Murad III

12th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (1574–1595)

Murad III (Ottoman Turkish: مراد ثالث, romanized: Murād-i sālis; Turkish: III. Murat; 4 July 1546 – 16 January 1595) was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1574 until his death in 1595. His rule saw battles with the Habsburgs and exhausting wars with the Safavids. The long-independent Morocco was at a time made a vassal of the empire but they would regain independence in 1582. His reign also saw the empire's expanding influence on the eastern coast of Africa. However, the empire would be beset by increasing corruption and inflation from the New World which led to unrest among the Janissary and commoners. Relations with Elizabethan England were cemented during his reign as both had a common enemy in the Spanish. He was a great patron in the arts where he commissioned the Siyer-i-Peygamber depicting the life of the prophet Muhammad and other illustrated manuscripts. He fought many battles with against the Holy Roman Empire trying to capture more fortresses in Hungary and leading raids into Croatia.

Murad III
Kayser-i Rûm
Ottoman Caliph
Amir al-Mu'minin
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques
Kalifa-i-Islam
Life-size portrait, attributed to Paolo Veronese, 17th century
Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (Padishah)
Reign27 December 1574 – 16 January 1595
PredecessorSelim II
SuccessorMehmed III
Born4 July 1546
Manisa, Ottoman Empire
Died16 January 1595(1595-01-16) (aged 48)
Topkapı Palace, Constantinople, Ottoman Empire
Burial
Consorts
  • Safiye Sultan
  • Şemsiruhsar Hatun
  • Mihriban Hatun
  • Şahihuban Hatun
  • Nazperver Hatun
  • Fakriye Hatun
  • Others
IssueMehmed III
Others
Full name
Sultan Murad Şah bin Selim Khan
DynastyOttoman
FatherSelim II
MotherNurbanu Sultan
ReligionSunni Islam
TughraMurad III's signature