In this short reflection, Ayberk Efendi names four sultans whose reigns shaped the destiny of the empire and its people: Fatih Sultan Mehmed, whose conquests opened a new era; Yavuz Sultan Selim, who brought the Caliphate under Ottoman stewardship; Kanuni Sultan Süleyman, whose long reign saw unprecedented growth in population; and Abdülhamid II, whose later reforms also left a lasting mark. Placing these figures side by side, Ayberk Efendi invites us to consider how each leader’s vision and deeds opened or closed chapters in Ottoman history.
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