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From he accessed the throne at the age
of 6, power was exercised by his grandmother and mother, with the Janissaries
dominating the state administration.His nickname "Avci" can be
translated to "hunter". This involves little military courage, but
points at his sole great interest in life. At times he actually lead
campaigns against other countries, in the search of new hunting grounds.His early period was marked by decay
both in the structures of the administration and in the economy, a
continuation from the inadequate regime of his father. It wasn't until 1656,
when Mehmed Köprülü became grand vizier,
that the heavy corruption was rooted out and unruly elements of the army
removed, often by wide execution campaigns.
BIOGRAPHY
1642 January 2: Born in Istanbul
as son of sultan Ibrahim.
1648: At the age of 6, Mehmed succeeds his deposed father as sultan.
He inherits an empire with strong internal tensions, and a ongoing war
against Venice.
1656: The Albanian Mehmet Köprülü Pasha becomes grand vizier and
was given great authoritative power. He soon starts campaigns against the
many corrupt leaders in the empire.
1661: Mehmed Köprülü Pasha dies, but his regime is continued by
his son Ahmed. Ahmed chose a milder line, but he was just as determined.
1670: The war against Venice comes to an end.
1672: War against Poland is the result when the Ukrainian ruler
Doroshenko changes his allegiance from the Polish to the Ottoman throne.
1676: War against Poland comes to an end, with the Ottoman gains of
Ukraine and Podolia (southwest in modern Ukraine). By this advance, the
Ottomans become direct neighbours to Russia, which would bring future
conflicts.
— Ahmed Köprülü dies, and his brother-in-law Kara Mustafa becomes new
grand vizier.
1681: The Ottomans lose in war against Russia, and has to give up the
landscape of Kiev.
1683: Against the command of Mehmed, Kara Mustafa sets out to conquer
Vienna. He makes a great error: he waits for Vienna to surrender, which
according to Ottoman law would give him a larger cut of the loot, than
conquest by force. If an attack had come, Vienna would probably not have
been able to defend itself. But by waiting, the Polish king could come to
their rescue. The Ottomans were severely beat, and Kara Mustafa was executed
when he returned to Istanbul.
1687: After this the Ottomans faced a number of serious defeats
(losing Hungary and Belgrade to Austria, the Peloponnes to Venice and Azov
to the Russians) Mehmed is deposed by rebelling Janissary troops. His
brother, Süleyman 2
becomes new sultan.
— Mehmed moves to Edirne
where he lives peacefully.
1693: Mehmed dies from natural causes.