Ottoman Dynasty

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The Ottoman Dynasty (or the House of Osman) ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1281 to 1923, beginning with Osman I (not counting his father, Ertuğrul), though the dynasty was not proclaimed until 1383 when Murad I declared himself sultan. Before that the tribe/dynasty might have been known as Söğüt but was renamed Osmanlı (Ottoman in English) in honour of Osman.

The sultan was the sole regent and government of the empire, at least officially. The sultan enjoyed many titles such as Sovereign of the House of Osman, Sultan of Sultans, Khan of Khans, following the conquest of Constantinople by Mehmet II and his coronation as the Roman Emperor, Kayser-i Rùm (Roman Caesar), and, from 1517 to 1924, the head of the House of Osman was also Commander of the Faithful and Successor of the Prophet of the Lord of the Universe, i.e. Caliph, and the Ottoman Empire was synonymous with the Caliphate, the Islamic State.

Note that the first rulers never called themselves sultans, but rather beys. See the article on state organisation of the Ottoman Empire for further information on the sultan and the structure of power.

A coup d’état happened in 1453 after the conquest of Constantinople. Due to the popularity the Sultan earned at the conquest, he felt safe in ordering his Grand Vizier killed.

In the beginning, all the sons were given governing experience and any of them could be chosen to lead. Later in Ottoman history, the eldest son would become the next ruler.

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List of the Heads of the House

Pre-imperial heads of the House
Süleyman Shah (-1227) (bey)
Ertugrul (1227-1281) (bey)
Imperial heads of the House
Osman I (1281–1326) (bey)
Orhan I (1326–1359; bey)	Ibrahim I (1640–1648)
Murad I (1359–1389; Sultan from 1383)	Mehmed IV (1648–1687)
Bayezid I (1389–1402)	Suleiman II (1687–1691)
Interregnum (1402–1413)	Ahmed II (1691–1695)
Mehmed I (1413–1421)	Mustafa II (1695–1703)
Murad II (1421–1444) (1445–1451)	Ahmed III (1703–1730)
Mehmed II (the Conqueror) (1444–1445, 1451–1481)	Mahmud I (1730–1754)
Bayezid II (1481–1512)	Osman III (1754–1757)
Selim I (1512–1520; Caliph from 1517)	Mustafa III (1757–1774)
Suleiman I (the Magnificent) (1520–1566)	Abd-ul-Hamid I (1774–1789)
Selim II (1566–1574)	Selim III (1789–1807)
Murad III (1574–1595)	Mustafa IV (1807–1808)
Mehmed III (1595–1603)	Mahmud II (1808–1839)
Ahmed I (1603–1617)	Abd-ul-Mejid (1839–1861)
Mustafa I (1617–1618)	Abd-ul-Aziz (1861–1876)
Osman II (1618–1622)	Murad V (1876)
Mustafa I (1622–1623)	Abd-ul-Hamid II (1876–1909)
Murad IV (1623–1640)	Mehmed V (Reşad) (1909–1918)
Continued on the right	Mehmed VI (Vahideddin) (1918–1922)
Post-imperial heads of the House
Abdul Mejid II (1926-1944)
Ahmed IV Nihad (1944-1954)
Osman IV Fu'ad (1954-1973)
Mehmed Abd-ul-Aziz II (1973-1977)
Ali Vâsib (1977-1983)
Mehmed VII Orhan (1983-1994)
Ertuğrul Osman V (1994-)

Note: Although Abdul Mejid II was chosen as caliph in 1922, he was not a sultan, as the National Assembly had abolished the sultanate. The caliphate was abolished in turn in 1924.

Also notable among the Osmanlis are the pretender Cem and the numerous wives of the sultans (for example Roxelana), though they were not really considered as being a part of the Imperial House.

When Mehmed II seized Constantinople on May 29, 1453, he claimed the title Emperor of the Roman Empire and protector of Orthodox Christianity. He appointed the Patriarch of Constantinople Gennadius Scholarius, whom he protected and whose stature he elevated into leader of all the Eastern Orthodox Christians. As emperor of the Romans he laid claim to all Roman territories, which at the time before the Fall of Constantinople, however, extended to little more than the city itself, plus some areas in Morea (Peloponnesos) and the Empire of Trebizond.

From 1517 onwards, the Ottoman Sultan was also Caliph, which theoretically also gave him overlordship over other Muslim rulers around the world. For example, among the Mughal Emperors of India, only Aurangzeb had the Khutba read in his own name.

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