AMURATH III, son of Selim II., was born about the year 1545, and crowned A.D. 1573. Naturally weak and suspicious, he commenced his reign by putting to death his five brothers, the eldest of whom was but eight years old. His reign was distinguished by a series of enterprises ill planned and worse executed. He died A.D. 1595.
AMURATH IV., surnamed the Valiant, was the son of Achmet I., and in the year 1622, at the age of 13, succeeded his uncle Mustapha. Baghdad fell into the hands of the Persians, and several other disastrous events clouded the commencement of his reign. The recovery of Baghdad being a favourite object, in the year 1637 he marched against it; and after thirty days of unremitting assault, with the expense of much blood, he took possession of the city. By pushing his men forward to the attack at the point of the scimitar, and by slaughtering 30,000 Persians in cold blood after the surrender, he displayed the brutal ferocity of his disposition. One person alone is reported to have moved his obdurate heart on the present occasion. A famous player upon the harp entreated those who were sent to massacre him to allow him to speak to the sultan previous to his death. Informed who he was, the sultan requested him to give a specimen of his skill in his profession: with this he readily complied, and touched his harp so melodiously, and sung in such pathetic strains the lamentations on the tragedy of Baghdad, intermixed with the praises of Amurath, that the hard heart of the cruel monarch being at length softened, he melted into tears, and saved both the musician and the remaining inhabitants.
The violence of Amurath soon enfeebled his constitution; and the fruits of his debaucheries and excesses were obvious even in the prime of life. At the age of 31 he fell a victim to an excess of revelling in the feast of Bairam, in the year 1640.