126 honored by the glory of islam
were focused on a fi nal push to take the citadel. While the sultan sent writs to
the grand vizier urging him to exert all energy to conquer the citadel as part of
a jihad of those fi ghting in the path of God against accursed infi dels, reminding
him to give his heart and soul in the effort, which he desperately hoped would
end in victory, and informing him that he prayed night and day for the Muslim
warriors to succeed, suddenly a rabbi appeared claiming to be a prophet and ac-
quired a large, potentially threatening following.^15 They could not be expected to
react any differently when facing what appeared to be a religious insurrection.
Shabbatai Tzevi enjoyed considerable success among Jews. In February1 666 he was arrested and imprisoned after his boat was intercepted by au-
thorities en route to Istanbul. Jews from around the empire and the world sold
their houses, lands, and possessions, packed their things, and headed to Is-
tanbul to greet their prophet. Jews in Istanbul, who had no need to sell their
property and pack since the prophet would replace the sultan on his throne
in that city and reward them with the material goods of Christians and Mus-
lims, fl ocked to the dungeon where the rabbi was held. Because large crowds
gathered where Shabbatai Tzevi was incarcerated, in April he was banished to
Kilidbahir/Seddülbahir, Hatice Turhan’s newly repaired fortress on the Rume-
lian side of the Dardanelles. There he received many pilgrims. From prison he
continued to instruct his followers. He abolished the fast of the ninth of the
Hebrew month of Av, the date Jews commemorate the destruction of the First
and Second Temple, ordering Jews to instead celebrate a festival on that day for
the dawning of the messianic age.
That day would have to be postponed. Perhaps incited into action by com-plaints from Shabbatai Tzevi’s Jewish enemies, in September 1 666 Sultan Meh-
med IV, troubled by an illness that caused him and Vani Mehmed Efendi to
pray before Muhammad’s mantle asking for a quick recovery, ordered Shab-
batai Tzevi to be interrogated beneath his gaze in Edirne by the members of the
imperial council. This included the sultan’s preacher, Vani Mehmed Efendi,
and Grand Vizier Fazıl Ahmed Pasha’s deputy, Mustafa Pasha. Because the
grand vizier was campaigning in Crete, he deputized a man much experienced
in facilitating conversion at the grand vizier’s court.^16 Another person present
was the supreme Muslim legal authority in the empire, Sheikhulislam Minka-
rizade Yahya Efendi, who did not support the Kadızadeli movement and may
have resented the fact that Vani Mehmed Efendi acted almost as if he were a
shadow sheikhulislam.^17 A legal opinion appears in his collection of opinions,
however, that gave legal authority to pressured conversion to Islam. It states
that a Muslim offi cial could say “Be a Muslim” and compel a Christian or Jew
to convert.^18 Not surprisingly, these men gave Shabbatai Tzevi the option of
conversion or death.