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Conquering heroes

Taki

Wednesday, 18th June 2008

Taki lives the High Life

Just 555 short years ago last month, troops led by Mehmed II broke through the walls of the ancient Christian capital of Constantinople, ending a gallant defence by Constantine Paleologos, the last king of Byzantium. Just five even shorter days ago, a portly barrister and a ten-year-old almost pulled off the greatest cricket upset ever, but like Byzantium it was not to be. Ironically, I contributed to both gallant but losing causes: in spirit only in Constantinople; by fielding my arse off at the cricket. More about the portly barrister and the ten-year-old later.

As barbarians tend to do, Mehmed rode triumphantly into the city on a white horse. Soon, churches became mosques and Constantinople became Istanbul. This was Islam’s greatest victory ever. For nearly a millennium, Constantinople had been the foremost barrier to Islam’s sustained drive for world conquest. Mehmed did not stop there. He went on to conquer Greece — but not the Ionian islands because the Taki family came from there — Serbia and the Balkans south of the Danube and the Crimean Peninsula. His grandson and great-grandson added Mecca and Medina, Iraq, North Africa and parts of Hungary.

Although I hate to admit it, conquest of other people is hardly an Islamic invention. The man we know as Genghis Khan believed it was his divine right to lead the Mongols to world domination. Genghis also loved his job. ‘Man’s highest joy is victory, to pursue his enemies, to deprive them of their possessions, to make their beloved weep, to ride on their horses, and to rape their wives and daughters.’ (Verbatim the speech Zac Goldsmith gave his team just before going in to bat against us last week.)

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ALKAN KIZILDEL

June 23rd, 2008 9:16am

As usual Taki makes wild statements: Mehmet II was a cultivated person who could speak several languages including Greek which fact alone disqualifies him from being a barbarian !!? He was a patron of arts who closely followed the cultural developments in Renaissance Italy and indeed invited the painter Bellini to Constantinople to have his portrait painted,a most amazing and daring thing for a muslim ruler.. This painting is today in the National Portrait Gallery, London.
Furthermore Constantinople did not become Istanbul overnight: for centuries after the conquest it was still called Konstannaniyye by the Ottomans.
As for the churches only Saint Sophia and a few others were converted into mosques, the rest remained as before where the Greeks could worship. The Greek Patriarch was treated with respect by Mehmet II and remained free to administer the affairs of his community. Indeed for many centuries after the conquest the Phanariot Greeks formed the backbone of the Ottoman Foreign Service.
Some barbarians...

ALKAN KIZILDEL / ANKARA

GK

June 26th, 2008 4:55pm

The fact that some troops entered the Citrus Gate
doesn't mean a conspriracy necessarily, it might
have been left open by the troops themshelves since
it was such a small one and used for side attacks on
the Turks. In any case that wouldn't determine the
battle, since the ones that got in the Citrus Gate
weren't that many and could be checked. The battle was
determined at the middle wall and the defense collapsed
after Giustiniani was injured and ordered the mercenaries to
take him away to the ships.
The Emperor vanished into a crowd of enemies fighting for
the Empire.
The 'fifth columnists' didn't play much role in the final
outcome but many including Megadux Notaras used to say
'better the turban of sultan than the tiara of the Pope'
since they never managed to stomach their dislike of westerners.
It was however only the Pope who send some help, when the
Anglicans would say that this was the punishment of God.
The Megadux found out that he was not exactly right
when the cultivated sultan chopped his head and the heads of
his sons.