Murat IV

Murat IV was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1623 to 1640. Brought to power by a palace conspiracy in 1623, Murad was for a long time under the control of his relatives. In 1630 he asserted his own control by beheading the Grand Vizier and taking government into his own hands. Murad's reign is most notable for a war against Persia in which Ottoman forces conquered Azerbaijain, occupied Tabriz and - in the last great feat of Imperial Turkish arms - captured Baghdad in 1638. Murad himself commanded the invasion of Mesopotamia and proved to be an outstanding field commander. Unfortunately for the empire he was also an alcoholic, and it was from his passion for liquor that he died prematurely in 1640. Not until 1808 would there be another Sultan of his calibre.

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Preceded by: Mustafa I (1622-1623)

Ottoman sultans

Succeeded by: Ibrahim I (1640-1648)