Members of the Imperial Council and the heads of the corps being received by the sultan

 

21a

 

20b

After the grand vizier had taken his place in the imperial pavilion at the head of the sultan’s court and had received Mehmed Pasha, the sultan, dressed in a sable robe with a broad collar of white silk brocade and his customary crested turban, took his place on the throne. These two frames depict the ceremony that ensued.

The figure of the sultan seated on his throne occupies the center of (20b); his three sons stand in a line at a slight distance to his left. The two officers wearing the tall red floppy caps and standing behind the princes are the sultan’s sword-bearer and equerry. The bearded figure at the sultan’s right is Grand Vizier İbrahim Pasha and immediately behind him are the chief of the White Eunuchs (on his right) and the chief of the Black Eunuchs (on his left), both of whom are accompanied by subordinates of their own. The two bearded figures dressed in patterned kaftans and holding silver staffs at the entrance near the lower left corner are the chief doormen. Two lines of pages dressed in colorful kaftans and wearing gold-braided caps stand in attendance. The green-turbaned figure making a gesture towards the sultan is Seyyid Mehmed Zeynelabidin Efendi, Chief of the Descendants of the Prophet, who was the first to be admitted to the sultan’s presence.

The image on the facing page (21a) depicts five rows of high-ranking dignitaries waiting for their turn to come before the sultan. The figure dressed white fur and örf turban at the head of the topmost row is the sheikulislam, who is accompanied by high-ranking members of the Ulema. In the second row we see three viziers followed by the chief justices of Rumelia and Anatolia and by the three highest ranking chiefs of the Exchequer. The third row represents the grandmaster of the Janissaries and other high-ranking officers of the corps. In the fourth row are the aghas of the Spahis and Engineers and their subordinates. The fifth row consists of other high-ranking military officers. Arrayed along the bottom of the frame is a small detachment of janissaries.

Notes

1. Seyyid: Honorific title given to the descendants of the Prophet Muhammad.

2. Descendents of the Prophet: Nakibüleşraf. The title was also used for the representative of the Sheriff of Mecca to İstanbul.

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