Have you ever heard of a sultan who would enter taverns in disguise and personally punish wrongdoers? That was Murad IV, the Iron Sultan, who ruled the Ottoman Empire with an iron fist after ascending the throne in 1623. At the time, Istanbul was engulfed in chaos, with Janissary uprisings and the rebellion of judges who were bribed with money. Alcohol and drugs were sold openly, and the streets of the capital descended into complete anarchy. The people had lost faith in both the sultan and the state. However, Murad IV was no ordinary ruler. After his mother, Kösem Sultan, had held power, the young sultan grew up to seize control with an iron fist.
Murad IV issued strict orders that anyone caught drinking alcohol, smoking, or dealing in drugs would be punished immediately. He did not stop at issuing commands but he would disguise himself at night in humble clothes, enter taverns and markets, and personally punish anyone breaking the law, without hesitation. The Ottoman historian Mustafa Naima wrote, “People feared Murad more than they feared death. His power was not confined to the capital but he led his armies eastward against the Safavids and recaptured Baghdad in 1638, a great victory that restored the prestige of the Ottoman state after years of humiliation and division.” Murad IV died before reaching the age of 40, yet history has immortalized him as a symbol of strict justice and decisive leadership, a ruler who saved an empire on the brink of collapse.
Indira Gandhi: What happens in war? Former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi once asked her father, Jawaharlal Nehru, “What happens in war?” He replied, “Education and the economy collapse.” She asked, “And what happens after education and the economy collapse?” He answered, “Morality collapses.” Curious, she asked, “And what else happens if morality collapses?” He responded with profound wisdom, “What would make you stay in a country whose people’s morality has collapsed?” A person can endure living in a society facing food shortages, economic hardship, or a lack of leisure activities. But when morality disappears, the wicked prevail, and customs, laws, and virtue are lost. Society turns into a jungle, and a dignified life becomes nearly impossible. (Quoted from the memoirs of Indira Gandhi)
A sultan who slept on a mat Sultan Aurangzeb Alamgir, the last of the great Islamic rulers of India, was known as the “Sixth Rightly Guided Caliph” and was renowned for his piety, justice, and asceticism. He ruled an empire stretching from Kashmir to the Deccan. Despite his immense power, he slept on a simple mat and earned his living by copying Qur’ans by hand. Born in 1619, he was the son of Sultan Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal. He adopted a different policy from his ancestors and fought for the faith, having personally led 11 battles. Alamgir reinstated the jizya “poll tax” on Hindus, thus strengthening the banner of Islam and elevating the prestige of Muslims. He memorized the entire Qur’an, abolished oppressive taxes, banned alcohol and music, and established mosques, schools, and hospitals. He also codified Islamic jurisprudence in his renowned book, “Alamgir’s Fatawa.” During his reign, millions of Indians converted to Islam, and the Safavid expansion in the East came to a halt. He died in 1707 CE, after a 52-year rule marked by justice and piety. Before his death, he instructed that the cost of his shroud should not exceed five rupees.
