Edirne Incident

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The Edirne Incident, also called the Revolt of 1703, was a janissary uprising in Constantinople that erupted in 1703. It happened after the Ottoman Empire lost power from the Treaty of Karlowitz, and while Sultan Mustafa II was away from the capital. The revolt was fueled by the growing influence of Feyzullah Efendi, the sultan’s former tutor and the head of the religious order, and by a failing economy caused by a new system of tax farming.

Key causes
- The Treaty of Karlowitz (1699) ended costly wars with the Habsburgs, Venetians, Poles, and Russians, forcing the Ottomans to surrender large swaths of territory. This weakened the empire and reduced its prestige.
- Sultan Mustafa II’s absence from Constantinople allowed Feyzullah Efendi to gain more power, which many saw as corruption and overreach.
- The shift to lifetime tax farming reduced central government revenue and gave provinces the power to extract wealth for themselves. Only a small portion of taxes collected reached the center, making it hard to pay the army.

Immediate spark
In 1703, the janissaries responsible for army logistics, the Cebeci, revolted on July 17 because their salaries were late while the empire planned military action in Georgia. The rebellion soon spread to civilians, lower-ranking soldiers, artisans, and some religious leaders, who were unhappy with the sultan’s leadership and Feyzullah Efendi’s influence.

In Constantinople
The rebels looted the houses of top officials and took control of the capital for weeks. They sent representatives to Edirne, but Feyzullah Efendi jailed them, which enraged the rebels and helped them march toward Edirne. The sultan tried to defend the city, but many of his own soldiers joined the rebels.

The role of the ulema and the judges
Religious leaders, especially the kadis (local judges), played a crucial role by voicing the rebels’ demands through formal fatwas (judicial rulings). The kadi judges argued four points: Mustafa II had neglected his duties, the Muslim community had the right to oppose an unjust ruler, those who supported an unjust ruler should be opposed, and Mustafa II had compromised his mandate by accepting peace terms and surrendering territory. Their rulings effectively declared Mustafa II unfit to rule.

Deposition and aftermath
On August 22, 1703, Mustafa II was deposed and confined to the palace. His brother, Ahmed III, became the new sultan. Feyzullah Efendi was killed by the rebels. Although Mustafa II had been removed, the uprising continued due to ongoing power struggles, rivalries, and demands for ceremonial coronation gifts for the janissaries, which reinforced their control over the throne.

Consequences
- The revolt weakened the sultanate and increased the power of the janissaries and kadis. The central authority could no longer easily command or finance the army.
- Mustafa II spent the rest of his life in the palace, while Ahmed III returned to Constantinople after a Hajj in 1706.
- The empire remained financially strained. To pay for the new sultan’s accession, officials melted palace silver, and the treasury struggled to meet expenses.
- The losses from Karlowitz and the ongoing turmoil contributed to the shift away from strong central rule toward greater regional and military influence, further weakening the once-dominant Ottoman sultanate.