Şehzade Beyazit (1525-1561) was an Ottoman prince who fought for the throne
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Beyazit's father was Suleyman I (known as the Lawgiver or the Magnificent) . His mother was Hürrem Sultan. He ruled in Anatolia (Asiatic part of modern Turkey) as a provencial (sanjak) governor. But during his father's 12th campaign (see Campaigns of Suleiman the Magnificent) to Nakhchivan (a part of modern Azerbaijan) in 1553 he was assigned to rule in Edirne (European Turkey) to control Rumeli (European territories of the empire) in the absence of his father. During the campaign, Beyazit's older half brother Şehzade Mustafa was executed. The news of execution caused unrest in all parts of the empire and a certain Mustafa rebelled against Suleyman in Rumeli claiming that he was Şehzade Mustafa. Although the rebellion was subdued by a vizier, Suleyman suspected that Beyazit was deliberately slow to react.[1]
After Mustafa's (and a younger brother's) death, Suleyman had only two sons, Beyazit and Selim (future Selim II) Selim was the governor of Manisa and Beyazit was the governor of Kütahya (both in Anatolia) two cities at almost equal distance to İstanbul, the capital. Suleyman was in his 60s and the competition between the two brothers over the throne was evident. Suleymen scolded his sons and decided to change their places of duty. Selim was assigned to rule in Konya and Beyazit to Amasya, both sanjaks being farther but still equidistant. Selim swiftly moved to Konya . But to the dismay of his father, Beyazit obeyed after much hesitatiton. Angered Süleyman accused Beyazit of being a rebel and supported his elder son Selim against disobedient Beyazit. Selim in collobration with Sokollu Mehmet Pasha (future grand vizier) defeated his brother near Konya.(31 May 1559)[2]
Beyazit returned to Amasya and continued to escape to Safavid Persia together with his sons and a small army. Although Shah Tahmasp I initially wellcomed Beyazit, he later jailled him on the request of Suleyman. But both Süleyman and Selim sent envoys to Persia to persuade the shah for Beyazit's execution. Finally on 25 September 1561 Beyazit and his four sons were executed in Persia by an Ottoman executioner.[3]
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