The Crescent of the Sultan

Selim never expected anyone to understand him. From the moment he arrived, he felt surrounded by loneliness.

Both his father Mustafa III and his uncle Hamid I thought about reforms, but this was only because the Russians were becoming more and more aggressive in the north.

No one would have thought that this ancient empire had stepped into the abyss of collapse. After all, not everyone had the prophetic advantage like Selim.

The more there was to do, the more difficult it became for Selim.

Five hundred years of history and glory, pain and division, are like chains wrapped around the Ottoman Empire. The more it struggles, the more Selim feels suffocated.

Selim had already thought about Patriarch Nicholas's opinion.

But he couldn't stop, the ship wandered even more urgently, and the broken ship of the Ottoman Empire was about to reach the most dangerous moment in human history.

He actually wanted to hide alone in the palace and enjoy the life of a sultan. He was not a great person, and the material comforts of the world could still make him intoxicated.

However, there is no other helmsman for this broken ship of the Ottoman Empire. If Selim lets it go, this broken ship will disintegrate as the waves beat again and again and the reefs collide again and again.

At that time, the Islamic world will usher in eternal destruction, its glory will be buried, its glory will be forgotten, and its people can be ravaged by powerful forces at will.

Out of the respect of one great civilization for another great civilization, and out of compassion for countless people of the empire.

"Since the whole world is declining, let the balance be reset one day."

Selim recited another poem by the original owner in a low voice, and the sound spread in the exhibition room, with whine and determination, hitting the treasures of the previous sultans, as if he was nostalgic for someone.

"Your Majesty, what is this?"

Looking at what Selim had on hand, Patriarch Nicholas couldn't help but ask.

"This is what my father, Mustafa III, left behind. An iron chain mail studded with gold and silver jewels, along with his gilded sword, gilded stirrups, and shield."

After briefly explaining the artifacts in his hands, Selim talked about the past of his father, Mustafa III.

“My father was one of the six sons of my grandfather Ahmed III who lived to adulthood.

When he was 13 years old, he experienced the Khalil Rebellion, his father was deposed and the throne changed hands.

He was then imprisoned in Topkapi Palace until 1757, when, at the age of 40, he succeeded his cousin Osman III.

Although Osman III only reigned for 3 years, he left a good legacy to his father in his last days. "

Selim cleared his throat and continued.

“Othman III appointed Mehmet Pasha as Grand Vizier in 1756, who was also one of the most famous grand viziers in the history of the empire.

The grand vizier reformed the empire's administration and finances, allowing the empire's revenues to exceed expenditures for the first time.

As a champion of peace policies, Mehmed Pasha was able to keep the empire away from conflict despite a tenure that almost coincided with the Seven Years' War in Europe. "

As if he had seen the final prosperity of the empire, Selim couldn't help but paused and continued.

"Perhaps due to his long life as a prisoner, my father longed for justice and happiness.

Soon after his accession to the throne, my father showed a special concern for justice by checking that the laws he had made were observed.

He took many measures to ensure the prosperity of Constantiniya - regulating the coinage, building large granaries, maintaining aqueducts, and establishing a strict fiscal policy.

Under his father's governance, everything in the empire seemed to be developing for the better, until another Russian-Turkish war broke out in 1768. "

Selim looked at the chain armor and said in a low voice.

"My father always had a dream. He wanted the Russians to understand that the territory of the empire was inviolable.

He was under great pressure to reform the imperial army with French assistance (including the initial modernization of the artillery and the establishment of the Naval Engineering School in 1773), but this seemed to have no effect.

Rumyantsev and Suvorov easily defeated the imperial army, and the Battle of the Kargul River was an eternal shame for the empire.

Her father eventually died half a year before the war ended, and Catherine shattered his dreams.

The signing of the "Kuchuk-Kenarj Peace Treaty" caused the Russians to trample the face of the empire under their feet.

The empire lost the suzerainty of the Crimean Khanate, Russian power entered the Black Sea and gained the status of protector of the Orthodox Christians living in the Ottoman Empire. "

"His Majesty!"

As if aware of the Sultan's intense mood swings, Patriarch Nicholas immediately shouted.

"Don't be alarmed, Nicholas, I just find it ironic."

Selim laughed.

"A small principality eventually became the behemoth it is today, and an ancient empire is just hanging on.

What made a country that was unknown in the time of Suleiman the Magnificent become so powerful? "

Patriarch Nicholas remained silent, as if he suddenly understood what made the Sultan in front of him different from all previous Sultans.

There seemed to be an invisible barrier separating the Sultan from others. No one could guess what the Sultan was thinking.

"Your Majesty, you can't expect one person to accomplish the work of several generations!"

After much deliberation, Patriarch Nicholas finally expressed his thoughts. He was convinced that the loneliness and worry in Sudan came from this.

"You are right, dear Nicholas. I really have no way to complete such a huge task."

Selim said calmly.

"But I can't just sit back and watch the empire collapse. As long as there is still a little bit of strength left, I should struggle and leave a little hope of survival."

Selim put down what he was holding, turned around and left, followed closely by the Treasurer and Patriarch Nicholas.

The heavy door closed behind it, bringing up a burst of dust. The history of the Ottoman Empire was hidden behind the door.

But Sudan's worries about the future seem to have disappeared.

Selim once again recited the poem in a low voice.

"Since the whole world is declining, let the balance be reset one day."

But this time, compared to the previous nostalgia, a high-spirited fighting spirit rose from it.

The Treasurer looked at the Sultan's retreating back, and he recalled the paintings of the Sultan's triumphant return in the history of the empire.

The sultans in those paintings are also facing the sun. They are riding tall horses, wearing armor, and holding scimitars.

There was obviously a huge difference between the two, but the treasurer discovered that those different figures seemed to overlap on the Sultan.

"Perhaps the great sultans in the history of the empire have always been just one person. They have always been caliphs on earth, burning themselves for the prosperity of the empire."

The Treasurer shouted: “Your Majesty, I will always support your great cause.

Even though I don’t understand your thoughts, I understand your greatness. Please persevere and revive the empire. "

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