Among the Turks, it was not considered shameful to move down from the highest positions of honor and command to lower ones. They did not believe that dignity depended only on rank. Instead, they understood their human origin and accepted that all people were made from the same earth. In their view, human nature did not contain divine fire but was shaped from ordinary clay.
This clay, they believed, was entirely in the hands of the Grand Signior, just like clay in the hands of a potter. The Sultan could shape, raise, or lower any man according to his own will and judgment. Because of this belief, decline in rank was not seen as dishonor, but as a natural part of service and obedience.
Sudden Rise and Sudden Change
Just as it was no disgrace to fall in rank, it was also not strange in Ottoman politics to see men rise suddenly. It was common for individuals to grow like mushrooms overnight, advancing from the lowest and most humble offices directly into the highest position of the empire, even into the seat of the Prime Vizier.
Such rapid changes did not shock Ottoman society. They were accepted as part of the political system, where personal merit, opportunity, and the Sultan’s favor mattered more than family background or slow advancement.
An Unusual Example from Constantinople
One remarkable example, worthy of being recorded, occurred in Constantinople in recent times and had not yet entered written history. At that time, there was a great shortage of meat in the city. Either livestock was scarce, or the butchers had been careless in supplying the markets Customized Tours Istanbul.
As a result, those who did not arrive early in the morning to buy their daily provisions often found nothing left. Anyone who came late was forced to pass the day eating food suitable only for Lent, without meat.
A Small Event with Great Consequences
Among those who missed their usual portion of meat one morning was a man of very low position. This man was deeply offended, not only by hunger but by what he saw as disorder and neglect. What followed, though beginning with a small and ordinary problem, would soon lead to extraordinary consequences.
This event showed clearly how, in the Ottoman system, even the smallest cause could lead to great change. A simple shortage in the market could open the way for a man of humble origin to rise rapidly, if the Sultan’s favor and opportunity aligned.
A Reflection on Ottoman Politics
This example illustrates how flexible and unpredictable Ottoman political life could be. Rank was not fixed, and fortune could change suddenly. Both rise and fall were accepted with patience, for all power ultimately belonged to the Sultan alone.