Mahmud II Sultan of Turkey (1784–1839)
Vienna, Austria
Austrian National Library
About Austrian National Library, Vienna
1st half of the 19th century
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Portrait of Mahmud II, Sultan of Turkey (1784–1839). In 1826 Mahmud II initiated the development of a modern army. This led to the uprising of the Janissary, which was quelled by massacring the rebellious troops. Under Mahmud II's reign, in 1821 the Greeks started their fight for freedom which was granted to them in the Peace of Adrianople in 1829.
After the destruction of the Janissary, the Ottoman Empire under Sultan Mahmud II had only 35,000 badly trained regular soldiers in 1827. Due to the weakness of the Ottoman Empire, Ibrahim Pasha, the son of Muhammad 'Ali (ruler of Egypt), invaded Syria. On 20 February 1832, the Egyptian Army defeated the Ottoman Army at the Battle of Konya. This forced Mahmud II to sign the Peace of Kütahya and to cede Syria and Kilikia to Egypt.
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"Mahmud II Sultan of Turkey (1784–1839)" in "Sharing History", Museum With No Frontiers, 2024. https://sharinghistory.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;AWE;at;93;en
MWNF Working Number: AT 094