What do we know about Sultan Mehmed ll ?

 Mehmed II (Ottoman Turkish: محمد ثانى, romanized: Meḥmed-i s̱ānī; Turkish: II. Mehmed, pronounced [icinˈdʒi ˈmehmet]; 30 March 1432 – 3 May 1481), commonly known as Mehmed the Conqueror (Ottoman Turkish: ابو الفتح, romanized: Ebū'l-fetḥ, lit. 'the Father of Conquest'; Turkish: Fâtih Sultan Mehmed), was twice the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from August 1444 to September 1446 and then later from February 1451 to May 1481.

In Mehmed II's first reign, he defeated the crusade led by John Hunyadi after the Hungarian incursions into his country broke the conditions of the truce per the Treaties of Edirne and Szeged. When Mehmed II ascended the throne again in 1451, he strengthened the Ottoman Navy and made preparations to attack Constantinople. At the age of 21, he conquered Constantinople and brought an end to the Byzantine Empire. After the conquest, Mehmed claimed the title caesar of Rome (Ottoman Turkish: قیصر‎ روم, romanized: qayṣar-i Rūm), based on the fact that Constantinople had been the seat and capital of the surviving Eastern Roman Empire since its consecration in 330 AD by Emperor Constantine I.[5] The claim was soon recognized by the Patriarchate of Constantinople, albeit not by most European monarchs.

Mehmed continued his conquests in Anatolia with its reunification and in Southeast Europe as far west as Bosnia. At home, he made many political and social reforms. He encouraged the arts and sciences, and by the end of his reign, his rebuilding program had changed Constantinople into a thriving imperial capital. He is considered a hero in modern-day Turkey and parts of the wider Muslim world. Among other things, Istanbul's Fatih district, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge and Fatih Mosque are named after him.

• Conquest Of Constantinople:

Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror captured Constantinople (Istanbul) in 1453 through a well-coordinated plan involving several critical elements:

1. Military Preparation:

- Assembly of a Large Army: Mehmed gathered a large army, numbering between 80,000 and 100,000 soldiers.

- Artillery Development: The Ottomans utilized large cannons, which played a key role in breaching Constantinople’s formidable walls.

 2. Tactics and Strategy:

- Naval Blockade: Mehmed initiated a blockade, particularly cutting off the Bosphorus Strait, to prevent maritime aid from reaching the city.

- Assault on the Imperial Gate: The Sultan focused intense attacks on the Imperial Gate, where the city's walls were the most vulnerable.

 3. Use of Advanced Technology:

- Deployment of Large Cannons: Mehmed employed massive cannons like the "Basilica" to demolish the fortified walls.

-Iron Chains: He used iron chains to block the Golden Horn, allowing the Ottoman fleet to bypass defenses and reach the city's harbor.

4. Military Maneuvers:

- Continuous Attacks to Wear Down Defenders: Mehmed launched relentless assaults, including night attacks, to exhaust the city's defenders.

- Overland Transport of the Fleet: A unique maneuver involved transporting the Ottoman fleet over land to the Golden Horn, surprising Constantinople’s defenders.

5. Internal Alliances and Rebellion:

- Exploitation of Internal Strife: Internal strife and political difficulties within Constantinople weakened its defensive capabilities.

 Outcome:

On May 29, 1453, the walls of Constantinople finally fell to the Ottoman forces, and the city was captured. Sultan Mehmed's conquest not only marked a historic achievement but also paved the way for the expansion of a great Islamic empire and the end of the Eastern Roman Empire.

This victory was a result of Mehmed's military ingenuity, the use of modern technology, and effective war strategies.