The dears of the Sublime Porte had slightly failed when Mahmud II mounted the throne as the sole surviving heir at law of the Ottoman dynasty. He was only twenty- three, yet formerly he carried the scars of a continuance of bloodshed. His kinsman Selim III had been boggled before his eyes. His family Mustafa IV, who tried to kill him, had been executed at his command. His protection, the potent Alemdar Mustafa Pasha, had decomposed in a storm of fire. Istanbul lay in remains, its thoroughfares filled with ashes, and the Janissaries, though crippled, still strutted with arrogance through the capital. This was the conglomerate Mahmud inherited — a realm in extremity, torn between the history and the future.
Popular Podcasts
Spooky Podcasts from iHeartRadio
Whether you’re a scaredy-cat or a brave bat, this collection of episodes from iHeartPodcasts will put you in the Halloween spirit. Binge stories, frights, and more that may keep you up at night!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.