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ECHOnigeria Forum / Politics / Mehmed II the greatest: God's Chosen to fulfill the Islamic Prophecy and Conquer the 'unconquerable' Christian Roman Empire (5 Posts | 372 Views)
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Mehmed II the greatest: God's Chosen to fulfill the Islamic Prophecy and Conquer the 'unconquerable' Christian Roman Empire by BigBallsBiden(m) : 2:38 pm |
"Verily, you shall conquer Constantinople. What a wonderful leader will her leader be, and what a wonderful army will that army be!"
- Muhammad, Prophet of Islam. Constantine XI Dragases Palaiologos or Dragaš Palaeologus (Greek: Κωνσταντῖνος Δραγάσης Παλαιολόγος, Kōnstantînos Dragásēs Palaiológos; 8 February 1405 – 29 May 1453) was the last Roman (Byzantine) emperor, reigning from 1449 until his death in battle at the Fall of Constantinople in 1453. Constantine's death marked the definitive end of the Eastern Roman Empire, which traced its origin to Constantine the Great's foundation of Constantinople as the Roman Empire's new capital in 330. Wikipedia Of all men chosen by God to fulfill the divine prophecies of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, Mehmed II is the greatest. The hand of God was surely upon Mehmed II. His abilities in battle and his virtuous qualities earned him the nickname “al-Fatih” or “the Conqueror”. The Fall of Constantinople marks the beginning of a new era in history. It was the end of the ancient Roman Empire, and the dawn of a new one. It re-energized the Western world, and unified the Islamic world under one banner. The world was forever changed. The battle itself was bone-chilling, dragging on for 53 days. Here, a few thousand men fought stubbornly against a huge military machine. This was Rome's final hour - an epic showdown that was centuries in the making. Note: "Byzantines", "Romans" and "Greeks" are used interchangeably, but refer to the same people. Likewise, "Ottomans" and "Turks" are two terms of the same people. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ promised his followers in the Arabian Desert that they would one day conquer the most powerful and legendary city of the day, Constantinople. For centuries, it seemed like an impossible task. The city is incredibly well-defended, being a peninsula with a giant wall on it’s land side that deterred most conquerors. The city was laid siege to by Muslim armies during the Umayyad Caliphate, but those sieges were unable to defeat her mammoth walls. When the Ottoman Empire sprang up in the early 1300s as a small Turkish beylik in Western Anatolia, it threatened the security of the Byzantines and their capital, Constantinople. By the time Sultan Mehmed II takes the throne in 1451, the Ottomans have expanded to control land in both Europe and Asia, thus surrounding the city of Constantinople. Sultan Mehmed made it his goal from the moment he took the throne to finally capture the legendary city. He ordered the building of a fortress on the Bosporus Strait, north of Constantinople to control ship movement in and out of the city. To honor the Prophet who declared the Muslims would conquer Constantinople, Mehmed had the fortress built in a way that it’s shape spelled out “Muhammad” in Arabic when seen from above. On April 1st, 1453, Mehmed and his Ottoman army of over 100,000 soldiers arrived at the walls of Constantinople. The sight that greeted them must have been terrifying. The inner walls of Constantinople were 5 meters thick at their base and 12 meters high. 20 meters away from the inner wall was the outer wall, which was 2 meters thick and 8.5 meters tall. These walls had never been conquered in history, and numerous previous sieges by the Ottomans as well as the Umayyads during the caliphate of Mu’awiya in the 600s attested to that. In addition to the walls, the Byzantines had a giant iron chain installed in the Golden Horn, a small inlet to the north of the city. This would prevent a navy from sailing to the weaker northern coast of the city and attacking from there. The Byzantines had a clear defensive advantage before the battle began. Despite being outnumbered and outgunned, the Byzantines were confident of their impending victory. (laughing in Nazi Ukraine ) Especially once additional soldiers and commanders were sent from the Italian city-state of Genoa. Mehmed offered the defenders the option to surrender and remain in possession of their property, lives, and families in peace, but this offer was refused by the Byzantine emperor, Constantine XI. Thus, Mehmed began the attack on the city on April 6th. Despite the best effort of the Ottoman soldiers, and the bombardment of the world’s biggest cannons, the city held out for weeks. On April 22nd, Mehmed ordered the Ottoman navy to be carried over land to bypass the chain in the Golden Horn. Over one night, 72 ships were carried over land and put into the Golden Horn, threatening the city from the north. It seemed that the battle of the city would soon be over as the Ottomans clearly had the upper hand. On May 28th, Mehmed halted all attacks and allowed his army to spend the day praying to Allah for victory. The next day, on May 29th, the army began a final assault on the city walls and before the morning was over, the walls were conquered and the city was taken. Perhaps the most important part of this historical event was Mehmed II’s treatment of the defeated Byzantines. He did not kill the residents of the city and in fact encouraged them to stay in Constantinople by absolving them of taxes. He insisted that the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate stay in the city and rule the Christians of the city on his behalf. While to the rest of Europe, the idea of religious tolerance was a foreign concept, Mehmed followed the Islamic principles on treatment of non-Muslims and gave religious freedom and rights to the Christians of Constantinople. His abilities in battle and his virtuous qualities earned him the nickname “al-Fatih” or “the Conqueror”. May my descendants be as favoured as Mehmed the great in the eyes of God. https://islam.ru/en/content/story/mehmed-ii-and-prophet-s-promise
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Re: Mehmed II the greatest: God's Chosen to fulfill the Islamic Prophecy and Conquer the 'unconquerable' Christian Roman Empire by BigBallsBiden(m) : 3:05 pm |
The Siege
Aware of the incoming siege, the current Emperor, Constantine XI Paleologos, called for aid from the Western world. But the call for aid was poorly answered. The Genoese promised a war ship, and it was rumoured that the Pope would send a war fleet, but no one knew if this was true. Others simply sent their sympathies and best wishes. A Byzantine diplomat later complained: "No aid whatsoever was dispatched by other Christians..." (Courtier George Sphrantzes) When the Ottomans arrived on 2 April 1453, Emperor Constantine had only 5,000 men at his disposal. He took personal command of the soldiers, supported by the Genoese mercenary Captain Giovanni Giustiniani. Meanwhile, the Ottoman army tallied a staggering 100,000 to 200,000 men, including 40,000 Janissaries - Ottoman knights. Besides being numerically superior, the Ottomans also brought new technology to tare down Constantinople's Theodosian Walls: massive 9-meter long cannons. These were capable of shooting 500kg cannon b*lls over 1.5km. However, they were so mammoth that they needed several hours of cooling each day, and so could only fire seven times a day. The Ottomans therefore brought hundreds of smaller cannons to maintain bombardment. On 5 April, Sultan Mehmed began the attack, firing volleys of cannon-balls hours-on end. The Byzantines hurriedly repaired the walls at night, before facing the same thundering bombardment the next morning. Sultan Mehmed ordered multiple infantry charges, but to his surprise, they were all repulsed. The walls withstood every attack. On 20 April, three Genoese ships arrived to reinforce the city. Sultan Mehmed ordered his entire fleet of 120 war ships to stop them, but the tall European war galleys simply ploughed through and safely reached the Byzantine bay of the Golden Horn. Chains were then raised to block Ottoman entry into the Horn (see map). A frustrated Sultan Mehmed ordered his men to haul 70 war ships on a railed route on land to circumvent the chain and relaunch them in the Golden Horn. It worked seamlessly. However, despite all this effort, the Ottomans failed mount the walls from their ships, rendering the operation useless. On 29 April, Mehmet ordered another all-out-charge - but it, too, failed. Panic must have seethed into the young Sultan. With vastly superior numbers and technology, he still couldn't take the city. Morale was waning. Unrest spread in Anatolia as local governors questioned his leadership. Sultan Mehmed offered to lift the siege and grant the Byzantines safe passage to the Peloponnesian peninsula if they surrendered the city, but Emperor Constantine vehemently refused. He wrote back: "As to surrendering the city to you, it is not for me to decide or for anyone else of its citizens; for all of us have reached the mutual decision to die of our own free will, without any regard for our lives."
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Re: Mehmed II the greatest: God's Chosen to fulfill the Islamic Prophecy and Conquer the 'unconquerable' Christian Roman Empire by BigBallsBiden(m) : 3:16 pm |
The Omens
This was actually a very bold move by Constantine to reject the Sultan's offer, as he was in deep financial trouble at the time. His treasury was bankrupt, and his Latin mercenaries threatened to abandon him unless they were paid immediately. Without these men, defeat was a certainty. Hard-pressed, Constantine made the grim order of looting Orthodox churches and smelt their ecclesial treasures into gold coins. It enabled him to pay the mercenaries, but at a high cost. To the Christian citizens, this was dangerous sacrilege. An apocalyptic atmosphere descended upon the city. At first, it unnerved the Turks, who saw an inexplicable light hovering over the city for days while the Romans repelled Turkish attacks. Sultan Mehmed even considered abandoning the siege altogether. But then, a lunar eclipse shattered the Roman confidence. The witness, Niccolo Barbaro, relates: "When we Christians and the heathen saw this miraculous sign, the emperor of Constantinople conceived great fear (as did his entire retinue of barons), because the Greeks knew of a prophecy which declared that Constantinople would always endure provided that the moon, in its full circle, did not give a sign in their sky; this was the reason for the terror that came upon the Greeks. But the Turks celebrated a great festival throughout their camp, out of joy for this sign, because it predicted victory for them...” (quoted in Philippines and Hanak, pg. 226-27) From May 22nd to May 27th, a thick fog covered the city in darkness. Greeks compared it to the gloom that befell Jerusalem as Christ was crucified. A feeling of impending doom spread across the city. On May 28th, panic erupted. A bright light was seen leaving Hagia Sophia, like electrified incense departing from its very stones. Desperate lamentations ensued, as it was interpreted as irrefutable sign that the divine grace had departed. To the Muslims, who allegedly also witnessed this light, it was undoubtedly a good omen. It lifted their morale significantly, and Sultan Mehmed seized the moment. On May 29th, the Ottomans began their final all-or-nothing charge. The initial assaults were again repulsed, but the Ottomans kept charging with ferocious intensity. Then, the Ottoman artillery suddenly managed to breach a weak-point in the Blachernae walls. Ottoman Janissaries poured in, inflicting heavy casualties and wounding Captain Giustiniani. A few Janissaries climbed a tower and raised the Ottoman flag, a sight that rejuvenated the Turks. They dived into the gap, applying extreme pressure on the defenders. Suddenly, the disheartened defending militia broke, and the Ottomans poured into the city at will. The walls were taken. The city was lost. In this final hour of Roman history, Emperor Constantine was offered a secret tunnel to escape with the Genoese mercenaries, but he reportedly scoffed with resentment: "the City is dead, and I live!" Instead, he gathered his guard, held a thundering speech, tore off his Imperial regalia and charged head-first into the Ottoman army. He disappeared in the fray of battle. This was the final act of the Roman Empire's last Emperor. (I salute his courage...it's very admirable)
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Re: Mehmed II the greatest: God's Chosen to fulfill the Islamic Prophecy and Conquer the 'unconquerable' Christian Roman Empire by BigBallsBiden(m) : 3:24 pm |
The Fall of Constantinople
"The blood flowed in the city like rainwater in the gutters after a sudden storm...In many places the ground could not be seen, as it was covered by heaps of corpses." - Nicolo Barbaro, an Italian mercenary and eye-witness. Chaos ensued. Citizens took up arms to defend their homes, but were easily cut down. Fear and anxiety gripped the entire population. Many committed suicide to avoid being captured and raped. Others barricaded themselves in churches, including in Hagia Sophia. But since churches were prime targets for looting, they were no safe havens. The Ottomans breached in and butchered them. Thousands of civilians were killed. Virtually all of the city's art was destroyed or lost. Holy relics disappeared. Everything with a Christian meaning was hacked to pieces and treated as loot, except for a few frescoes of Jesus and the Virgin Mary. Countless books were burned. Captured citizens and clergy were subjected to gross atrocities - mass rapes, sacrilegious debauchery and executions. It is estimated that 5,000 civilians were slaughtered, and 50,000 enslaved - virtually the entire population at the time. When Sultan Mehmed II (the greatest) entered Constantinople at the end of the first day, he immediately ordered the butchering to stop. Legend has it that when he saw the ruins of the great city, he mournfully murmured: "What a city we have given up to plunder and destruction!" The Sultan commanded that Hagia Sophia was converted to a mosque. Thus, the sacred home of Christian spirituality was made an abode for Islam - a huge turning point in history. (All praises to God) The Fall of Constantinople - prophesised and sought after for centuries - had ultimately happened. This was the end of the Roman Empire. For the Ottomans, the victory cemented their prestige and authority. Sultan Mehmed, known as the Conqueror, styled himself a Sultan of Rum - a Roman Sultan - added Kesar (Caesar) to his name and dreamed of conquering the Vatican next. Constantinople underwent reconstruction, repopulation and transformation. It became the Ottoman capital, and soon known simply as Istanbul, meaning "to the city" (derived from Greek, Stinpolis). Istanbul is the capital of present day Turkey.
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Re: Mehmed II the greatest: God's Chosen to fulfill the Islamic Prophecy and Conquer the 'unconquerable' Christian Roman Empire by BigBallsBiden(m) : 4:03 pm |
BigBallsBiden: The Omens Zelensky should emulate this guy (Constatine). He should die fighting or commit suicide. Zelensky and his western handlers are responsible for the death of thousands of Ukrainians.
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