Post by FightingFalcon on Nov 30, 2006 10:34:37 GMT -8
While writing my paper on Austro-Ottoman military history, I found these interesting quotes. The first one is a declaration of war by the Ottoman Sultan on the Austrians. The second is a Turkish prayer for victory over the Christians. I put the dates at the end - you will probably be surprised at when these were written.
"Mahomet Son of Emperours, Son of the famous and glorious God, Emperour of the Turks, King of Graecia, Macedonia, Samaria, and the Holy-land, King of Great and Lesser Egypt, King of all the Inhabitants of the Earth, and of the Earthly Paradise, Obedient Prince and Son of Mahomet, Preserver of the Towns of Hungaria, Possessour of the Sepulcher of your God, Lord of all the Emperours of the World, from the rising of the Sun to the goin down thereof, King of all Kings, Lord of the Tree of Life, Conqueror of Melonjen, Itegly, and the City of Prolenix, Great Pursuer of the Christians, Joy of the flourishing World, Commander and Guardian of the Crucified God, Lord of the Multitude of Heathens [e.g. the Christians].
You have for some time past acted to our prejudice, and violated our Friendship, although we have not offended you, neither by War, or any otherwise; but you have taken private advice with other Kings, and your Council's how to take off your Yoke, in which you have acted very Indiscreetly, and thereby have exposed your People to fear and danger, having nothing to expect but Death, which you have brought upon your selves. For I declare unto you, I will make my self your Master, pursue you from East to West, and extend my Majesty to the end of the Earth; in all which you shall find my Power to your great prejudice. I assure you that you shall feel the weight of my Power; and for that you have put your hope and expectation in the strength of some Towns and Castles, I have given command to overthrow them, and to trample under feet with my Horses, all that is acceptable and pleasant in your Eyes, leaving nothing hereafter by which you shall make a friendship with me, or any fortified places to put your trust in: For I have resolved without retarding of time, to ruin both you and your People, to take the German Empire according to my pleasures, and to leave in the Empire a Commemoration of my dreadful Sword, that it may appear to all, it will be a pleasure to me, to give a publick establishment of my Religion, and to pursue your Crucified God, whose Wrath I fear not, nor his coming to your Assistance, to deliver you out of my hands. I will according to my pleasure put your Sacred Priests to the Plough, and expose the Breastes of your Matrons to be Suckt by Dogs and other Beasts. You will therefore do well to forsake your Religion, or else I will give Order to Consume you with Fire. This is enough said unto you, and to give you to understand what would have, in case you have a mind to know it."
"Eternal God and Creator of all things, and thou O Mahomet his Sacred and Divine Prophet. We Beseech Thee let u not dread the Christians, who are so mean and silly to Rely on a Crucifyed God. By the Power of thy Right Hand, so strengthen ours that we may surround this Foolish People, on every side and utterly destroy 'em. At length fulfill our Prayers and put these Miscreants into our hands, that we may Establish Thy Throne for ever in Mecha [Mecca], and Sacrifice all those Enemies of our most Holy Religion at thy Tomb. Blow us why with mighty Breath like Swarms of Flies into their Quarters, and let the Eyes of these Infidels by Dazl'd with the Lustre of our Moon [Moon = symbol for Islam]. Consume them with thy fiery Darts, and Blind them with the Dust which they themselves have Raised. Destroy them all in thine Anger. Break all their Bones in pieces, and Consume the Flesh and Blood of those who defile thy Sacrifice, and hang the Sacred Light of Circumcision on their Cross. Wash them with Showers of many Waters, who are so stupid to Worship Gods they know not: and make their Christ a Son to that God who ne're Begot him. Hasten therefore their Destruction we humbly Intreat thee, and blott out their Name and Religion, which they Glory so much in, from off the Face of the Earth, that they may be no more, who Condemn and Moch at Thy Law. Amen."
The first quote is the declaration of war by Sultan Mehmet IV in 1682 to Emperor Leopold I. Keep in mind that at this time, the Sultan is also the head of the Ottoman Caliphate and the leading figure in the Islamic religion. At the time, he was the equivalent of the Pope to Sunni Muslims.
If I hear one more time that Islam is a peaceful religion that didn't spread by the sword, I'm going to flip out. If this is how Muslims felt in 1682, I wonder how they felt in 682?
In case you're interested, the war that followed was a disaster for the Muslims. The Christians organized the Holy League and crushed the Islamic invasion at the Battle of Vienna (1683). They then went on to liberate all of Hungary and Greece from Islamic rule. Greece would be returned to the Ottoman Empire in the next war of the Holy League.
"Mahomet Son of Emperours, Son of the famous and glorious God, Emperour of the Turks, King of Graecia, Macedonia, Samaria, and the Holy-land, King of Great and Lesser Egypt, King of all the Inhabitants of the Earth, and of the Earthly Paradise, Obedient Prince and Son of Mahomet, Preserver of the Towns of Hungaria, Possessour of the Sepulcher of your God, Lord of all the Emperours of the World, from the rising of the Sun to the goin down thereof, King of all Kings, Lord of the Tree of Life, Conqueror of Melonjen, Itegly, and the City of Prolenix, Great Pursuer of the Christians, Joy of the flourishing World, Commander and Guardian of the Crucified God, Lord of the Multitude of Heathens [e.g. the Christians].
You have for some time past acted to our prejudice, and violated our Friendship, although we have not offended you, neither by War, or any otherwise; but you have taken private advice with other Kings, and your Council's how to take off your Yoke, in which you have acted very Indiscreetly, and thereby have exposed your People to fear and danger, having nothing to expect but Death, which you have brought upon your selves. For I declare unto you, I will make my self your Master, pursue you from East to West, and extend my Majesty to the end of the Earth; in all which you shall find my Power to your great prejudice. I assure you that you shall feel the weight of my Power; and for that you have put your hope and expectation in the strength of some Towns and Castles, I have given command to overthrow them, and to trample under feet with my Horses, all that is acceptable and pleasant in your Eyes, leaving nothing hereafter by which you shall make a friendship with me, or any fortified places to put your trust in: For I have resolved without retarding of time, to ruin both you and your People, to take the German Empire according to my pleasures, and to leave in the Empire a Commemoration of my dreadful Sword, that it may appear to all, it will be a pleasure to me, to give a publick establishment of my Religion, and to pursue your Crucified God, whose Wrath I fear not, nor his coming to your Assistance, to deliver you out of my hands. I will according to my pleasure put your Sacred Priests to the Plough, and expose the Breastes of your Matrons to be Suckt by Dogs and other Beasts. You will therefore do well to forsake your Religion, or else I will give Order to Consume you with Fire. This is enough said unto you, and to give you to understand what would have, in case you have a mind to know it."
"Eternal God and Creator of all things, and thou O Mahomet his Sacred and Divine Prophet. We Beseech Thee let u not dread the Christians, who are so mean and silly to Rely on a Crucifyed God. By the Power of thy Right Hand, so strengthen ours that we may surround this Foolish People, on every side and utterly destroy 'em. At length fulfill our Prayers and put these Miscreants into our hands, that we may Establish Thy Throne for ever in Mecha [Mecca], and Sacrifice all those Enemies of our most Holy Religion at thy Tomb. Blow us why with mighty Breath like Swarms of Flies into their Quarters, and let the Eyes of these Infidels by Dazl'd with the Lustre of our Moon [Moon = symbol for Islam]. Consume them with thy fiery Darts, and Blind them with the Dust which they themselves have Raised. Destroy them all in thine Anger. Break all their Bones in pieces, and Consume the Flesh and Blood of those who defile thy Sacrifice, and hang the Sacred Light of Circumcision on their Cross. Wash them with Showers of many Waters, who are so stupid to Worship Gods they know not: and make their Christ a Son to that God who ne're Begot him. Hasten therefore their Destruction we humbly Intreat thee, and blott out their Name and Religion, which they Glory so much in, from off the Face of the Earth, that they may be no more, who Condemn and Moch at Thy Law. Amen."
The first quote is the declaration of war by Sultan Mehmet IV in 1682 to Emperor Leopold I. Keep in mind that at this time, the Sultan is also the head of the Ottoman Caliphate and the leading figure in the Islamic religion. At the time, he was the equivalent of the Pope to Sunni Muslims.
If I hear one more time that Islam is a peaceful religion that didn't spread by the sword, I'm going to flip out. If this is how Muslims felt in 1682, I wonder how they felt in 682?
In case you're interested, the war that followed was a disaster for the Muslims. The Christians organized the Holy League and crushed the Islamic invasion at the Battle of Vienna (1683). They then went on to liberate all of Hungary and Greece from Islamic rule. Greece would be returned to the Ottoman Empire in the next war of the Holy League.
