During the Ottoman Empire’s expansion and rise to power in “Rise of Empires: Ottoman” on Netflix, viewers are exposed to some of the most important political personalities in 15th-century Europe
One of these significant individuals was none other than Mara Brankovi, a female member of the royal family whose journey was anything from straightforward.
She did, however, end up in a position of authority that not many women have experienced. Although she was married to Sultan Mehmed II’s father, her influence in the court throughout his reign is still noteworthy.
Many people question if she and Mehmed are connected because their relationship is so maternal in nature. We are here to investigate the same and discover the solutions you require, nonetheless!
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Mara Brankovi (Rise of Empires: Ottoman): Who Was She?
Mara Brankovi was born in the year 1416 in Kosovo’s Vuitrn, which is today known as Vushtrri. Mara belonged to the Serbian royal family as the daughter of Ura Brankovi and Eirene Kantakouzene.
She had a large family that included Grgur Brankovi. The Brankovi were devout Christians and the rulers of a largely Christian empire. As Mara got older, though, Murad II’s Ottoman Empire, which was in the area, began to regularly assault her country.
Murad II was wed to Mara in June 1431 in order to improve ties between Serbia and the Ottoman Empire. The Netflix series claims that Mara was forced to leave her home at the age of 17 and enter the Ottoman court in order to become Sultan Murad II’s future wife.
On September 4, 1435, the couple got married, and as part of Mara’s dowry, the Serbian gave her the towns of Duboica and Toplica. According to popular belief, Murad’s new husband “did not sleep” with him.
The alliance between Serbia and the Ottomans deteriorated despite the marriage agreement. Grgur, Mara’s elder brother, was chosen by Murad to serve as the administrator of the southern Serbian regions under the control of the House of Brankovi in 1439.
However, Grgur was accused of scheming against Murad II in April 1441, and as retribution for his sins, he was blinded. But Ura continued to rule Serbia as despot.
The marriage came to an end in 1951 with the passing of Murad II. Mara was supposed to be on her way to Serbia when her husband was killed.
After becoming a widow, Mara was reportedly proposed to by Constantine XI, the Byzantine Emperor, but she reportedly turned him down.
Between this and Mehmed II’s 1953 conquest of Constantinople, most probable. Mara returned to the Ottoman court sometime between 1956 and 1957, following the incorporation of the Byzantine capital into the Ottoman Empire and the passing of her parents.
Mara Brankovi (Rise of Empires: Ottoman): Was She Mehmed II’s Mother?
It comes out that Sultan Mehmed II’s mother, Mara Brankovi, was not his real mother. In actuality, it appears that Mara never had any children according to the data.
However, Mara was Mehmed’s legal stepmother as a result of her union with Murad II. Hüma Hatun, Murad’s fourth wife, gave birth to Mehmed. Contrary to popular belief, Mara was not ostracized by Mehmed and was instead valued as a key counselor by the Ottoman sultan.
Following her return to the Ottoman court, Mara is thought to have been given a venue to hold her court at an estate in Jeevo.
Mara continued to be an Orthodox Christian while marrying into a Muslim royal family. She was significant at the time because she was a woman of faith and a member of the European nobility. She was more powerful since she was in Mehmed’s good graces.
In fact, as depicted in the Netflix series, the Conqueror of Constantinople sent her on diplomatic trips, including one to Matthias Corvinus.
She had a lot of power over the Orthodox Church’s hierarchy thanks to her connections, and she was able to grant the Greek Orthodox in Jerusalem exceptional privileges. Even when Mehmed passed away in 1981, Mara’s influence did not diminish, and she continued to have a significant amount of power in the court of Bayezid II, Mehmed’s successor.
“Rise of Empires: Ottoman,” a Netflix documentary series, fairly exalts the life of Sultan Mehmed II. The narrative centers on Sultan Mehmed II’s conquest of Constantinople as its capital. He is a real fighter who has actually altered the course of history.
We learn more about what must have happened during the Ottoman-Eastern Roman war thanks to the Netflix series. Let’s examine Sultan Mehmed II’s life tale. He claimed to be Caesar of Rome for what reason?
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Rise of Empires: Ottoman: Plot
The life of Sultan Mehmed II is the central theme of the narrative. He was raised in an extremely toxic environment where he was told never to cry.
He was a Muslim, and the time period in which he was born saw a strong belief in astrology. In the series, scholars extol the virtues of Sultan Mehmed II. The first season of “Rise of Empires: Ottoman” includes features wars commanded by Sultan Mehmed II.
The life of Sultan Mehmed II was everything but simple. He had to experience life the hard way, despite being a prince. After the death of Sultan Mehmed’s father, Ottoman Sultan Murad II, in 1451, things got worse. Sultan Mehmed II inherited all the duties of his father, and ever since he was a young boy, he had big plans.
The stunning metropolis of Constantinople had long caught the Ottomans’ attention. Years of unsuccessful attempts were made by the forebears of Sultan Mehmed II to take the city. So what is the tale of Sultan Mehmed II?
Rise of Empires: Ottoman: History of Sultan Mehmed II
When Sultan Mehmed II was a child, he used to reside with his mother. He was summoned to Adrianople, the Ottoman capital, before he could truly enter adolescence. In “Rise of Empires: Ottoman,” Ruler Mehmed II’s mother informs him that a sultan does not cry in an emotional reenactment.
Early mother-son separation had a negative impact on his life, and he grew up not knowing who his birth mother was.
He was taught various languages in Adrianople by Candarli Halil Pasha, the Ottoman capital’s prime minister and the grand vizier of his father. He served as Sultan Murad II, the father of Sultan Mehmed II, right hand.
When he was a teenager, Candarli Halil Pasha brutally punished him. Leashes were used to beat Sultan Mehmed by his men. Historians are drawn to one fact in particular: Candarli Halil Pasha was a traitor. He opposed Sultan Mehmed II assuming the throne.
Halil Pasha objected to Sultan Mehmed II’s father giving up the throne and giving it legitimately to Mehmed. He exerted every effort to remove Mehmed from power, and he was successful.
Sultan Mehmed II’s reign ended in two years. His stepmother Mara assisted him in accepting his deposition as king once he was deposed.
As we can see, Mehmed planned to conquer Constantinople when he was a young monarch, but Candarli Halil Pasha objected. However, he had his stepmother’s backing.
Rise of Empires: Ottoman: Ending Explained
Mara is one of Sultan Mehmed II’s most significant historical figures in our opinion. She was Sultan Murad II’s second wife, and she was originally from Serbia.
Although she was childless, she made the decision to shower Sultan Mehmed with all of her maternal affection after they first met.
Sultan Mehmed was treated by her as her own son. She was also to him like his mother. Mehmed never stopped being supported by Mara when he was down.
After he was deposed in Season 1 of “Rise of Empires: Ottoman,” Mara visited him and assured him that the kingdom would soon be his.
Sultan Mehmed II reigned once again after Sultan Murad II, his father, passed away in 1451. He claimed that one of his ancestors dreamed of Constantinople.
He held that it was Allah’s intention to capture Constantinople and that whomever did it would receive Allah’s blessing.
Everything in medieval times was centered on religion. In the series, we encounter Muslims who were Turks (Ottomans) and Greek Orthodox Christians who were Eastern Romans, representing various facets of religion.
The Virgin Mary, in the eyes of the Eastern Romans, guarded their lovely city of Constantinople. So how did Sultan Mehmed II, the great emperor, take control of the unconquerable metropolis of Constantinople?
Rise of Empires: Ottoman: Strategies of Sultan Mehmed II
Sultan Mehmed II had other objectives in mind when he began his infamous siege. He was a highly clever man with a powerful army. Some Christians who had converted to Islam were in his army.
In the series, we learn how conversion operated in antiquity. Sultan Mehmed II allegedly attempted to create a multireligious metropolis in Constantinople, according to the experts in “Rise of Empires: Ottoman.”
His goals were lofty; he aspired to be as great a warrior as Alexander. Caesar and Alexander had a big impact on him, and he frequently quoted them in the series.
Sultan Mehmed II employed a Hungarian who made cannons. For Sultan Mehmed’s war in Constantinople, enormous cannons were constructed for the first time in history.
These huge cannons had the capability of demolishing the city walls surrounding Constantinople. Now that Constantinople was encircled by bodies of water, its borders were fortified with impenetrable walls and chains.
No attacker had ever been able to pass these walls’ gates before Sultan Mehmed II despite their reputation for strength and the fact that they had stood firm for generations.
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