THE POET'S REBELLION, THE LAMENT OF POETRY: THE ELEGIES WRITTEN UPON THE DEATH OF PRINCE MUSTAFA

Abstract

Prince Mustafa is the son of the Ottoman Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent, who had claimed a significant place in the world political history of the 16th century. While Prince Mustafa was seen as the most prospective successor to the Ottoman throne after Suleyman the Magnificent, he fell victim to palace intrigues and was killed by order of Sultan Suleyman. The killing of the prince, who was beloved by the people, caused a deep sorrow and disappointment in the country and the people mourned for days. As a manifestation of the reflection of the killing of the prince in society, the poets did not remain insensitive to this dolent incident and they almost rebelled by means of poetry. The grief felt in the face of the death of the prince was expressed in the elegies, which means the poem written after a person who died in the Eastern literatures, and verses expressing reproaches and even riots were written to Sultan Suleyman known as Suleyman the Magnificent. Poets could not keep silent in the face of the murder of a beloved prince and expressed their rebellion through poetry. In these poems, Sultan Suleyman, Hurrem Sultan and their son-in-law Rustem Pasha have been criticized with insulting and scornful expressions. In this study, the revolt of the sensitive souls of poets against Suleyman the Magnificent by means of poetry due to the murder of a prince as a consequence of throne fights and palace intrigues will be discussed.