The Image of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror in the Turkish Chronicle (Memoirs of a Janissary) of Konstantin Mihialović

Ivanović, Miloš (2021) The Image of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror in the Turkish Chronicle (Memoirs of a Janissary) of Konstantin Mihialović. Inicijal. Časopis za srednjovekovne studije, 9. pp. 153-177. ISSN 2334-8003

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Abstract

At the end of 15th century Konstantin Mihailović, former janis-sary, wrote his Memoirs dedicated to Polish King John I Albert (1492–1501). It can be assumed that Konstantin became a janissary after the Sultan’s conquest of the Serbian town of Novo Brdo in 1455. From 1456 to 1463 he participated in the Sultan’s campaigns against Belgrade, the Despotate of Morea, the Empire of Treb-izond, Wallachia and Bosnia. Therefore, his work represents important primary source on military actions and court of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror (1444–1446; 1451–1481). Author testified that the Ottomans had efficient military organ-ization and that Sultan showed respect for his warriors. On the other hand, he stressed that Mehmed II achieved success through various frauds and stratagems. Also, Konstantin noted that Sultan was rather cruel to his enemies

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