93 days of reign of Sultan Murad V

Born in September 1840 as the firstborn son of Sultan Abdulmecid, Murad V was also the first prince of the Tanzimat era. Following the death of Sultan Abdulmecid in 1861, his brother Sultan Abdulaziz succeeded him, and Murad V remained crown prince. Accompanying his uncle on his journey to Europe in 1861, Murad V earned the respect of the European rulers. Upon returning Istanbul, Murad V was told to live in Kurbağalıdere Kiosk, where he arranged meetings with a group called Young Ottomans, critics of the current government, and argued that the parliamentary system needed urgent action. When those meetings costed too high, Murad V started borrowing from the so called "Galatia bankers". That borrowing continued even after he had ascended to the throne, ending up with an economic damage. Encouraged by Namık Kemal, Murad V converted to being a mason when he was crown prince, making him the first mason sultan of the Ottoman Empire. That he strengthened his bond with Mithat Pasha and Hüseyin Avni Pasha paved the way to the throne. Murad V promised Mithat Pasha that he would appoint a constitutional government and came to the throne on May 30, 1876 following a revolt by a group called Students of Madrasa. However, he did not declare the constitution unlike what he promised Mithat Pasha. In response, Pasha began to work against the Sultan Murad V. When Murad V ascended to the throne, the Ottoman Empire had been struggling not only against the policies of imperialism of such great powers as Russia, Germany, Austria-Hungary, England, and France, but also against the revolts of the non-Muslim communities triggered by such ideals as liberty, equality, and justice. In order to keep Turks out of Balkans, the Great Powers put the "Eastern Question" forward, and yet they had a disagreement about how to solve that question. England and France demanded strict adherence to the Reform Edict, while Russia demanded autonomy for the minorities. Influenced by Mithat Pasha, Murad V adopted a policy in favor of England, and granted a General Amnesty to end the revolts. Due to the military and financial support to the insurgents by the Great Powers, the uprising in Balkans could not be prevented even by the General Amnesty. Both some events having occurred during his ascending to the throne and Sultan Abdulaziz's sudden death made Murad V lose his mind. As a result, he was deposed after 93 days of rule with a medical report by the Viennese Dr. Leidersdorf, and Abdulhamid II succeeded him. Key words: Ottoman Empire, Sultan Abdulaziz, Murad V, Mithat Pasha, Ottoman Constitution