Caliph·Modern
Abdul Hamid II Becomes Ottoman Sultan
- Date
- 31 August 1876 CE1293 AH150 years ago
- Place
- Istanbul
- People
- Abdul Hamid II, Murad V, Midhat Pasha
Abdul Hamid II became Ottoman sultan on 31 August 1876 CE, after his brother Murad V was removed on grounds of mental illness. In 1878 he suspended the new constitution, closed parliament and ruled as an autocrat until 1908. He promoted the caliphate and Islamic identity as a unifying symbol. He faced rebellions and European pressure, and the Balkan provinces were largely lost after the war with Russia in 1877-1878.
Why it matters
His use of the caliphate as a symbol of unity shaped Ottoman and Muslim politics into the early twentieth century.