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"My companion, my everything, my shiny moon."

Suleiman I (6 November 1494 – 6 September 1566), commonly called the Magnificent and the Lawgiver, was the tenth sultan of the Ottoman Empire, ruling from 1520 until his death, whose reign is considered to have been the apex of Ottoman military, economic and cultural power. He leads the Ottomans in Civilization VI: Gathering Storm.

Suleiman celebrates the Golden Age of the Ottomans with increased Science Science and Culture Culture. If he falls into a Dark Age his opponents should beware.

This is one of Suleiman's two alternate personas, the other being Kanuni Suleiman.

Intro[]

All praise to you, Suleiman the lawgiver, rightly called Magnificent! Master of the sublime house of Osman, your loyal servants stand ready to carry your commands to the farthest corner of your mighty land, while your foes tremble at the sight of your armies. Sultan of Sultans and Khan of Khans, lead your people to greatness.

In-Game[]

Suleiman's unique agenda is Golden Age of Suleiman. He likes civilizations in Golden Age Golden Ages and dislikes those in Dark Age Dark Ages.

His leader ability is The Magnificent. It grants 15% Culture Culture and Science Science when Suleiman is in a Golden Age Golden Age or a Heroic Age Heroic Age. When not in a Golden Age Golden Age or a Heroic Age Heroic Age, Suleiman's units gain 4 Strength Combat Strength against units of civilizations who are also not in a Golden Age Golden Age or a Heroic Age Heroic Age.

Detailed Approach[]

Suleiman's strategy depends on whether he is in a Golden or Dark Age. If he is in a Golden Age Golden Age he receives +15% Science Science and Culture Culture, so focus on progressing and enlightening your empire. When he does fall into a Dark or Normal Age use his +4 Strength Combat Strength against other civilizations who are not in a Golden Age Golden Age. His bonuses to siege warfare gives an extra push to conquer his enemies. The Grand Bazaar gives the Ottomans stability and prosperity to a growing empire with its extra Amenities Amenities, Gold Gold, and Strategic Resources. Use the Barbary Corsairs to maintain control of the waterways. The Ottomans are mostly reared for Domination Victories, but if they string enough Golden Ages together, they can achieve a Science Victory instead.

Lines[]

Suleiman is voiced by Yavuz Vatansever. He speaks Ottoman Turkish using late 19th/early 20th century Ottoman pronunciation rather than the pronunciation of Suleiman's time. For example, when declaring war he pronounces the word "your" as "sizin" with n as the final consonant sound, while in Suleiman's time it was pronounced as "sizüng" with ng as the final consonant sound. Also, almost all of the sentences have broken grammar and incorrect vocabulary. Despite all of this it's a huge improvement in historical accuracy from the previous installment, where Suleiman spoke plain modern Turkish.

Voiced[]

Codename Quote (English translation) Quote (Ottoman Turkish) Notes
Attacked Good. The world shall witness the incontestable might of my armies and the glory of the Empire. (lit. "Oh, good. The world shall witness the incontestable might of my armies and the glory of The Sublime Ottoman State.") ها، اعلی! جهان، اردولرمڭ غیرقابل انكار قدرتی و دولت علیۀ عثمانڭ احتشامنه شاهد اولیجقدر

Ha, âlâ! Cihan, ordularımın gayrikābil inkâr kudreti ve Devlet-i Alîye-i Osmân’ın ihtişamına şâhit olacaktır.

He actually says the official name of the Ottoman Empire ("Devlet-i Alîye-i Osmâniye") but says it as "Devlet-i Aliye-i Osman," which literally translates as "The Sublime Osman's State." This is obviously either a mispronunciation or mistranslation, because it was never referred to as such. The correct way to say this part would be "Devlet-i Alîye-i Osmâniye'nın ihtişamına." The word "Ottoman" is a historical anglicization of the name of Osman I, the founder of the Empire and of the ruling House of Osman (also known as the Ottoman dynasty). Osman's name in turn was the Turkish form of the Arabic name ʿUthmān (عثمان‎).
Declares War Your continued insolence and failure to recognize any preeminence leads us to war. (lit. "Your continued insolence and lack of perception aside from my preeminence, we did battle.") سزڭ ممتد كستاخلغكز و بی‌ادراك عزتمزدن ماعدا دار و كوب ایلدك

Sizin mümted küstâhlığınız vü bî-idrak izzetimizden mâ'adâ, dâr u kûb eyledük.

Defeated Ruin! Ruin! Istanbul becomes Iram of the Pillars, remembered only by the melancholy poets. (lit. "You ruined it! You ruined it! Istanbul becomes the city of Iram, remembered only by poets suffering from melancholy.") خراب ایتدڭ! خراب ایتدڭ! استانبول، شمدی یالکز ﻣﺎﻟﻴﺨﻮﻟﻴﺎدن مضطرب شعرانڭ خاطرلادیکی ارم شهرنه دونمشدر

Harab etdun! Harab etdun! İstanbul, şimdi yalnız mâlihulyâdan mustarip şuarânın hatırladığı İrem şehrine dönmüştür.

Greeting From the magnificence of Topkapi, I, Suleiman, Kayser-I Rum, bestow upon you my welcome. عظمت طوپقپودن بن سلیمان، قیصر روم، سلاممزی احسان ایدرز

Azamet-ü Topkapu'dan ben Süleyman, Kaysar-i Rûm, selâmımızı ihsan ederiz.

The name "Topkapu" is anachronistic for the time of Suleiman; the palace wouldn't acquire that name until much later. It was called Yeni Saray or Saray-ı Cedid (New Palace), as opposed to the Eski Saray (Old Palace) which was the first palace built by Mehmed II after 1453, and subsequently became the residence of the imperial women. Most of the time they would use more abstract terms when referring to the palace, like "âsitâne" (doorstep). So a more historically accurate translation for this line would be something in line with "Âsitâne-i saâdetden ben Süleyman..." ("From the Doorstep of Felicity, I, Suleiman...")
Quote from Civilopedia My companion, my everything, my shiny moon.  ? This is a line from a poem written by Suleiman to his wife Hürrem Sultan.[1]

Unvoiced[]

Agenda-based Approval: Our poets and philosophers hold up your civilization as the light of the world, and I must agree with them.

Agenda-based Disapproval: Aspire to be a worthier example to the rest of the world! Your people will love you if you lead them to glory.

Delegation: I send you gifts of rubies, emeralds, goldwork, and many delicacies, as well as a chesnidjibashi who will taste them for poison on your behalf.

Accepts Delegation From Player: We have received the gifts from your delegation. They have been placed in the treasury with those of the others.

Rejects Delegation From Player: If you send a delegation, they will be turned back at the gate. Spare them - and yourself - the shame.

Accepts Player's Declaration of Friendship: God has given you wisdom to see the alignment of our interests.

Rejects Player's Declaration of Friendship: Who are you to claim friendship with me? You are not my equal, merely an ardent admirer.

Denounced by Player: You are the liege of the viper, the jackal, the vulture, the hyena, the rat—all things hateful and spiteful claim you as their ruler.

Denounces Player: Your insolence and effrontery are permitted only inasmuch as they are a lesson to the world in how not to treat me.

Invitation to Capital: If you tell me of the location of your capital, I shall make a gift of my capital's location, as a sign of my generous intent.

Invitation to City: I would welcome your representatives to take in the sight of my palace and my capital, that they may be awed by its majesty.

Accepts Invitation from Player: Great is my charity! It will be done.

Civilopedia entry[]

The greatest of the Ottoman Sultan, a titan of law, culture, and war, Suleiman's reign saw the conquest of Persia and European territory, while at the same time laws were reformed and culture went through a period of exceptional flourishing and monumental building. A competent ruler who surrounded himself with advisors and counsellors of superior skill, his reign was widely praised as the Golden Age of the Ottoman Empire.

He was the only son of his father, Selim I (himself an exceptionally energetic, conquering Sultan), and ascended to the throne in 1520, and immediately began a campaign against the kingdoms of Europe. He conquered Belgrade and the mighty crusader fortress of Rhodes, but the most consequential of his victories was likely the Battle of Mohacs, at which Suleiman's janissaries and artillery destroyed the Hungarians, plunging that nation into a long period of decline. During the course of his campaigns in the west, he was able to lay siege to Vienna, but could not conquer it. Central Europe became a long-simmering conflict zone under threat from the Ottomans from the Balkans to Poland.

Three campaigns over twenty years against the Safavid Persians resulted in the Ottomans taking possession of most of Mesopotamia, including the rich prize of Baghdad. Ottoman naval forces, led by competent admirals, were able to control the entirety of the Eastern Mediterranean (although the Knights of St. John were able to hold onto Malta) and the Barbary corsairs were able to wreak considerable damage along the south coast of Europe.

Suleiman was surrounded by a cadre of excellent advisors, most famous of which was his Grand Vizier, Pasha Ibrahim, who had been raised as Suleiman's slave from their youth, and who came to become the most important man in the empire after the sultan. His wife, Roxelana, was another canny advisor who served as a diplomat and a manager of intrigue at Topkapi Palace. The architect and builder Mimar Sinan oversaw the construction of the majestic Selimye and Suleiman mosques (as well as hundreds of other monumental buildings), and Istanbul acquired much of its new, Islamic architectural style, merging with the old Byzantine styles. There were countless other lesser viziers, military officers, admirals, and academics whose competent contributions greatly enriched Suleiman's kingdom.

His epithet “the Lawgiver” refers to his efforts to reform the administration of the state. In this, he codified secular Ottoman law to run parallel to existing Islamic systems of jurisprudence, working with the Hanafi scholar Ebusuud Efendi. The happy result of their efforts was an Ottoman Empire which was, in comparison to some Christian states of the region, a relatively tolerant, religiously pluralistic state. There are accounts of serfs and Jews fleeing the kingdoms of Europe to come and live under the relatively benevolent Ottomans.

Craftsmen and artists received special recognition of the state. Suleiman himself wrote poetry in Persian under a pseudonym (much of it is very good). He constructed schools to teach both religion and philosophy. Religious buildings and shrines throughout his empire received special attention, including the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem and the Kaaba in Mecca.

During Suleiman's lifetime, the Ottomans were able to secure a series of alliances with European powers (most notably France) due to their ability to influence the course of affairs in Central Europe. A great deal of the political actions of the states of Europe during his lifetime can be seen as in response to the growing power, prestige, and wealth of the Ottoman Empire.

The end of Suleiman's reign was troubled. Pasha Ibrahim, his trusted advisor, was executed for conspiracy. Suleiman's succession was particularly fraught. Suleiman's son Mustafa was executed for attempting to seize power, and his other sons Selim and Bayezid began a succession war before their father died (Bayezid lost, and was executed). Suleiman himself died on campaign in Hungary.

The Ottoman Empire never again ascended to the heights he brought it. Future sultans would focus on the intrigue of their courts, leaving the administration of their empire to advisors and beys who would work at cross-purposes. No other sultan was capable of uniting powerful subordinates in a common cause, nor would they achieve military conquests on his scale. He was a rare kind of leader—one who achieves greatness in multiple domains, and encourages his subordinates to excellence in their own discipline.

Trivia[]

  • Muhteşem Suleiman's leader ability is one of his titles, while is leader agenda references his rule being considered the golden age of the Ottomans.
  • The name for this Suleiman persona, Muhteşem, is a direct translation of Suleiman's "Magnificent" title in Ottoman Turkish: Muḥteşem.
  • Suleiman has appeared as an Ottoman leader in every game since Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword.

Gallery[]

Videos[]

Leader_Spotlight-_Suleiman_the_Magnificent_-_Civilization_VI-_Leader_Pass

Leader Spotlight- Suleiman the Magnificent - Civilization VI- Leader Pass

Leader Spotlight: Suleiman the Magnificent

Related achievements[]

Padishah Efendim
Padishah Efendim
Win a game as Suleiman The Magnificent
'Padişah efendim' means 'my master emperor', and was used during Ottoman times to address the Sultan.
Nobody's Business But the Turks
Nobody's Business But the Turks
As the Ottomans, capture another Civilization's capital and then rename it.
Lyrics from the song Istanbul (Not Constantinople), originally by The Four Lads.

References[]

See also[]

External links[]

Civilization VI Leaders [edit]
1 Requires DLC
R&F-Only Added in the Rise and Fall expansion pack.
GS-Only Added in the Gathering Storm expansion pack.
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