Sultan Mustafa IV

Mustafa IV (September 8, 1779 – November 15, 1808) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1807 to 1808. His father was Abd-ul-Hamid I. During the reign of the reformist Selim III, Mustafa was looked upon favorably by the sultan.

However, when a janissary revolt rose up against Selim, Mustafa deceived the sultan and supported the janissaries who deposed the old Sultan, and made Mustafa the new ruler. Sympathy for Selim persisted, however, and in 1808 an army under Mustafa Bayrakdar set out for Istanbul in order to bring Selim back to the throne. In response, Mustafa ordered the execution of Selim as well as another brother, Mahmud. This would make Mustafa the only remaining male member of the royal line and, he hoped, thus defuse the rebellion by eliminating any other legitimate candidates for the throne. Selim was killed and his body was thrown before the rebels in mockery, but Mustafa was deposed anyway and replaced by Mahmud, who had escaped execution by hiding. Mustafa was put to death later in the year.