite stone was ruby.

Suleiman I, the tenth sultan of the Ottoman Empire, endowed his state with unprecedented power. The great conqueror also became famous as a wise author of laws, founder of new schools and initiator of the construction of architectural masterpieces.

In 1494 (according to some sources - in 1495) the Turkish Sultan Selim I and the daughter of the Crimean Khan Aisha Hafsa had a son who was destined to conquer half the world and transform his native country.

The future Sultan Suleiman I received a brilliant education for those times at the palace school in Istanbul, and spent his childhood and youth reading books and spiritual practices. WITH early years the young man was trained in administrative matters, appointed governor of three provinces, including the vassal Crimean Khanate. Even before ascending the throne, young Suleiman won the love and respect of the inhabitants of the Ottoman state.

Beginning of reign

Suleiman took the throne when he was barely 26 years old. A description of the appearance of the new ruler, written by the Venetian ambassador Bartolomeo Contarini, was included in the famous book in Turkey by the English Lord Kinross, “The Rise and Decline of the Ottoman Empire”:

“Tall, strong, with a pleasant expression on his face. His neck is slightly longer than usual, his face is thin, and his nose is aquiline. The skin tends to be excessively pale. They say about him that he is a wise ruler, and all people hope for his good rule.”

And Suleiman initially lived up to expectations. Started with humane actions - returning freedom to hundreds of prisoners from noble families states captured by the father. This helped renew trade relations with the countries.

Europeans were especially happy about the innovations, hoping for long-term peace, but, as it turned out, it was too early. Balanced and fair at first glance, the ruler of Turkey nevertheless nurtured a dream of military glory.

Foreign policy

By the end of his reign, the military biography of Suleiman I included 13 major military campaigns, of which 10 were campaigns of conquest in Europe. And that's not counting small raids. The Ottoman Empire had never been more powerful: its lands stretched from Algeria to Iran, Egypt and almost to the doorstep of Vienna. At that time, the phrase “Turks at the gates” became a terrible horror story for Europeans, and the Ottoman ruler was compared to the Antichrist.

A year after ascending the throne, Suleiman went to the borders of Hungary. Under pressure Turkish troops The fortress of Sabac fell. Victories flowed like a cornucopia - the Ottomans established control over the Red Sea, took Algeria, Tunisia and the island of Rhodes, conquered Tabriz and Iraq.

The Black Sea and the eastern Mediterranean also took a place on the rapidly growing map of the empire. Hungary, Slavonia, Transylvania, Bosnia and Herzegovina were subordinate to the Sultan. In 1529, the Turkish ruler took a swing at Austria, storming its capital with an army of 120 thousand soldiers. However, Vienna was helped to survive by an epidemic that killed a third of the Ottoman army. The siege had to be lifted.

Only Suleiman did not seriously encroach on Russian lands, considering Russia a remote province that was not worth the effort and money spent. The Ottomans occasionally launched raids on the possessions of the Moscow state; the Crimean Khan even reached the capital, but a large-scale campaign never happened.

By the end of the reign of the ambitious ruler, the Ottoman Empire had become the greatest and most powerful state in the history of the Muslim world. However, military measures depleted the treasury - according to estimates, the maintenance of an army of 200 thousand military personnel, which also included Janissary slaves, consumed two-thirds of the state budget in peacetime.

Domestic policy

It was not for nothing that Suleiman received the nickname Magnificent: the ruler’s life was filled not only with military successes, the Sultan also succeeded in internal affairs states. On his behalf, Judge Ibrahim from Aleppo updated the code of laws, which was in force until the twentieth century. Mutilation and the death penalty were reduced to a minimum, although criminals caught forging money and documents, bribery and perjury continued to lose their brushes right hand.

The wise ruler of the state where representatives different religions, considered it necessary to weaken the pressure of Sharia and made an attempt to create secular laws. But some of the reforms never took root due to constant wars.

Changed in better side and the education system: one after another began to appear primary schools, and graduates, if desired, continued to gain knowledge in colleges, which were located within the eight main mosques.

Thanks to the Sultan, the architectural heritage was replenished with masterpieces of art. According to the sketches of the favorite architect of the ruler, Sinan, three luxurious mosques were built - Selimiye, Shehzade and Suleymaniye (the second largest in the capital of Turkey), which became examples of the Ottoman style.

Suleiman was distinguished by his poetic talent, so he did not ignore literary creativity. During his reign, Ottoman poetry with Persian traditions was polished to perfection. Then it appeared new position- a rhythmic chronicler, she was occupied by poets who put current events into poems.

Personal life

Suleiman I, in addition to poetry, was fond of jewelry, was known as a skilled blacksmith, and even personally cast cannons for military campaigns.

It is unknown how many women were in the Sultan's harem. Historians only know about the official favorites who bore children to Suleiman. In 1511, Fulane became the first concubine of the 17-year-old heir to the throne. Her son Mahmud died of smallpox before he was 10 years old. The girl disappeared from the forefront of palace life almost immediately after the death of the child.

Gulfem Khatun, the second concubine, also gave the ruler a son, who was also not spared by the smallpox epidemic. The woman, excommunicated from the Sultan, remained his friend and adviser for half a century. In 1562, Gulfem was strangled by order of Suleiman.

The third favorite, Makhidevran Sultan, was close to acquiring the status of the official wife of the ruler. For 20 years she had great influence in the harem and in the palace, but she also failed to create a legal family with the Sultan. She left the capital of the empire with her son Mustafa, who was appointed governor of one of the provinces. Later, the heir to the throne was executed for allegedly planning to overthrow his father.

The list of women of Suleiman the Magnificent is headed by Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska. A favorite of Slavic roots, a captive from Galicia, as she was called in Europe, charmed the ruler: the Sultan granted her freedom, and then took her as his legal wife - a religious marriage was concluded in 1534.

Roksolana received the nickname Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska (“laughing”) for her cheerful disposition and smiling nature. Creator of the harem in Topkapi Palace, founder charitable organizations inspired artists and writers, although she did not have an ideal appearance - her subjects valued intelligence and worldly cunning.

Roksolana skillfully manipulated her husband; on her orders, the Sultan got rid of sons born to other wives and became suspicious and cruel. Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska gave birth to a daughter, Mihrimah, and five sons.

Of these, after the death of his father, the state was headed by Selim, who, however, was not distinguished by the outstanding talent of an autocrat, loved to drink and take a walk. During the reign of Selim, the Ottoman Empire began to fade. Suleiman's love for Hurrem did not fade over the years; after the death of his wife, the Turkish ruler never walked down the aisle again.

Death

The Sultan, who brought powerful states to their knees, died, as he himself wished, in the war. This happened during the siege of the Hungarian fortress Szigetavr. 71-year-old Suleiman had been tormented by gout for a long time, the disease progressed, and even riding a horse was already difficult.

He died on the morning of September 6, 1566, not having lived a couple of hours before the decisive assault on the fortress. The doctors who treated the ruler were immediately killed so that information about the death would not reach the army, which, in the heat of disappointment, could rebel. Only after the heir to the throne, Selim, established power in Istanbul, did the soldiers learn about the death of the ruler.

According to legend, Suleiman sensed the approaching end and voiced his last will to the commander-in-chief. A request with a philosophical meaning is known to everyone today: the Sultan asked not to cover his hands during the funeral procession - everyone should see that the accumulated wealth remains in this world, and even Suleiman the Magnificent, the great ruler of the Ottoman Empire, leaves empty-handed.

Another legend is associated with the death of the Turkish ruler. Allegedly, the body was embalmed, and the removed internal organs were placed in a vessel made of gold and buried in the place of his death. Now there is a mausoleum and a mosque there. The remains of Suleiman rest in the cemetery of the Suleymaniye Mosque, which he built, near the Roksolana mausoleum.

Memory

The life of Suleiman I is told in several fictional and documentaries. A striking adaptation of harem intrigues was the series “ Magnificent century", which was published in 2011. The role of the Ottoman ruler is played by, whose charisma is felt even from the photo.

The image created by the actor is recognized as the best embodiment of the Sultan's power in cinema. She plays the concubine and wife of the ruler; the actress with German-Turkish roots also managed to convey the main features of Hurrem - spontaneity and sincerity.

Books

• “Suleiman the Magnificent. The greatest sultan of the Ottoman Empire. 1520-1566", G. Lamb
• “Suleiman. Sultan of the East”, G. Lamb
• “Sultan Suleiman and Roksolana. Eternal love in letters, poems, documents...” Prose of the greats.
• Series of books “Magnificent Century”, N. Pavlishcheva
• "The Magnificent Age of Suleiman and Hürrem Sultan", P. J. Parker
• "The Greatness and Collapse of the Ottoman Empire. Lords of endless horizons", Goodwin Jason, Sharov M
• “Roksolana, Queen of the East”, O. Nazaruk
• "Harem", B. Small
• “The Rise and Decline of the Ottoman Empire”, L. Kinross

Movies

• 1996 – “Roksolana”
• 2003 – “Hurrem Sultan”
• 2008 – “In search of truth. Roksolana: bloody path to the throne"
• 2011 – “Magnificent Century”

Architecture

• Hurrem Sultan Mosque
• Shehzade Mosque
• Selimiye Mosque

Suleiman I the Magnificent was the great ruler of the Ottoman Empire. What made him famous? Who surrounded the famous sultan at the peak of glory and in moments of sadness. The history of Sultan Suleiman Suleiman I is multifaceted, filled with numerous campaigns, conquests of lands and victories in battles.

Sultan Suleyman. The story of the rise to fame

The future Sultan was born in 1494 in Trabzon. His father, Sultan Selim, is the heir of Bayazed II, and his mother, Aisha Sultan, is the daughter of the Crimean Khan.

Suleiman spent his youth in the Cafe (now Feodosia). He was appointed governor of the empire in Crimea. In those days, Kafa was a large slave trading center, and there was also the residence of the Turkish governor.

Until 1520, Suleiman was the governor of Manisa. This year his father, Sultan Selim I, dies and the road to the khan's throne was completely open for the only heir.

Suleiman I ascended the throne at the age of 26. The young, educated, talented and ambitious ruler gained respect and recognition not only in the Ottoman Empire, but also beyond its borders. In Europe, Suleiman was called the Magnificent; among Muslims he had the name Kanuni, which means “fair”, “legislator”.

The policy of Sultan Suleiman differed from the style of rule of his father, Selim I Yavuz, who was known as a formidable, cruel and merciless tyrant.

Empire of Sultan Suleiman

The Ottoman Empire experienced a period of active development and strengthening of its positions in foreign and domestic policy.
The beginning of Suleiman's reign is associated with successful military and political measures against the Czech Republic and Hungary. The same fate befell Rhodes, to strengthen its rule in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea.

Suleiman I was an excellent commander and repeated military campaigns, led by the Sultan himself, were victorious, strengthened and enlarged the Great Ottoman State. The Turkish army increased several times in its numbers and strength. Also participating in the battles were detachments of Janissaries, consisting of Christian children, captured at a young age. They were raised in the Muslim faith and devotion to the Sultan.

Suleiman the Magnificent did his best to eradicate bribery in the country. He cared about education, built schools for children, and participated in the development of architecture and art.

Thus, the Ottoman Empire of Sultan Suleiman grew stronger and developed both militarily and in the sphere of economics and education, and expanded trade relations with Asian and European states.

The reign of Suleiman the Magnificent

After ascending to the throne of the Ottoman Empire, the Sultan took up foreign policy. The conquest of new lands pleased the ruler’s vanity. Each year of his reign means an increase in the territory of the state.

In 1521, Sultan Suleiman marched with his army against the King of Hungary and the Czech Republic, Lajos II. After a long siege, Belgrade was captured. The war lasted about five years, as a result of which the king's army was completely destroyed.

At this time, Sultan Suleiman's fleet defeated several Portuguese ships, thereby strengthening its position in the Mediterranean Sea.
The war between Turkey and Austria occupies a significant place in world history. It lasted for several decades and took place in several stages. The beginning of the war marks the year 1527, when the Ottoman army conquered Bosnia, Herzegovina, Slavonia and Transylvania. In 1529, the capital of Hungary, Buda, was taken. After this, Suleiman besieged Vienna and only an epidemic in Turkish army saves her from falling. Military action against Austria began two more times in 1532 and 1540, as a result of which the Ottoman Empire achieved dominance over most of Austria, as well as the annual payment of tribute. In 1547, the Peace of Adrianople was signed.

In the 30s, Suleiman started a war with the Safavid state in order to establish dominance over the southern principalities of the Persian Gulf.

Sultan Suleiman carried out several sea voyages during his reign. It is worth noting that the Ottoman fleet was strong and was led by the very talented Khair ad-Din Barbarossa. Thanks to his efforts and strategy, the Ottoman Empire conquered the islands Aegean Sea. Suleiman concluded a secret treaty with King Francisco I, as a result of which the Sultan's fleet was allowed to base itself in the ports of France.

A few pages from family history. Children of Suleiman

In the Sultan's palace there was a large harem with numerous concubines. Four women gave birth to children for the ruler. And only one was able to capture his heart and became his official wife.

The Sultan's first concubine was Fulane, she gave birth to a son, Mahmud. But this child died in 1521 from smallpox. For Suleiman, this woman did not play any role and died in complete oblivion.

Gulfem became the second concubine. In 1513 she gave birth to heirs Murad and Mahmud, they also became victims of the epidemic. Further fate Gulfem is mostly related to the Sultan's mother and sister. In 1562, Suleiman ordered her to be strangled because he had lost his beloved and was in despair.

The third concubine was the Circassian Makhidevran Sultan. She gave the Sultan a son, Mustafa. From 1533 he was appointed ruler of Menis and was considered the heir to the Ottoman throne. Later, Sultan Suleiman ordered his son to be strangled for betrayal and secret connections with enemies. Makhidevran died in 1581.

The most beloved wife of Suleiman the Magnificent was Hurrem Sultan. Originally from Rohatyn (now Ukraine), the daughter of a priest, Anastasia Lisovskaya, won the heart of the bishop, and also took part in the fate of not only the palace, but the entire state. In Europe they called her Roksolana.

She gave birth to five sons and a daughter to the Sultan. In 1521, a son, Mehmed, was born. In 1522, daughter Mihrimah was born, in 1523 - son Abdullah, who lived only three years. Son Selim was born in 1524. In 1526 Bayezid saw the light. The last son Hurrem and Suleyman became Jahangir (in 1530).

At first, Roksolana was the favorite concubine of Suleiman the Magnificent, but over time she demanded that the ruler legitimize their relationship. In 1530, she became the legal wife of the padishah. Having survived the sorrows and cruelty of the harem, she was able to withstand the struggle and establish herself in the palace. To clear the way to the throne for her son, she got rid of the Sultan's heirs from other wives. Many historians believe that she influenced the fate of Ibrahim Pasha Pargala. The vizier was accused of having connections with France and was executed for this. Roksolana, with the help of the vizier Rustem Pasha Mekri, accused the heir Mustafa of having connections with the Serbs and of plotting against the Sultan. By order of Suleiman, he was strangled. The same fate befell his sons.

Selim was proclaimed heir to the throne. But another son of Roksolana, Bayazid, wanted to rule the empire. After the death of his mother, he rebelled. This happened in 1561. Suleiman suppressed the uprising, and Bayezid and his children were executed.

When Sultan Suleiman I died, Selim inherited his father's throne. But he was not the best ruler; he often indulged in amusements. People called him Selim “the drunkard.” Not only did it not bring any achievements for the empire, but it also marked the beginning of an era of decline.
Sultan Suleiman I the Magnificent rests in the mausoleum of the Suleymaniye Mosque next to his wife Hurrem Sultan.