False Wealth and Debased Coinage
On the opposite side stood Bektas Aga, who felt completely secure in his position and power. Believing himself untouchable, he gathered vast wealth through heavy taxes, open robbery, and other dishonest practices. His greed knew no limits. Among his most damaging acts was the order to mint a large quantity of false money in Belgrade.
No fewer than three hundred thousand aspers were coined, but these coins were badly debased. Only one-third of their content was silver, while the remaining two-thirds were made of tin. Though they looked like real currency, their true value was far lower than what they claimed to be.
Bektas Aga then forced these coins into circulation. He distributed them among merchants, craftsmen, and shopkeepers, compelling them to accept the false money as payment. Even worse, he ordered people to exchange this debased coin for gold at an unfair rate, valuing the Hungarian ducat at one hundred and sixty aspers. This rate greatly favored him and caused serious losses to the people.
Public Anger and the First Uprising
The citizens quickly realized that they had been deceived. Traders, artisans, and laborers felt robbed and humiliated. Their anger soon turned into action. The first signs of rebellion appeared in the district of the saddlers in Constantinople, where many craftsmen gathered and openly protested.
The unrest spread with alarming speed. Within a short time, the entire city was in chaos. Shops were closed, crowds filled the streets, and voices of protest echoed through every quarter. What had begun as a complaint against false money became a general revolt against corruption and injustice Tours Sofia.
March to the Seraglio
The crowd, now uncontrollable, moved toward the residence of the Mufti, the highest religious authority in the empire. They forced him to join them, along with the Sheikh, who was the Grand Signior’s official preacher, and the Nakibü’l-Eşraf, the chief representative of the Prophet’s descendants.
These religious leaders were compelled to act as witnesses and mediators. Together with the angry people, they marched to the Seraglio. At the inner gate of the royal palace, the crowd raised loud cries and demands. With shouting and protest, they presented their complaints against Bektas Aga’s corruption, the false coinage, and the suffering of the people.
A City on the Edge
This moment marked a turning point. The unrest was no longer hidden or local. It stood directly before the throne, supported by religious authority and driven by public anger. What followed would decide whether justice would be restored—or whether violence would rule the empire.