His Father's Name: Ahmed the ThirdHis Mother's Name: Rabia Shermi SultanaDate of Birth: March 20th, 1725Date of Death: April 7th, 1789His Reign: 1774-89 (15 years) |
Abdulhamid the First was a calligrapher who was well educated and who read all
the historical chronicles in existence in his time. He was very sensitive and courteous
and made a great many reforms and developments during his sultanate. Despite the fact that
the Empire was in decline, he remained a well respected and eminent leader. He was the
first Emperor not to give Bahshish of Accession, a gratuity, when he came to power,
thereby breaking an Imperial tradition.
In 1775, the Persian-Ottoman War began, ending in 1779. Neither side gained any great advantage but a great deal of blood was shed. Germany was defeated in a war which began in 1787 and by the Peace of Ainalikawak. In 1783 the Crimea war was lost to the Ottoman Empire. In 1787 the Russian-Ottoman War began again and in 1788 the Battle of Sebes was won. After that victory, Abdulkhamid was given the surname Ghazi (Combatant).
The Oezi fortress fell to the Germans and all the defenders, civilians and soldiers slaughtered– 25,000 of them. Hearing of this, Sultan Abdulhamid suffered pseudobulbar palsy (a partial paralysis) and died shortly after at the age of 64. He was buried in his tomb at Bakhche-kapi.
The great Muslim personalities of Sultan Abdulhamid Khan's reign were Hadrat Shamsuddin Habiballah from the Naqshbandi Golden Chain
His sons' names were Mustafa the Fourth, Mahmoud the Second, Nousred, Muhammed, Ahmed and Suleyman. He also had seven daughters.