Şehzade Mehmed (son of Ahmed I)


Şehzade Mehmed was an Ottoman prince, the second son of Sultan Ahmed I and his wife Kösem Sultan.

Life

Şehzade Mehmed was born on 11 March 1605 in Istanbul. He was the second son of Sultan Ahmed I. His mother was Kösem Sultan. In January 1609, Mehmed began his education under the guardianship of Hace Ömer Efendi, together with his elder brother, Şehzade Osman.
According to contemporary European observers, Mehmed's mother Kösem entertained ideas about his succession to the sultanate after the
death of Ahmed. Nasuh Pasha, during his grand vizierate,
especially after his marriage to Ayşe Sultan, daughter of Ahmed and Kösem in 1612, became a close ally of his mother-in-law, who apparently thought that Nasuh Pasha could be of help in securing the succession of Mehmed.
After his father's death in 1617, when Mehmed was twelve years old, his uncle Sultan Mustafa I ascended the throne. However, he was soon deposed and replaced by Osman in 1618.

Death

Osman had asked the Şeyhülislam Hocazade Esad Efendi for an affirmative legal opinion to execute his brother. However, Esad Efendi refused to issue legal opinion. The Chief Judge of Rumeli Kemaleddin Efendi instead affirmed the execution of the prince. And so on 12 January 1621, Mehmed was executed. When the executors were stretching rope in his neck he spoke:
Twelve days following his death, a harsh snow fall in Istanbul which was considered as Allah’s message to Osman that he killed his brother. Osman ordered Mehmed's execution before leaving the capital for the Polish campaign.
He was buried beside his father in his mausoleum located in Blue Mosque, Istanbul.

In popular culture

In 2015 Turkish historical non-fiction TV series
, Şehzade Mehmed is portrayed by Turkish Actor Burak Dakak.