Mehmed III

Upon ascending the throne, Mehmed III ordered the execution of his nineteen brothers to eliminate potential rivals. This was the largest single fratricide in Ottoman history, following the tradition of Mehmed II's law of fratricide. It shocked the court and populace.

Mehmed III personally led the Ottoman army to victory against the Habsburg forces at Keresztes in Hungary. Despite initial setbacks, the Ottomans won, securing control over much of Hungary. This was the last time an Ottoman sultan personally commanded a campaign.

Mehmed III's reign saw the outbreak of the Celali rebellions, a series of uprisings by Anatolian peasants and soldiers. The government sent forces to suppress them, but the rebellions continued into the next century, weakening central authority.

Mehmed III died in 1603, ending the direct influence of his mother Safiye Sultan over the court. She had been a dominant figure during his reign, but after his death, her power waned as the new sultan Ahmed I took a different approach.