Mehmed II’s First Reign: A Young Sultan’s Wild Ride for Power

Who becomes boss at 12, then gets shoved aside by their own dad? Sounds like a total soap opera, not the beginning of an empire-shaping Mehmed II early reign. This young sultan’s first stint on the throne was anything but chill. Pure chaos, actually. Lots of brutal power plays and scary threats from outside, a far cry from, say, a quiet Tuesday.

Mehmed II learned a bunch early on, then got posted as governor (Sancak Bey) at 11

Born in 1432 to Sultan Murad I and Huma Hatun, early life happened inside the fancy Edirne Palace. There, with his siblings, he learned tons from the top thinkers of the time. History usually paints him as super smart, but with a bit of a rebellious streak. Simply incredible.

And another thing: after his circumcision in 1443, the usual path for a young prince kicked off. At just 11, Mehmed was sent to Manisa as a Sancak Bey, basically a regional governor, with older, experienced teachers. An important test.

Meanwhile, his big brother, Alaaddin Ali—five or six years older—was holding things down in Amasya. Alaaddin Ali was Murad I’s favorite. Everyone praised his courage and leadership. Especially during fights with the always-problematic Karamanids.

His first time as Sultan was a messy tangle of internal beefs, plus crusaders and throne-claimers from outside

The Ottoman Empire was a total disaster. Hungarian forces, pushed by Janos Hunyadi, were winning big battles in the Balkans. Also, the Karamanids just kept stirring up trouble in Anatolia. Inside, the border beys—local lords with their own armies and land—had gotten huge. These tough guys often defied the Sultan. Acted independently. Because they could. They even made deals with other countries, usually backing some favored prince over the Sultan’s own loyal pashas.

Then came the sucker punch. After a successful campaign, Sultan Murad I disbanded his army and headed back to Edirne. Only to face personal tragedy. His favorite son, Alaaddin Ali, died in one of those “suspicious hunting accidents.” Murad, a quiet man who actually liked art and peace more than war, was utterly broken. Simply shattered.

Amidst all this nastiness, a massive Crusader army, backed by the Pope and Byzantium, streamed across the border. They wanted to take back Serbian and Bulgarian lands. And kick the Turks out. Murad, completely caught off-guard with his army dispersed, really struggled to fight them off. He actually had Turahan Bey arrested. An attempt to show who was boss. But that just brought on more attacks from the Karamanids. Bad timing.

Feeling his throne getting wobbly, and aware of loads of criticism about his leadership, Murad took advice from Grand Vizier Çandarlı Halil Pasha. He then sought peace with Hungary. So, he took an unexpected step: he called young Mehmed from Manisa to Edirne. Meeting the Hungarian envoys with his son there, Murad sent a clear signal to his annoying beys. Peace finally happened, though with some painful compromises.

Because he thought he’d calmed things down both east and west, Murad I made a wild, shocking decision in Bursa. After giving his son some solid advice, he announced he was out. At a ceremony, he handed the crown and throne to 12-year-old Mehmed. Then he just walked off. To Bursa. To live a quiet, monk-like life.

Grand Vizier Çandarlı Halil Pasha was a big, often sneaky, player. He messed with the young sultan’s rule to keep things stable – or just boost his own power

Suddenly the boss, the child Sultan Mehmed. He definitely needed guidance from his advisors. These were mostly devşirme statesmen—loyal Kapıkulu pashas like Şehabettin Şahin, Zağanos, and İbrahim—who Murad I had specifically trained to balance the powerful border beys and the deeply embedded Çandarlı Halil Pasha.

Çandarlı himself came from a really powerful family. Their influence in the state almost matched the Ottomans themselves, especially over the Janissaries. But the Grand Vizier wasn’t thrilled about having a young, green ruler. He worried Mehmed would ruin the fragile peace. And invite more attacks. Events quickly proved his worries right. Or gave him plenty of chances to seem right.

Almost immediately after Mehmed hit Edirne, an alliance against the Ottomans bubbled up. Byzantine Emperor John VIII introduced Orhan Çelebi, a fake Sultan from the Bayezid I family, which sparked new unrest. Orhan marched near Edirne, hoping for support, but got little and bolted. Şehabettin Pasha quickly squashed that tiny rebellion. No problem.

Then came another whack to the young sultan’s image. Some Hurufi dervish, just spouting different Islamic ideas, managed to get the young Sultan’s ear inside the palace rooms. Çandarlı, always spotting an opportunity, jumped on this. He rallied Kadı Fahrettin El Acemi, who publicly arrested and set fire to the dervish in a square. That sneaky trick made Mehmed look like he protected heretics to everyone. Really messed with his growing power.

Soon after, March 1444, a gigantic fire of unknown origin tore through Edirne. Half the city’s market burnt down. Lots of homes, gone. These piling misfortunes really hammered young Mehmed. Fanning public anger.

Meanwhile, the Crusaders, smelling Ottoman weakness with a kid on the throne and totally taking advantage of the broken peace deal, invaded in September 1444. Chaos. Pure chaos. As panic gripped everyone, screams for Murad I’s return filled the streets: “We have our bey now! Are we stuck with this kid?”

Çandarlı wasted no time, sending messengers to Murad in Bursa. Mehmed, still just a boy, wanted to lead the fight himself. He thought he and his pashas could totally handle it. But Çandarlı’s plotting had turned people against him. When Murad I first refused to come back, saying, “You’ve got a bey in charge, go handle it,” he quickly understood how serious things were. He gathered his forces. Fast.

Murad bypassed the Dardanelles, which the Crusaders had blocked. He sailed through the Bosphorus, protected by his grandfather’s Güzelce Hisar, eventually landing in Edirne. The public and local bigwigs greeted him. A savior. The 13-year-old Mehmed, realizing he was being pushed aside, clenched his fists. Couldn’t hold back the tears.

The Battle of Varna (1444) was huge. Murad II stepped in temporarily. He led the Ottoman forces against the Crusaders. And then took back the throne

Murad II quickly gathered his army. Engaged the Crusader forces. The Battle of Varna, November 1444, was brutal. But, ultimately, Murad and his Ottomans won. That huge Crusader defeat not only shut up Murad’s internal enemies. It also cemented his image as a powerful hero. Past mess-ups were forgotten. Only his bravery was on everyone’s lips now.

But Murad entered Edirne in victory. He purposely stayed on the city’s outskirts. He wanted to avoid anything that might officially undermine his son’s rule. Because orders and decrees still went out in Mehmed’s name. Technically, Mehmed was still Sultan.

However, Çandarlı and many top politicians treated Murad as the real Sultan. Çandarlı really pushed Murad to formally reclaim the throne. He liked Murad’s more peaceful foreign policy. Which, conveniently, also secured his own powerful Grand Vizier position. The big fear? That young Sultan Mehmed, eager to prove himself, would go for risky new conquests. And ditch the old guard for his own, tougher advisors. Despite all these pleas, Murad did not officially reclaim the throne right then. Instead, he went back to Manisa. Taking on various land grants. Settling into a seemingly quiet life.

Mehmed II saw his power as totally vague when his dad took over again. That led to a huge fight between his own advisors and Çandarlı Halil Pasha’s gang

If you thought Mehmed breathed a sigh of relief, wrong. What happened next was confusing chaos. Murad, even though he was chillin’ in Manisa, was still seen and acted like a Sultan in Anatolia. Making big decisions. Mehmed, official title or not, had zero real pull with his father. This led to a huge power crisis. It basically split the Ottoman lands into two administrative parts: Rumelia and Anatolia.

Çandarlı Halil Pasha and his crew ruthlessly tied Mehmed’s hands. They kept their grip on Murad through Ishak Pasha in Manisa. And handled all administrative control in Anatolia using Uzguroğlu İsa Pasha. In the main city, military muscle came from Kurtçu Doğan, the Janissary Agha. This was Çandarlı’s squad. Locking down power.

But Mehmed had his own circle. The pashas Şehabettin Şahin, Zağanos, Saruca, and İbrahim. This team wanted to grab more land. Constantly whispering in the young Sultan’s ear, “Take Istanbul! Go beat your father and Çandarlı!” This was Çandarlı’s absolute worst nightmare—that the young sultan, convinced by these advisors, might suddenly attack Constantinople. Drawing the wrath of the entire Crusader world onto the Ottomans.

And another thing: despite the Varna loss, Janos Hunyadi’s ambitions hadn’t cooled. In 1445, he launched another attack to weaken Ottoman control in the Balkans. Grabbing Giurgiu Castle. Threatening the Danube. Though avoided for now, the danger was constant.

Çandarlı once again told Murad to take back power. This time, the “old wolf” in Manisa agreed. The whole situation was impossible to manage. Two sultans acting like bosses. The young Mehmed unable to lead well. And always ready to push his dad aside. This political dance risked a father-son conflict like never before.

Murad secretly left Manisa for Bursa. Being careful. Waiting for any pushback before making his move.

By Spring 1446, three big things came together. They totally messed up Mehmed’s throne. First, the Wallachian mess: Ottoman forces, sent to punish the Wallachian Voivode for teaming up with Hungary, suffered a beating at the Danube. Whispers grew louder, “Would this have happened if the Great Sultan Murad were here?” Second, Konstantine—the dude who would be the last Byzantine Emperor—kept making constant attacks into Thessaly. Nobody checked him. Making the crisis even worse.

Third, and oh-so critically, the Janissaries revolted. Çandarlı and the Janissary Agha totally stirred them up. The elite soldiers flat-out said no to Şehabettin Pasha, one of Mehmed’s main advisors. They stormed and looted Şehabettin Pasha’s Edirne home. Demanding his head. He barely escaped. So, the Janissaries cranked up their rebellion from a high point in Edirne. Openly saying they rejected Mehmed. Threatening to declare the Byzantine-held prince their new Sultan. Yikes.

Mehmed, losing control, begged Çandarlı for help. Çandarlı stepped in. Quelling the Janissary revolt. By offering them an extra payment, the buçuk akçe. With everyone questioning a child sultan’s rule, the tide had clearly turned in Çandarlı Halil Pasha’s favor.

Seeing exactly the right moment, Çandarlı summoned Murad. Murad left Bursa disguised, crossed the Bosphorus, and waited near Edirne, still hoping to avoid a direct showdown with his son. Meanwhile, Çandarlı, feeling powerful from getting rid of Şehabettin Pasha, grabbed total control. He sneakily got Mehmed to leave the city. On the excuse of a hunt.

As soon as Mehmed was gone, Murad entered Edirne. He gathered a huge council of soldiers, beys, viziers, and ulema. Asking their permission. With their nod, he claimed the Sultan title once again. The young Mehmed, coming back from his hunt, found his father on the throne. And he had no choice but to accept it. This was his second abdication. A huge public humiliation.

Mehmed was effectively pushed to the side. His worth and power felt smaller to the people. His future totally depended on his father’s whims now. But Murad I had no other living sons. Making Mehmed his sure-fire heir. So, Murad appointed Mehmed as Sancak Bey in Manisa. He sent several of his loyal beys with him. And told Uzguroğlu İsa Pasha to keep a very close eye.

But Mehmed saw himself not as just a prince. But as a Sultan ripped from his throne. His anger was simmering. He daringly minted coins in his own name. A bold move. To show he was still boss against his father’s. Though this tested their relationship, Murad didn’t punish him. He understood his son’s wounded pride and damaged reputation. So, to get Mehmed ready for his future gig, Murad started taking him on campaigns. Aiming to fix his honor.

However, in 1450, Mehmed joined Murad’s campaign against Skanderbeg in Albania. The siege of Akçahisar failed after loads of months. And Murad headed back to Edirne. Yet, instead of just sending Mehmed back to Manisa, Murad wanted to really lock down his son’s standing. He set up an important marriage with Sitti Mükrime Hatun, daughter of the Dulkadiroğlu Bey. The Dulkadirids? Longtime allies and family; Murad’s own mom came from that beylic. A good pairing. A huge, weeks-long wedding followed. Publicly broadcasting Mehmed as the heir to the Ottoman throne. After the huge party, Mehmed returned to Manisa with his crew.

His second time on the throne, after Murad II died, was marked by tough decisions. Including the wild execution of his baby brother. All to grab power. And announce a new, absolute rule

Barely a season post-wedding, during the winter of 1451, Sultan Murad II suddenly died. Just under 50. His health ruined by bad food and the huge stress of ruling. His sudden death shocked everyone. Especially Çandarlı Halil Pasha, who’d hoped to delay this moment for years.

The young prince, now 19, whom Çandarlı had fought so hard to keep off the throne, was about to claim it. With all his ambition, drive, and banked fury. Çandarlı, ever the smart politician, kept Murad’s death a secret. Sending news to Manisa. Mehmed, like he expected this very moment, immediately rode out. Making a secret crossing to Gallipoli. To get ahead of any Byzantine nonsense.

As Mehmed hit Rumelia, Murad’s death couldn’t be kept secret anymore. No one in charge in Edirne quickly led to a Janissary revolt. They wanted to loot the city. Even though no one provoked them, their rebellion made Mehmed’s new rule even tougher. Çandarlı stepped in. Squashing the uprising. With promises of rewards from the new Sultan.

Mehmed entered Edirne. Yet, Çandarlı’s pull was still obvious. A subtle hint to the young Sultan. That the Janissaries listened to him. The army listened to him. A clear demonstration that Mehmed still desperately needed Çandarlı.

Mehmed, good at reading these power messages, knew he couldn’t sideline Çandarlı immediately. Not yet. He took the Ottoman throne on February 3, 1451. Kinda overshadowed by his Grand Vizier.

His first moves? All planned. While Çandarlı stayed Grand Vizier, Mehmed brought his trusted teachers, Şehabettin and Zağanos Pashas, into the big meeting. He also moved his father’s plotting wives out of the palace by marrying them off. Crucially, he paid the Byzantines to keep Orhan Çelebi, a possible Ottoman pretender who was becoming more like the Byzantines, locked up.

Most shocking? Big move. His execution of his infant brother. Poor 7-8-month-old Şehzade Ahmed. Strangling an innocent baby. Barely off his mother’s milk. An unheard-of act in Ottoman history. What had a tiny baby done wrong? What reason could possibly excuse such a deed?

Because Mehmed firsthand knew how a dad’s presence could totally mess up his own rule. He held no mistaken ideas that a brother hanging around wouldn’t pose a similar future threat. Maybe brutal—but Sultan Mehmed had already announced, “I am not like the sultans before me.” He sent a clear, no-doubt message: he could be a “bloodthirsty ruler” when needed. Signaling a new era of absolute, uncompromising rule. “Watch your step.”

The early part of his second reign immediately showed he wanted big wins. Setting the stage for taking Constantinople

Because Mehmed knew that to truly lock down his authority, he needed a huge victory. What he’d dreamed of for years—taking Constantinople—was now within reach. His father had always chosen peace. Mehmed saw the Eastern Roman Empire as the “evil of evils.” Conquering Istanbul would be his payback. For all the years of being pushed aside. And humiliated as a young prince.

Vengeance day coming. Yet, one thing bothered him. While other states and bigwigs sent messengers to congratulate him, Karamanlı Bey İbrahim was obviously missing. No celebratory message. Something was brewing. Clearly.

And indeed, İbrahim Bey’s plan soon became clear. Taking advantage of the switch in sultans, he grabbed Isparta and Beyşehir. And started stirring up different people who claimed rights to old lands in western Anatolia. Against the Ottomans. Peace broken.

Mehmed II. His usual determination. He immediately ordered the Ottoman army to prepare for a campaign into Anatolia. He was about to make a powerful, clear return to the stage of history.

FAQs

Q: How old was Mehmed II when he first became a governor?
A: Just 11 years old. He went to Manisa.

Q: What led to Murad II temporarily coming back as Sultan during Mehmed’s first reign?
A: The huge Crusader invasion in 1444, followed by the Battle of Varna. Murad II led the Ottomans to victory there. So, he had to come back to lead the army, which meant taking the throne back, unofficially.

Q: What scandalous thing did Mehmed II do when he became Sultan the second time?
A: To solidify his power and stop future family threats, Mehmed II ordered his baby brother, Şehzade Ahmed, to be executed. A brutal, unprecedented move. Showing his total resolve for absolute rule.