On the back of the tiger, p.25
On the Back of the Tiger,
p.25
The Dynasty
Murad V
He became an admirer of Europe during his trip there with his uncle Sultan Abdülaziz. He established particularly close ties with the British Empire. After Sultan Abdülaziz was murdered, his mental health deteriorated. He ruled for ninety-three days.
Mehmed V Reşad
He ascended to the throne after Abdülhamid was deposed. Due to his age and inexperience, he left the administration to officers from the Committee of Union and Progress. His nine-year reign ended when he died of heart failure in 1918.
Others
Doctor Atıf Hüseyin
He was given responsibility for the medical needs of Sultan Abdülhamid and his family during their exile. Not much is known about his life. He kept a diary about Abdülhamid throughout his years in exile. These twelve notebooks constitute an important resource about this period. After Abdülhamid returned to Istanbul, Atıf Hüseyin continued to supervise his medical care until his death. He never married. He died at a young age.
Ali Fethi (Okyar)
He was a prominent figure in the Committee for Union and Progress. He was given responsibility for moving Abdülhamid and his family to Thessaloniki, and became the first commander of the unit that guarded them there. He served as a member of parliament and the speaker of parliament in the newly founded republic; from 1923 to 1924 he served as the speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, and in 1924 he was elected as deputy prime minister. He was respected for his moderate and rational personality. Atatürk personally gave him the surname “Okyar.” He died in his home in Nişantaşı, Istanbul, on May 7, 1943, and was buried in the Zincirliküyü Cemetery.
Queen Victoria
Her reign of sixty-three years was longer than that of any previous monarch of the United Kingdom. She married her first cousin Prince Albert. They had nine children. The most significant event of her reign was the Crimean War (1854–1856) in which the United Kingdom joined forces with France and the Ottoman Empire against Russia. Many of Europe’s monarchs were related to Queen Victoria. She died on February 4, 1901.
Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle was an English writer best known for his stories about the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. Abdülhamid II admired these stories. After his second marriage Conan Doyle came to Istanbul for his honeymoon, and asked for an audience with Abdülhamid II. The meeting never took place, but the sultan granted him the Order of the Mecidiye.
Pasteur Efendi
Abdülhamid II followed Pasteur’s work closely. He sent Ottoman scientists to learn about bacteriology from him. He donated ten thousand franks to Pasteur’s institute, and awarded him the Order of the Mecidiye.
Zarifi the money changer
He was a well-known figure in the Galata stock exchange. During Sultan Abdülhamid’s time he helped the Ottoman dynasty pay its debts. Sultan Abdülhamid also consulted him about business matters.
Musurus Pasha
Constantine Musurus, an Ottoman Greek, served as the Ottoman ambassador in London for thirty-five years. A distinguished diplomat, Musurus also translated Dante’s Divine Comedy into Greek. His granddaughter Anna de Noailles became a famous poet in France, and Marcel Proust described her as “possessing the spirit of kindness and a high sense of morality.” Countess Anna de Noailles holds a significant place in the history of French literature.
Empress Eugénie
In 1867, Sultan Abdülaziz and his nephews were invited to Paris by Napoleon III. This was the first visit by an Ottoman sultan to a foreign country. Napoleon III’s wife greeted these visitors. It is said that Sultan Abdülaziz was quite taken by Eugénie, and when she visited Istanbul a year later he went to great lengths to welcome her.
Napoleon III
Napoleon III served as the president of France from 1848 to 1852; afterward he staged a coup, overthrew the republic, and proclaimed himself emperor, ruling until 1870. He was overthrown and exiled in 1870 when the Third French Republic was proclaimed. He died on May 5, 1871.
Zülfü Livaneli, On the Back of the Tiger
