SULTAN IV. MURAD HAN

Father: Sultan 1. Ahmed
Mother: Kösem Sultan (Mahpeyker)
Date of Birth: July 27, 1612
Accession to the Throne: September 1 0, 1623
Death: Night of 819 February, 1640

He was accessed to the Ottoman throne as the seventeen Sovereign in September 1623 at a very young age. The period of his reign could be divided into two parts: his childhood years when he learned about state affairs while growing up (1623-1632); and the second period when he struggled for strengthening the state and expanding the territories (1632 until 1640, the year of his death).

On the date he was enthroned the state administration was in a situation of corruption. Graft, bribing and favouritism prevailed in the country and it was almost impossible to execute state affairs. Wars continued with Persia in the East and Austria in the West. His first action was to take unnecessarily severe precautions in order to eliminate the violence and bribing within the state. He succeeded to annihilate perturbation in Istanbul and the provinces. He recovered the military discipline and ensured compliance with laws, ordinances and directives. He implemented the measures for the regular collection of taxes in order to increase the state's revenues and for avoiding fund shortage in the treasury arising out of unne- cessary expenditure. He used to go around in disguise when necessary and observed perturbations, undisciplined actions and irregularities; and personally punished the offenders. He has participated in wars and raised the morale of commanders and the soldiers in the trenches. He would never tolerate unfairness and disorder. The first Sovereign in our history. who has murdered a sheikhulislam was Sultan Murad iV Alcoholic drinks and tobacco ban was implemented during this period also.

Sultan Murad received a good education from educationalists of the period during his childhood. He was a good poet and wrote his poetry under the pseudonym of "Muradi". He has also learned calligraphy and became a skilled calligrapher. He has beautiful edicts written in his handwriting and adorned by him. He was an excellent horseman and could even jump from one horseback to the other. He was also a skillful user of the sword: and the bow and the arrow.

He was tall, heavily built, with a round face and fair complexion. He had a dense black beard, hazel eyes and eyebrows wide apart. His shoulders were wide and his muscles very strong.