The audience was lied to: what actually killed Sultan Ahmed from the “Empire of Kesem”

In the series “The Magnificent Century” and its direct continuation, the writers and directors made a lot of historical inaccuracies. Including regarding how real people died in their projects. A striking example is the Sultan from the Kesem Empire.

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Ahmed I ascended the throne at a young age, he was only 13 years old. Of course, the padishah did not yet have heirs at that time, and therefore his reign came with a sudden decision to pardon his younger brother Mustafa – this was a direct violation of the Fatih law, which protected the Ottoman Empire from turmoil and civil war.

However, soon following the coronation, Ahmed nevertheless became a father. The concubine Mahfiruz gave the firstborn to the Sultan. However, this woman was not the favorite of the ruler, and therefore soon left for the Old Palace, from where she never returned. By the way, according to the plot of the “Empire of Kesem” Mahfiruz died during the rebellion of Ahmed’s grandmother Valide Safiye Sultan … Needless to say, the creators of the saga wanted to add as much entertainment to the plot as possible.

Be that as it may, the most significant figure under the padishah, in real life and in history, was Kesem Sultan, a Greek slave who had a significant impact on the Ottoman Empire. For a long time, the lady was, in fact, the ruler of the Turkish state, holding the position of regent under the young Sultan Murad. This happened following the sudden death of Ahmed I.

And here it is worth remembering once more how the creators of the “Magnificent Age” and “Kesem Empire” loved to play with historical facts. So, in their version of the Sultan, for a long time, his new favorite, sent to Valide Safiye and who is Kesem’s own sister, has been poisoning him. The drama of the situation is obvious.

The creators decided to finish off the audience with the heartbreaking scene of Ahmed and Kesem’s first wedding night, during which the padishah, poisoned by poison, expires in the arms of his newly-born legal wife. From that moment, Kesem actually takes control of the state into his own hands, gradually clearing his way to the throne. If we turn to real historical information, then the sovereign died on November 22, 1617 from typhus. At that time he was only 27 years old.

Photo source: frame from the series “Kesem Empire”