APPENDIX
Ogier Busbecq’s Account of the Downfall of Mustapha
Sustulerat Suleymannus ex concubina, ni fallor, Bosphorana, filium nomine Mustapham, qui tum aetatis flore et militari gloria maxime vigebat. Sed erant eidem Suleymanno complures alii liberi ex Roxolana, quam ita amabat ut prope in uxoris haberet loco, dicta etiam dote, ex quo Turcis certa matrimonii fides…Cum ergo Mustapha propter egregiam indolem aetatisque opportunitatem gratia militum et populi suffragio post mortem patris iam senescentis haud dubius imperii successor designaretur, ut liberis regnum affereret contra nitebatur noverca…Quam in rem adiutore et consiliario utebatur Rustano, cum quo illi fortuna communis…Idem Rustanus inter bassas apud Suleymannum principem gratiae et auctoritatis locum tenebat, vir acri ingenio praeditus et perspicaci, magnum Suleymanni laudis instrumentum…Hic ergo Rustanus cum esset Visiriorum primus, penes quem rerum Turcicarum administrationis summa est, nullo negocio quam in partem vellet ut consiliorum omnium auctor animum voluntatemque sui regis poterat impellere. Unde ea Turcarum mentibus inhaesit opinio, cum Rustani criminationibus tum uxoris Roxolanae veneficiis, quorum infamia laborabat, ita abalienatum a filio Mustapha patrem fuisse ut de eo tollendo consilium caperet…Erat ei bellum cum rege Persarum Sagthama, quo missus erat cum summa imperii Rustanus. Is cum ad Persarum fines appropinquaret, subito constitit, Suleymannumque per litteras trepide certiorem fecit rem in magno versari discrimine: omnia esse insidiarum plena; corruptos militum animos uni Mustaphae studere, illum imperio; se non esse malo parem; eius praesentiam atque auctoritatem requiri; veniret, si salvum vellet imperium. His litteris turbatus Suleymannus subito advolat. Mustapham per litteras arcessit, utque de criminis deliquibus in suspicionem vocabatur, et iam palam accusabatur satisfaciat sedulo monet. Si id fiat, nihil manere periculi. Anceps deliberatio Mustaphae animum huc illuc agebat: si ad patrem infensum veniat et inimicum, discrimen certum; sin detrectet, manifesta cogitanti criminis confessio. Vicit tamen ea sententia in qua plus erat animi et tamen periculum amplius. Venit itaque ad patrem, an innocentia sua fretus an quod confideret praesente exercitu nihil sibi eventurum mali, certe ad ineluctabile exitium venit. Sententiam de filii morte iam ante conceptam domo Suleymannus attulerat, consultu prius nequis religioni locus relinqueretur suo muffti. Is est apud Turcas sacerdotum supremus, ut apud nos Romanus pontifex. Eum vero nequid ad gratiam responderet, hunc in modum fuerat aggressus: Constantinopoli quendam haud postremi inter mercatores loci, cum domo aliquamdiu esse afuturus, servum cui praecipue indulserat rei suae familiaeque toto praeposuisse, uxoremque et liberos eius fidei credidisse. Illum vero statim absente domino rem omnem invertere, capitique uxoris et liberorum insidiari cepisse; quin ipsimet domino certam perniciem machinaturum esse; se, quid in illum iure statui posset, velle ab eo intelligere. Respondit Muffti illum ut per cruciatum necaretur, meruisse videri. Id sive ex animi sui sententia ita dixerit sive Rustani Roxonalaneve fraudibus in hoc allegatus, certe vehementer animum Suleymanni confirmavit, ulto iam in necem filii mirum in modum propendentis: non enim minus in se filii scelus quam servi illius in dominum esse existimabat. Cum ergo venisset Mustapha in castra, suspenso expectatione eventus magnopere exercitu, introducitur in patris tentorum, ubi pacata videbantur omnia. Nullus miles, spiculator nullus, nullus lictor, insidiarum nihil quod timeri posset. At erant muti aliquot, quos Turcae habent in deliciis, validi et robusti homines, ad caedem Mustaphae destinati. Qui receptum in tentorium interius magno impetu aggrederentur, laqueumque illi omni vi iniicere conaretur. Ille strenue se defendere (neque enim erat invalidus) et non modo de vita sed etiam de imperio coniecisset contendere, cum dubium non esset quin, si periculo elapsus inter Gianizaros se , illi rei indignitate et misericordia eius, quem summe amabant, commoti non modo servaturi, verum etiam imperatorem fuerint salutaturi. Hoc ipsum metuens Suleymannus, qui linteis modo tentorii parietibus ab eo theatro in quo illa agebatur tragoedia disiungebatur, cum praeter spem incepto suo moram iniectam videret, ea tentorii parte caput exserens torvos et minaces oculos in mutos torquet, illorumque segnitiem et ignaviam graviter increpat. Quo facto muti, receptis a terrore animis, miserum Mustapham sternunt, iniectoque nervo gulam ei frangunt. Moxque in tapetem porrectum ante tentorium explicant, ut esset Gianizaris videre quem habere imperatorem tantopere expetivissent. Quae res ubi per castra vulgata est, commiseratio et dolor omnem exercitum pervasit. (The passage goes on to describe how Rustan was disgraced for his involvement in this episode, and how Achmet replaced him as Grand Vizier).
Suleiman had a son by a concubine (from the Bosporus, if I am not mistaken) named Mustapha, in the flower of his youth and martial glory. But Suleiman had several other sons from Roxolana, whom he loved almost as a wife and had given a dowry, which among the Turks is a sure sign of matrimony…So when Mustapha was appointed the undoubted heir of his aging father,because of his fine nature, suitable age, and popularity, his step-mother strove to gain the throne for her sons…And for this business she employed the help and advise of Rustan, the partner in her fortune…Among his pashas, this Rustan held first place in favor in authority, a man of keen and sagacious wit, and very instrumental in gaining Suleiman his praises…So this Rustan, being the first of the Viziers (the chief administrators among the Turks) and the author of all his counsels, had no difficulty in guiding Suleiman’s mind and will as he wished. So the Turkish opinion was that, thanks to Rustan’s accusations and his wife Roxolana’s witchcraft, the father was so alienated from his son Mustapha that he took thought about killing him…He was at war against Sagthama, King of Persia, and Rustan was sent there with supreme authority. When he approached the territory of Persia he suddenly came to a halt and in a letter fearfully informed Suleiman that the business was hanging in great danger: everything was full of treachery; the soldiers’ minds were so corrupted that they were seeking Mustapha, and he the kingdom; he himself was unequal to this evil; Suleiman’s presence and authority were required; he should come, if he wished his empire to remain safe. Disturbed by this letter, Suleiman quickly came flying. He sent a letter summoning Mustapha, stating that he was under the suspicion of criminal activity, and that he should openly defend himself. Should he do so, no danger would remain. Mustapha’s mind was torn in two directions. If he should go to his hostile father, he would be in sure danger; if he declined, this would be an open confession that he was criminally minded. The braver yet more perilous opinion prevailed. Thus he came to his father, either trusting in his innocence or confident that nothing bad would happen to him in the presence of the army, and went to his sure destruction. For at home Suleiman had already decided on his son’s death, but he had first consulted his mufti so that due allowance was had for religion. He is the high priest among the Turks, like the Pope among the Romans. And so that he not give a merely flattering answer, he began in this manner. At Constantinople there was a certain merchant, far from the humblest, who, when he was going to be away from home for a while, entrusted his wife and sons to the servant whom he most indulged and whom he had set over his household. But as soon as his master was gone that fellow turned everything topsy-turvy, and began to plot the deaths of the wife and sons, indeed he was planning certai9n death for the master himself, and the master had asked him his opinion about what he could rightly do. The mufti gave the response that the man appeared to deserve death by torture. Whether this was his true opinion, or whether he had been suborned by the deceits of Rustan and Roxolana, confirmed Suleiman in his purpose, who was now wonderfully bent on killing his son, thinking that Mustapha’s offense against himself was no less than that slave’s against his master. So when Mustapha arrived at the camp, the army in great suspense as it awaited the outcome, he was brought into his father’s tent, where everything seemed peaceful. There were no soldiers, spies, or bodyguards, and no tricks which he could fear. But there were a number of mutes (in whom the Turks take delight), strong and sturdy fellows, who attacked him in a great rush and tried with might and main to cast a noose over him. He put up a vigorous defense (for he was no weakling), and fought not just for his life but also for the empire, for there was no doubt that, should he evade this danger and sought refuge with the Janissaries, they would be moved not only by the indignity of the thing but also by pity for himself, whom they greatly loved, would not only rescue him but also hail him as Sultan. Fearing this very thing, Suleiman, who was only separated by the cloth wall of the tent from the stage where this tragedy was being enacted, saw that this business was dragging on contrary to expectation, poked his head inside the tent and with his threatening eyes glared at the mutes, railing at their laziness and cowardice. Whereupon the mutes recovered their minds from terror, laid Mustapha low, and strangled him with a cord. Soon they cast his body, wrapped in a rug, outside the tent, so the Janissaries could have a look at the man whom they had so greatly wanted for their Sultan. When this thing became known throughout the camp, the whole army was suffused with pity and sorrow. (The passage goes on to describe how Rustan was disgraced for his involvement in this episode, and how Achmet replaced him as Grand Vizier).