List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire

The list of sultans of the Ottoman Empire contains all the rulers of this country from its founding in 1299 until its dissolution in 1922. The Turkish title Sultan primarily denotes a secular ruler, but also includes a religious authority. The Ottoman sultans came from the Kayı subgroup of the Oghuz .

Sultan is the name commonly used for the Ottoman ruler. In the Ottoman constitution of 1876, the sultan is referred to as Padişah (derivative of Shah ). In addition, the Ottoman rulers used numerous other titles and predicates in their titles.

Sultans of the Ottoman Empire

	Name (life data)	Reign	Remarks
	Osman I. (around 1258/1259; † 1326)	1288-1326	Founder of the Ottoman Empire. He was initially a vassal of the Rum Seljuks , but declared his country independent in 1299 and conquered western Asia Minor in the period that followed .
	Orhan I. (* 1281; † 1359)	1326-1359	First Ottoman ruler to use the title sultan. Founder of the Janissaries .
	Murad I (* 1326; † 1389)	1359-1389	Expanded the sphere of influence of his country to Europe .
	Bayezid I (* 1360; † March 8/9, 1403)	1389-1402	He was initially able to conquer other areas in Europe and Asia, but was defeated by the Mongols under Timur Lenk in 1402 and died in captivity.
In the years 1402-1413 there was a dispute over the succession to the throne between the sons of Bayezids, see Ottoman Interregnum .
	Mehmed I (* 1389; † 1421)	1413-1421	Restored Ottoman rule after the Interregnum.
	Murad II (* 1404; † 1451)	1421-1444 1446-1451	Abdicated in favor of his second son after the death of his eldest son. A Janissary uprising forced him to take power again in 1446.
	Mehmed II , "the Conqueror" (* March 30, 1432, † May 3, 1481)	1444-1446 1451-1481	Conquered Constantinople on May 29, 1453 and made it the new capital of the Ottoman Empire.
	Bayezid II , "the saint" (* December 3, 1447, † May 26, 1512)	1481-1512	Successfully waged war against Venice .
	Selim I , "the rigors" (* October 10, 1470, † September 21, 1520)	1512-1520	Disempowered his father Bayezid II in 1512. Selim fought the Shiites , waged war against Persia and expanded Ottoman rule to Syria and Egypt .
	Suleyman I. , "the Magnificent" (* April 27, 1495 - † September 6, 1566)	1520-1566	Led several successful campaigns against Hungary . He also conquered Tunis , Rhodes , parts of Persia and Baghdad . In 1529 there was the first siege of Vienna . Also because of his legislation, he was considered one of the most important Ottoman rulers. The empire also flourished culturally , for example through the buildings of Sinan .
	Selim II , "the drunk" (May 30, 1524 - December 13, 1574)	1566-1574	He sent missionaries to Southeast Asia and had Cyprus and Tunisia conquered.
	Murad III (* 1546- † 1595)	1574-1595	The decline of Ottoman power began under his rule.
	Mehmed III. (May 26, 1566 - December 22, 1603)	1595-1603	Waged war against Austria , but otherwise showed little interest in politics.
	Ahmed I. (April 18, 1590 - November 22, 1617)	1603-1617	Wars against Austria and Persia ended unfavorably for the Ottoman Empire.
	Mustafa I. (* 1592; † January 20, 1639)	1617-1618	Brother of Ahmed I. Was apparently mentally retarded and was deposed in 1618.
	Osman II (November 3, 1604 - May 20, 1622)	1618-1622	Unsuccessfully waged war against Poland. He was murdered during a palace revolt.
	Mustafa I. (1592–20 January 1639)	1622-1623	After the murder of his nephew Osman II, reinstated for a short time.
	Murad IV. (June 16, 1610/11/12 - February 8, 1640)	1623-1640	Son of Ahmed I. Strict laws strengthened his power.
	İbrahim , "the mad one" (* November 4, 1615, † August 18, 1648)	1640-1648	Son of Ahmed I. Suffered a defeat against Venice in the Aegean.
	Mehmed IV. (January 2, 1642 - January 6, 1693)	1648-1687	Besieged Vienna for the second time unsuccessfully, whereupon he was deposed.
	Suleyman II (April 15, 1642 - June 23, 1691)	1687-1691	Son of Ibrahim. His reign was marked by civil unrest and unsuccessful war against Austria.
	Ahmed II. (* 1642 or 1643 - † February 6, 1695)	1691-1695	Son of Ibrahim. Hungary lost to Austria.
	Mustafa II. (February 6, 1664; † 1704)	1695-1703	Lost large areas in Europe. Deposed by the Janissaries in 1703.
	Ahmed III. (* 1673 - † July 1, 1736)	1703-1730	Son of Mehmed IV. Lost further territories to Austria and Venice and was deposed by the Janissaries in 1730.
	Mahmud I (* 1696; † 1754)	1730-1754	Son of Mustafas II. Was able to regain some areas previously conquered by Austria.
	Osman III (January 2, 1699 - October 30, 1757)	1754-1757	Son of Mustafa II.
	Mustafa III. (January 28, 1717 - January 21, 1774)	1757-1774	Son of Ahmed III. He tried to modernize the state and the army and founded several academies.
	Abdülhamid I (March 20, 1725 - April 7, 1789)	1774-1789	Son of Ahmed III. During his reign there were riots in Syria and Palestine . Wars against Russia , Austria and Persia ended with Ottoman territorial losses.
	Selim III. (December 24, 1762 - July 28, 1808)	1789-1807	Son of Mustafa III. Made extensive reforms.
	Mustafa IV. (September 8, 1779 - November 17, 1808)	1807-1808	Son of Abdülhamids I. Of followers of Selim III. murdered.
	Mahmud II (July 20, 1785 - July 1, 1839)	1808-1839	The son of Abdülhamids I. He began with numerous reforms in the state and army, especially he tried to limit the power of the Pashas . The Greek Revolution occurred during his reign .
	Abdülmecid I. (* April 25, 1823 - † June 25, 1861)	1839-1861	Continued his father's reforms.
	Abdülaziz (February 8, 1830 - June 4, 1876)	1861-1876	There were several uprisings against Ottoman rule in Europe.
	Murad V. (born September 21, 1840 - † August 29, 1904)	1876	Dismissed after only three months in office due to mental weakness.
	Abdülhamid II (born September 21, 1842 - † February 10, 1918)	1876-1909	Brother Murads V. Under his rule, the Ottoman Empire lost control of a large part of the European possessions.
	Mehmed V. Reşat (November 2, 1844 - July 3, 1918)	1909-1918	Brother Abdülhamids II. In the course of the Balkan Wars and the First World War, the Ottoman sphere of influence essentially shrank to what is now Turkey .
	Mehmed VI. Vahdettin (January 4, 1861 - May 16, 1926)	1918-1922	Last ruler of the Ottoman Empire. After the abolition of the Sultanate in November 1922, he went into exile in San Remo . After his departure, the office of caliph was held by Abdülmecid II until March 3, 1924 .