Mustafa III

Mustafa III (Ottoman Turkish: مصطفى ثالث‎, lit. 'Muṣṭafā-yi sālis') (28 January 1717 – 21 January 1774) was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1757 to 1774. He was a son of Sultan Ahmed III (1703–30) and was succeeded by his brother Abdul Hamid I (1774–89). He was born in Edirne Palace. His mother was Mihrişah Kadın.

Reign

An energetic and perceptive ruler, Mustafa III sought to modernize the army and the internal state machinery to bring his empire in line with the Powers of Europe.

Mustafa III did secure the services of foreign generals to initiate a reform of the infantry and artillery. The Sultan also ordered the founding of Academies for Mathematics, Navigation and the Sciences.

He was well talented and educated . He was an excellent poet, his poetry being written under the pseudonym of Cihangir.

He died at Topkapi Palace, Constantinople.

Family

Consorts

• First consort name unknown;
• Mihrişah Sultan (died 16 October 1805, buried Mihrişah Sultan Mausoleum, Eyüp, Istanbul);
• Aynülhayat Kadın (died 21 July 1764, buried in Mustafa III Mausoleum, Laleli Mosque, Istanbul);
• Adilşah Kadın (died 19 December 1803, buried in Mustafa III Mausoleum, Laleli Mosque, Istanbul);
• Rifat Kadın (died 25 December 1804, buried in Haydarpaşa Cemetery, Istanbul);

Sons

• Selim III (24 December 1762 – 28 July 1808, buried in Mustafa III Mausoleum), with Mihrişah;
• Şehzade Sultan Mehmed (10 January 1767 – 12 October 1772, buried in Mustafa III Mausoleum, Laleli Mosque Istanbul), with Mihrişah;

Daughters

• Hibetullah Sultan (14 March 1759 – 7 June 1762, buried in Mustafa III Mausoleum, Laleli Mosque, Istanbul), with Mihrişah;
• Şah Sultan (20 April 1761 – 11 March 1803, buried in Şah Sultan Mausoleum, Eyüp, Istanbul), with Mihrişah, married firstly on 23 April 1764 to Damad Köse Bahir Mustafa Pasha, Grand Vizier, married secondly on 1 January 1768 to Damad Mehmed Emin Pasha, Grand Vizier 1768-1769, married thirdly on 2 October 1778, Damad Seyyid Mustafa Pasha;
• Mihrimah Sultan (5 February 1762 – 6 October 1762, buried in Mustafa III Mausoleum, Laleli Mosque, Istanbul), with Aynülhayat;
• Mihrişah Sultan (9 January 1763 – 21 February 1769, buried in Mustafa III Mausoleum, Laleli Mosque, Istanbul);
• Beyhan Sultan (13 January 1765 – 7 November 1824, buried in Mihrişah Sultan Mausoleum, Eyüp, Istanbul), with Adilşah, married on 22 April 1784 to Damad Celik Mustafa Pasha;
• Hatice Sultan (15 June 1766 – 17 July 1821, buried in Mihrişah Sultan Mausoleum, Eyüp, Istanbul), with Adilşah, married on 10 November 1786 to Damad Seyyid Ahmed Pasha;
• Fatma Sultan (9 January 1770 – 26 May 1772, buried in Mustafa III Mausoleum, Laleli Mosque, Istanbul).

Mustafa III in his royal robes.