Mahmud II (Ottoman Turkish: محمود ثانى Mahmud-u sānī, محمود عدلى Mahmud-u Âdlî) (Turkish: II. Mahmud) (20 July 1785 – 1 July 1839) was the 30th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1808 until his death in 1839. He was born in the Topkapı Palace, Constantinople, the posthumous son of Sultan Abdul Hamid I.

His reign is recognized for the extensive administrative, military, and fiscal reforms he instituted, which culminated into the Decree of Tanzimat ("Reorganization") that was carried out by his sons Abdülmecid I and Abdülaziz I. Often known as "Peter the Great of Turkey", Mahmud's reforms included the 1826 abolishment of the conservative Janissary corps, which removed a major obstacle to his and his successors reforms in the Empire.

Accession

His mother was valide sultan Nakşidil (who according to legend was a cousin of Joséphine de Beauharnais, wife of Napoleon Bonaparte). In 1808, Mahmud II's predecessor, and half-brother, Mustafa IV ordered his execution along with his cousin, the deposed Sultan Selim III, in order to defuse the rebellion. Selim III was killed, but Mahmud was safely kept hidden by his mother and was placed on the throne after the rebels deposed Mustafa IV. The leader of this rebellion, Alemdar Mustafa Pasha, later became Mahmud II's vizier. Western Historians give Mahmud a bad reputation for simply being the Sultan during a time of deterioration of the Ottoman Empire.

Mansa Mahmud II, also known as Mamadou, was mansa ("king of kings") of the Mali Empire from 1481 to 1496.

Mansa Mahmud II’s rule was characterized by more losses to Mali’s old possessions and increased contact between Mali and Portuguese explorers along the coast. In 1477, the Yatenga emperor Nasséré makes yet another Mossi raid into Macina, this time conquering it and the old province of BaGhana (Wagadou). In 1481, Fula raids against Mali’s Tekrur provinces begin.

The growing trade in Mali’s western provinces with Portugal witnessed the exchange of envoys between the two nations. Mansa Mahmud II received the Portuguese envoy Pedro d’Evora al Gonzalo in 1484. Mali lost control of Jalu during this period. Meanwhile, Songhai seizes the salt mines of Taghazza in 1493. That same year, Mahmud II sent another envoy to the Portuguese proposing alliance against the Fulas. The Portuguese decide to stay out of the conflict and the talks conclude by 1495 without an alliance.

See also