WEBVTT
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Mehmed the Conqueror was one of the most important rulers
2
00:00:02.609 --> 00:00:05.870
in history. He was a leader of the Ottoman Empire,
3
00:00:06.269 --> 00:00:09.050
which was a large and powerful empire that lasted for
4
00:00:09.150 --> 00:00:12.900
hundreds of years. Mehmed is most famous for taking over
5
00:00:12.939 --> 00:00:17.660
the city of Constantinople in 1453. That victory changed the
6
00:00:17.699 --> 00:00:21.920
world and helped begin a new chapter in history. Mehmed
7
00:00:21.960 --> 00:00:25.760
was born in 1432 in a city called Edirne, which
8
00:00:25.820 --> 00:00:28.960
was then the capital of the Ottoman Empire. His father
9
00:00:29.000 --> 00:00:32.920
was Sultan Murad II, the ruler of the empire. Mehmed
10
00:00:32.960 --> 00:00:36.590
was a smart and curious boy. He studied many subjects
11
00:00:36.670 --> 00:00:41.130
including math, science, languages, and religion. He also learned how
12
00:00:41.170 --> 00:00:44.990
to ride horses, use weapons, and lead armies. From a
13
00:00:45.030 --> 00:00:48.890
young age, he was trained to become a sultan. Mehmed
14
00:00:48.909 --> 00:00:52.049
became sultan when he was only 12 years old. His
15
00:00:52.109 --> 00:00:54.399
father stepped down for a short time and let him
16
00:00:54.539 --> 00:00:57.399
rule Mehmed. But Mehmed was still very young and the
17
00:00:57.479 --> 00:01:01.000
empire was facing threats. So his father came back to
18
00:01:01.020 --> 00:01:04.799
the throne. A few years later, when Mehmed was 19,
19
00:01:04.799 --> 00:01:09.310
his father died, and Mehmed became Sultan again. This time,
20
00:01:09.569 --> 00:01:12.730
he was ready to lead. At that time, the city
21
00:01:12.750 --> 00:01:16.650
of Constantinople was very important. It had been the capital
22
00:01:16.689 --> 00:01:20.980
of the Byzantine Empire for over 1,000 years. The Byzantines
23
00:01:21.019 --> 00:01:24.060
were Christians and their city was a stronghold in the
24
00:01:24.140 --> 00:01:28.200
middle of Muslim lands. The city sat between Europe and Asia.
25
00:01:28.780 --> 00:01:32.159
It was protected by thick stone walls and surrounded by
26
00:01:32.219 --> 00:01:36.159
water on three sides. Many rulers had tried to conquer
27
00:01:36.200 --> 00:01:40.060
it before, but they had failed. Mehmed wanted to be
28
00:01:40.109 --> 00:01:42.790
the one to take the city. He believed it would
29
00:01:42.849 --> 00:01:46.469
make the Ottoman Empire stronger. It would also show that
30
00:01:46.530 --> 00:01:50.510
he was a great leader. He prepared for the attack carefully.
31
00:01:51.280 --> 00:01:55.879
He brought together a large army, some say more than 100,000 soldiers.
32
00:01:56.500 --> 00:02:00.019
He also had ships and powerful cannons. One of his
33
00:02:00.079 --> 00:02:03.180
biggest cannons was so large it needed many animals and
34
00:02:03.260 --> 00:02:07.890
men just to move it. The attack on Constantinople began
35
00:02:07.909 --> 00:02:13.610
in April 1453. Mehmed's army surrounded the city. They fired
36
00:02:13.710 --> 00:02:17.090
cannons at the walls day and night. The people inside
37
00:02:17.129 --> 00:02:20.580
the city fought back bravely. They hoped help would come
38
00:02:20.639 --> 00:02:25.219
from other Christian countries, but help never came. After weeks
39
00:02:25.280 --> 00:02:31.110
of fighting, Mehmed's army broke through the walls on May 29, 1453.
40
00:02:31.110 --> 00:02:35.030
His soldiers rushed in, and the city was taken. Mehmed
41
00:02:35.090 --> 00:02:37.229
rode into the city and went to the great church
42
00:02:37.370 --> 00:02:41.389
called Hagia Sophia. It was the biggest church in the city.
43
00:02:42.069 --> 00:02:44.419
He ordered it to be turned into a mosque, a
44
00:02:44.479 --> 00:02:47.620
place for Muslims to pray. This showed that the city
45
00:02:47.659 --> 00:02:50.919
was now under Ottoman rule. But Mehmed also made sure
46
00:02:50.960 --> 00:02:54.370
that Christian people in the city could still live and worship.
47
00:02:55.069 --> 00:02:58.550
He wanted people of different faiths to live together peacefully.
48
00:02:59.569 --> 00:03:03.370
After this victory, Mehmed was called the Conqueror. He made
49
00:03:03.430 --> 00:03:07.419
Constantinople the new capital of the Ottoman Empire. He later
50
00:03:07.479 --> 00:03:11.460
renamed it Istanbul. The city grew under his rule. He
51
00:03:11.500 --> 00:03:15.659
built new mosques, markets, schools, and public baths. People from
52
00:03:15.719 --> 00:03:18.629
many lands came to live and work there. Mehmed did
53
00:03:18.669 --> 00:03:22.120
not stop after taking Constantinople. He wanted to make the
54
00:03:22.219 --> 00:03:26.439
Ottoman Empire bigger. He led campaigns into Europe and Asia.
55
00:03:26.960 --> 00:03:29.800
He took over parts of Serbia, Greece, Albania, and the
56
00:03:29.840 --> 00:03:33.319
Black Sea coast. He fought against strong rulers like Vlad
57
00:03:33.340 --> 00:03:37.080
the Impaler in Wallachia, who later became the inspiration for
58
00:03:37.099 --> 00:03:40.960
the Dracula legend. Mehmed also helped improve the empire in
59
00:03:41.020 --> 00:03:46.110
other ways. He supported education and the arts. He brought scholars, artists,
60
00:03:46.210 --> 00:03:49.349
and builders from many places to his court. He wanted
61
00:03:49.460 --> 00:03:52.840
Istanbul to be a center of learning and culture. He
62
00:03:52.900 --> 00:03:58.340
spoke several languages, including Arabic, Greek, Latin, and Persian. He
63
00:03:58.379 --> 00:04:01.280
read books from many different lands. Even though he was
64
00:04:01.340 --> 00:04:04.729
a warrior, Mehmed was also a planner. He made new
65
00:04:04.770 --> 00:04:07.909
laws to help govern his empire. He made sure people
66
00:04:07.949 --> 00:04:11.889
paid taxes fairly. He helped protect trade routes and made
67
00:04:11.949 --> 00:04:15.520
peace with other countries when it was needed. Mehmed ruled
68
00:04:15.560 --> 00:04:19.370
for 30 years. He died in 1481 when he was
69
00:04:19.370 --> 00:04:22.689
49 years old. He was preparing to go on another
70
00:04:22.730 --> 00:04:26.370
military campaign when he became sick. His death was a
71
00:04:26.430 --> 00:04:30.769
surprise to many. He was buried in Istanbul, where people
72
00:04:30.829 --> 00:04:34.949
still visit his tomb today. Mehmed the Conqueror is remembered
73
00:04:35.069 --> 00:04:38.709
as one of the greatest sultans in Ottoman history. He
74
00:04:38.800 --> 00:04:43.279
changed the world by capturing Constantinople. His victory ended the
75
00:04:43.319 --> 00:04:46.509
Byzantine Empire and helped start a new age in Europe
76
00:04:46.649 --> 00:04:50.649
and the Middle East. The city he captured, now called Istanbul,
77
00:04:51.100 --> 00:04:53.720
is still one of the most important cities in the world.
1
00:00:00.150 --> 00:00:02.549
Mehmed the Conqueror was one of the most important rulers
2
00:00:02.609 --> 00:00:05.870
in history. He was a leader of the Ottoman Empire,
3
00:00:06.269 --> 00:00:09.050
which was a large and powerful empire that lasted for
4
00:00:09.150 --> 00:00:12.900
hundreds of years. Mehmed is most famous for taking over
5
00:00:12.939 --> 00:00:17.660
the city of Constantinople in 1453. That victory changed the
6
00:00:17.699 --> 00:00:21.920
world and helped begin a new chapter in history. Mehmed
7
00:00:21.960 --> 00:00:25.760
was born in 1432 in a city called Edirne, which
8
00:00:25.820 --> 00:00:28.960
was then the capital of the Ottoman Empire. His father
9
00:00:29.000 --> 00:00:32.920
was Sultan Murad II, the ruler of the empire. Mehmed
10
00:00:32.960 --> 00:00:36.590
was a smart and curious boy. He studied many subjects
11
00:00:36.670 --> 00:00:41.130
including math, science, languages, and religion. He also learned how
12
00:00:41.170 --> 00:00:44.990
to ride horses, use weapons, and lead armies. From a
13
00:00:45.030 --> 00:00:48.890
young age, he was trained to become a sultan. Mehmed
14
00:00:48.909 --> 00:00:52.049
became sultan when he was only 12 years old. His
15
00:00:52.109 --> 00:00:54.399
father stepped down for a short time and let him
16
00:00:54.539 --> 00:00:57.399
rule Mehmed. But Mehmed was still very young and the
17
00:00:57.479 --> 00:01:01.000
empire was facing threats. So his father came back to
18
00:01:01.020 --> 00:01:04.799
the throne. A few years later, when Mehmed was 19,
19
00:01:04.799 --> 00:01:09.310
his father died, and Mehmed became Sultan again. This time,
20
00:01:09.569 --> 00:01:12.730
he was ready to lead. At that time, the city
21
00:01:12.750 --> 00:01:16.650
of Constantinople was very important. It had been the capital
22
00:01:16.689 --> 00:01:20.980
of the Byzantine Empire for over 1,000 years. The Byzantines
23
00:01:21.019 --> 00:01:24.060
were Christians and their city was a stronghold in the
24
00:01:24.140 --> 00:01:28.200
middle of Muslim lands. The city sat between Europe and Asia.
25
00:01:28.780 --> 00:01:32.159
It was protected by thick stone walls and surrounded by
26
00:01:32.219 --> 00:01:36.159
water on three sides. Many rulers had tried to conquer
27
00:01:36.200 --> 00:01:40.060
it before, but they had failed. Mehmed wanted to be
28
00:01:40.109 --> 00:01:42.790
the one to take the city. He believed it would
29
00:01:42.849 --> 00:01:46.469
make the Ottoman Empire stronger. It would also show that
30
00:01:46.530 --> 00:01:50.510
he was a great leader. He prepared for the attack carefully.
31
00:01:51.280 --> 00:01:55.879
He brought together a large army, some say more than 100,000 soldiers.
32
00:01:56.500 --> 00:02:00.019
He also had ships and powerful cannons. One of his
33
00:02:00.079 --> 00:02:03.180
biggest cannons was so large it needed many animals and
34
00:02:03.260 --> 00:02:07.890
men just to move it. The attack on Constantinople began
35
00:02:07.909 --> 00:02:13.610
in April 1453. Mehmed's army surrounded the city. They fired
36
00:02:13.710 --> 00:02:17.090
cannons at the walls day and night. The people inside
37
00:02:17.129 --> 00:02:20.580
the city fought back bravely. They hoped help would come
38
00:02:20.639 --> 00:02:25.219
from other Christian countries, but help never came. After weeks
39
00:02:25.280 --> 00:02:31.110
of fighting, Mehmed's army broke through the walls on May 29, 1453.
40
00:02:31.110 --> 00:02:35.030
His soldiers rushed in, and the city was taken. Mehmed
41
00:02:35.090 --> 00:02:37.229
rode into the city and went to the great church
42
00:02:37.370 --> 00:02:41.389
called Hagia Sophia. It was the biggest church in the city.
43
00:02:42.069 --> 00:02:44.419
He ordered it to be turned into a mosque, a
44
00:02:44.479 --> 00:02:47.620
place for Muslims to pray. This showed that the city
45
00:02:47.659 --> 00:02:50.919
was now under Ottoman rule. But Mehmed also made sure
46
00:02:50.960 --> 00:02:54.370
that Christian people in the city could still live and worship.
47
00:02:55.069 --> 00:02:58.550
He wanted people of different faiths to live together peacefully.
48
00:02:59.569 --> 00:03:03.370
After this victory, Mehmed was called the Conqueror. He made
49
00:03:03.430 --> 00:03:07.419
Constantinople the new capital of the Ottoman Empire. He later
50
00:03:07.479 --> 00:03:11.460
renamed it Istanbul. The city grew under his rule. He
51
00:03:11.500 --> 00:03:15.659
built new mosques, markets, schools, and public baths. People from
52
00:03:15.719 --> 00:03:18.629
many lands came to live and work there. Mehmed did
53
00:03:18.669 --> 00:03:22.120
not stop after taking Constantinople. He wanted to make the
54
00:03:22.219 --> 00:03:26.439
Ottoman Empire bigger. He led campaigns into Europe and Asia.
55
00:03:26.960 --> 00:03:29.800
He took over parts of Serbia, Greece, Albania, and the
56
00:03:29.840 --> 00:03:33.319
Black Sea coast. He fought against strong rulers like Vlad
57
00:03:33.340 --> 00:03:37.080
the Impaler in Wallachia, who later became the inspiration for
58
00:03:37.099 --> 00:03:40.960
the Dracula legend. Mehmed also helped improve the empire in
59
00:03:41.020 --> 00:03:46.110
other ways. He supported education and the arts. He brought scholars, artists,
60
00:03:46.210 --> 00:03:49.349
and builders from many places to his court. He wanted
61
00:03:49.460 --> 00:03:52.840
Istanbul to be a center of learning and culture. He
62
00:03:52.900 --> 00:03:58.340
spoke several languages, including Arabic, Greek, Latin, and Persian. He
63
00:03:58.379 --> 00:04:01.280
read books from many different lands. Even though he was
64
00:04:01.340 --> 00:04:04.729
a warrior, Mehmed was also a planner. He made new
65
00:04:04.770 --> 00:04:07.909
laws to help govern his empire. He made sure people
66
00:04:07.949 --> 00:04:11.889
paid taxes fairly. He helped protect trade routes and made
67
00:04:11.949 --> 00:04:15.520
peace with other countries when it was needed. Mehmed ruled
68
00:04:15.560 --> 00:04:19.370
for 30 years. He died in 1481 when he was
69
00:04:19.370 --> 00:04:22.689
49 years old. He was preparing to go on another
70
00:04:22.730 --> 00:04:26.370
military campaign when he became sick. His death was a
71
00:04:26.430 --> 00:04:30.769
surprise to many. He was buried in Istanbul, where people
72
00:04:30.829 --> 00:04:34.949
still visit his tomb today. Mehmed the Conqueror is remembered
73
00:04:35.069 --> 00:04:38.709
as one of the greatest sultans in Ottoman history. He
74
00:04:38.800 --> 00:04:43.279
changed the world by capturing Constantinople. His victory ended the
75
00:04:43.319 --> 00:04:46.509
Byzantine Empire and helped start a new age in Europe
76
00:04:46.649 --> 00:04:50.649
and the Middle East. The city he captured, now called Istanbul,
77
00:04:51.100 --> 00:04:53.720
is still one of the most important cities in the world.
