- Full Name: Mehmed Vahideddin
- Title: 36th and Last Sultan of the Ottoman Empire
- Reign: July 4, 1918 – November 1, 1922
- Born: January 14, 1861
- Died: May 16, 1926 (aged 65)
- Predecessor: Mehmed V
- Successor (Caliph only): Abdulmejid II
- Dynasty: Ottoman
- Capital: Istanbul
🧒 Early Life
Mehmed VI was the youngest son of Sultan Abdulmejid I and Gülüstü Kadın. Born and raised in the imperial palace, he lived much of his life outside politics. He came to the throne at the end of World War I, following the death of his half-brother Mehmed V.
🏛️ Reign Overview
⚰️ Empire in Ruin
When Mehmed VI ascended the throne:
- World War I had just ended, and the Ottoman Empire was defeated.
- The empire was occupied by Allied forces.
- The Treaty of Sèvres (1920) proposed to partition Ottoman lands, leaving only a small area in Anatolia under direct Ottoman control.
⚔️ Rise of the Turkish National Movement
- Turkish nationalists, led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, rejected the Sultan’s authority and formed a rival government in Ankara in 1920.
- This marked the beginning of the Turkish War of Independence (1919–1923).
🛑 Loss of Authority
- Mehmed VI was seen as collaborating with occupying Allied forces and supporting the Treaty of Sèvres, which led many Turks to view him as a traitor.
- The Grand National Assembly in Ankara abolished the Sultanate on November 1, 1922.
🛳️ Exile and Death
- On November 17, 1922, Mehmed VI fled Istanbul aboard a British warship to Malta, and later settled in Sanremo, Italy.
- He died in exile on May 16, 1926, and was buried in Damascus, Syria.
📜 Legacy
- Last Sultan of the Ottoman Empire — his departure officially ended over 600 years of Ottoman rule.
- He was replaced as Caliph by his cousin Abdulmejid II, though the Caliphate itself would be abolished in 1924.
- Seen by many as a symbol of imperial decline, though some remember him as a pious man overwhelmed by events beyond his control.
📝 Summary
Mehmed VI (1918–1922) presided over the final collapse of the Ottoman Empire, losing both political control and public support. His reign saw the Treaty of Sèvres, the rise of Turkish nationalism, and ultimately the abolition of the Sultanate. He died in exile, marking the end of an era that had lasted since 1299.
