Abdulaziz
‘Abdu’l-‘Azīz (Template:ArB) (February 9, 1830 – 1876) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1861 to May 30, 1876. He was the son of Sultan Mahmud II and succeeded his brother Abd-ul-Mejid in 1861.
His personal interference in government affairs was not very marked, and extended to little more than taking astute advantage of the constant issue of state loans during his reign to acquire wealth, which was squandered in building palaces and in other futile ways: he is even said to have profited, by means of bear sales, from the default on the Turkish debt in 1875 and the consequent fall in prices.
Another source of revenue was afforded by Ismail Pasha, the khedive of Egypt, who paid heavily in bakshish for the firman of 1866, by which the succession to the khedivate was made hereditary from father to son in direct line and in order of primogeniture, as well as for the subsequent firmans of 1867, 1869 and 1872 extending the khedive's prerogatives. It is, however, only fair to add that the sultan was doubtless influenced by the desire to bring about a similar change in the succession to the Ottoman throne and to ensure the succession after him of his eldest son, Yussuf Izz-ed-din.
`Abdu'l-`Aziz visited Western Europe in 1867, being the first Ottoman sultan to do so, including a visit to England, where he was made a Knight of the Garter by Queen Victoria and shown a Royal Navy Fleet Review with his Khedive of Egypt. He travelled by private rail car, which today can be found in the RMK Museum in Istanbul. In 1869 he received visits from Empress Eugenie of France and other foreign monarchs on their way to the opening of the Suez Canal. The future Edward VII of the United Kingdom, while Prince of Wales, twice visited Istanbul.
The misgovernment and financial straits of the country brought on the outbreak of Muslim discontent and fanaticism which eventually culminated in the murder of two consuls at Salonica and in the "Bulgarian atrocities", and cost `Abdu'l-`Aziz his throne. His deposition on May 30, 1876 was hailed with joy throughout Turkey; a fortnight later he was found dead in the palace where he had been confined, and trustworthy medical evidence attributed his death to suicide although many people believed he was murdered by a conspiracy.
Seven children survived him:
- Prince Yussuf Izz-ed-din (b. 1857)
- Princess Salina, wife of Kurd Ismail Pasha
- Princess Nazime, wife of Khalid Pasha
- Prince Abdul Mejid II (b. May 29, 1868)
- Prince Self-ed-din (b. 1876)
- Princess Emine, wife of Mahommed Bey
- Prince Shefket, (1872–1899)
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
