Çırağan incident, also known as the Ali Suavi incident (Ottoman Turkish: واقعه چراغان, romanized: Vak'â-yı Çırağan), was a failed coup attempt that took place on May 20, 1878 by a group of dissident people led by Ali Suavi to replace Ottoman sultan Abdul Hamid II with his brother Murad V who was held in Çırağan Palace.[1]
| Çırağan incident | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Ali Suavi's raid on Çırağan Palace as depicted in a British publication | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Ottoman Empire | Rebels | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Yedisekiz Hasan Pasha | Ali Suavi | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 150-250 rebels killed | |||||||
Background
editOn May 30, 1876, Ottoman sultan Abdulaziz was overthrown in a coup d'état led by Midhat Pasha and several constitutionalist ministers. Following Abdulaziz’s removal, his nephew Murad V ascended the throne, becoming the 33rd sultan of the Ottoman Empire[2] However, the suicide of Murad’s deposed uncle only days after his accession stunned him. The new sultan suffered from mental health issues, compounded by his struggle with alcoholism, which led to a mental breakdown and severe illness, becoming evident in his behavior. Noticing the new sultan’s mental instability, government leaders called in Dr. Maximilian Leidesdorf, a specialist in psychiatric disorders, who concluded that the Sultan could make a complete recovery with three months of treatment in a clinic. In order to implement their reformist plans, the constitutionalist ministers declared Murad deposed on August 30, 1876, and elevated his younger brother, Abdul Hamid II, to the throne, who supported introducing a parliamentary system. Murad’s reign lasted only ninety-three days, the shortest in the history of the Ottoman Empire. Abdul Hamid ordered Murad and his entourage transferred to Çırağan Palace along the shore of the Bosphorus.[3]
Nine months after the deposition, Murad regained his mental faculties. After a period of time, observing the former sultan’s recovery, his supporters secretly began plotting to restore him to the throne.[4] The first two years of Murad’s confinement in Çırağan witnessed three attempts by supporters to free him and restore him to the throne, but all three resulted only in Abdul Hamid’s tightening the cordon that isolated Çırağan Palace from the city around it.[5] Abdul Hamid had several opponents within the Ottoman royal family which became evident in subsequent conspiracies against him following his ascension to the Ottoman throne.
Events
editFollowing Murad V's recovery, opposition groups became increasingly active. A plan was devised to liberate him and restore him to the throne. Prince Ahmed Kemaleddin and Prince Süleyman, Murad's brothers, along with Princess Seniha, Princess Fatma, and Mahmud Celaleddin Pasha, were all involved in the plot; however, Murad himself was unaware of the coup attempt.[6] Notably, Mahmud Celaleddin most likely worked for Abdul Hamid II, while presenting himself as a sympathizer of Murad to gain his trust.[7]
On May 20, 1878, Ali Suavi, one of Abdul Hamid's opponents, and some 250 refugees from the recent Russo-Ottoman War went to Çırağan Palace by boat and neutralized the palace guards.[8][6] A battleship named “Mesudiye” was anchored offshore to transfer Murad. The rebels entered the palace and sent Murad's son, Prince Mehmed Selaheddin, to inform him of the coup attempt. As Murad emerged, Ali Suavi and Nişli Salih, an army deserter, held his arms to escort him out, but his mother, Şefkevza Sultan, opposed them, expressing concern that her son would be harmed in the uproar.[9]
Meanwhile, the soldiers under the command of Beşiktaş Guard Yedisekiz Hasan Pasha arrived at the scene and killed sixty of the rebels. Hasan Pasha also killed Ali Suavi by hitting his head with a thick stick and thus ending the revolution attempt.[8]
Aftermath
editAfter the incident, Abdul Hamid II became increasingly paranoid about the possibility of being overthrown, while his brother Murad V ceased to be a viable rival. Feeling threatened, Abdul Hamid II established the Ottoman secret police two years later. The primary task of its members was to gather information and spy on dissident groups operating both inside and outside the empire.[10]
References
edit- ^ Çağlar, Burhan (2021). "Turmoil in the Capital: British Publication Alarmed the Hamidian Regime". Belleten. 85 (302): 133–153. doi:10.37879/belleten.2021.133.
- ^ "Abdülaziz". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
- ^ Brookes 2008, pp. 16–17.
- ^ Brookes 2008, p. 67.
- ^ Brookes 2008, p. 17.
- ^ a b Brookes 2008, p. 76.
- ^ Brookes 2008, p. 74.
- ^ a b "Çirağan Vak'asi".
- ^ Brookes 2008, pp. 78–80.
- ^ İlter, Erdal (2002). Millî İstihbarat Teşkilatı Tarihçesi (in Turkish). Ankara, Turkey: MİT Basım Evi. ISBN 975-19-2712-9.
Sources
edit- Brookes, Douglas Scott (November 2008). The Concubine, the Princess, and the Teacher. University of Texas Press. ISBN 9780292718425. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
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