Ahmed III

Sultan Ahmed III was born on 30 December 1673. His father was Sultan Mehmed IV, his mother Emetullah Rabia Gülnuş Sultan, who was of Cretan origin. Full brother of Sultan Mustafa II, Ahmed III was tall and dark-eyed, with a hawk-like nose and a wheat-coloured complexion. He was exceedingly intelligent, sensitive and refined. Well educated and well brought up, he had taken lessons from famous tutors.

On the death of his elder brother Mustafa II he came to the throne at Edirne on 22 August 1703, at the age of thirty. Ruling throughout the Tulip Era, which holds an important place in Ottoman history, Ahmed III was a calligrapher and a poet. He wrote verse under the pen name "Necib" and took a close interest in music as well. Among the divan poets he was especially fond of Nabi Efendi of Urfa, both the man and his poetry.

His youth passed rather more freely than that of other Ottoman princes. Since the custom of killing princes had been abandoned, he led a comfortable life. Because he took an interest in everything he wished, his knowledge and his experience both grew. He had the chance to study developments in Europe and made great efforts to bring the printing press to the Ottoman state. After twenty-seven years on the throne, Ahmed III withdrew from the sultanate on 1 October 1730 following the Patrona Halil revolt.

The first days of his reign were spent in efforts to calm the Janissaries, who had thrown off all discipline; yet he could not make himself felt against the very Janissaries who had made him sultan. Çorlulu Ali Pasha, whom Ahmed III raised to the grand vizierate, tried to help him in administrative matters, made new arrangements for the treasury and supported him in the struggle with his rivals.

In the time of Ahmed III relations with Russia grew tense. The reasons were Russia's policy of expansion towards Central Asia, its efforts to Slavicise the peoples of the Balkans, and its wish to reach the open and warm seas.

• Sons: Abdul Hamid I, Mustafa III, Süleyman, Bayezid, Mehmed, İbrahim, Numan, Selim, Ali, İsa, Murad, Seyfeddin, Abdülmecid, Abdülmelik
• Daughters: Emine, Rabia, Habibe, Zeyneb, Zübeyde, Esma, Hatice, Rukiye, Saliha, Atike, Reyhan, Esime, Ferdane, Nazife, Naile, Ayşe, Fatma, Emetullah, Ümmüselma, Sabiha

Source: Osmanlı Tarihi Interaktif CD-ROM (Türk Tarih Kurumu Yayınları XXXI. Dizi-Sa.2)