{"_id":"681967b32f18a0987f285349","title":"{\"ops\":[{\"insert\":\"What is the validity of the claim that the Ottoman rulers executed their siblings to be in power and prevent fragmentation of the empire?\\n\"}]}","question":"{\"ops\":[{\"insert\":\"I had the pleasure of speaking with a Muslim historian who holds a PhD specializing in the Ottoman period. I asked him about a particular policy of the Ottoman Empire: the practice of executing the siblings of a newly ascended sultan to prevent potential fragmentation of the empire. He explained that scholarly opinions on this policy were divided, some scholars deemed it permissible, while others did not. This practice is often credited as one of the reasons the Ottoman Empire remained unified and sustained its long reign. Could you shed some light on the credibility of the permissibility of such an action during that era?\\n\"}]}","answer":"{\"ops\":[{\"insert\":\"From what I have read, this claim is not historically accurate. Muslim historians have regarded it as a fabrication propagated by European historians who were hostile toward the Ottoman Empire. They also allege that this policy originated with Sultan Muhammad al-Fatih, citing that he supposedly killed his infant sibling. From a historical perspective, this claim lacks authenticity. As for the Islamic ruling, even if this claim were true, I cannot see any basis upon which a scholar would endorse such a policy. There’s not an ounce of Islam in such a policy.\\n\"}]}","tags":[{"_id":"668d9fde0b76658b4c23277c","tag":"Contemporary Life: Politics","count":35}],"createdOn":"2025-05-06T01:36:51.909Z"}