TRENDEFRAtlas of the Sultans · Glossary
Term · Palace and dynasty
Also known as: ekberiyet
The rule that the eldest male member of the dynasty succeeds to the throne.
When Ahmed I died in 1617, the throne passed not to his son but to his brother Mustafa I; this ended the three-century tradition of succession from father to son, and the rule that the eldest male of the dynasty becomes ruler was adopted. That is why, after the 17th century, uncles, brothers and nephews succeeded one another; these successions can be followed in the atlas's family tree.
Open the map in 1617Source: TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, article “ŞEHZADE” (in Turkish); text condensed for the atlas.