The Turkish Empire, Its Growth and DecayEversley, G. Shaw-Lefevre (George Shaw-Lefevre), Baron
History
The Turkish Empire, Its Growth and Decay
Eversley, G. Shaw-Lefevre (George Shaw-Lefevre), Baron
Turkey -- History
Cantacuzene was soon to reap the just reward for his treachery to his
country. So far everything had gone well with him. He had ousted the
Palæologi from the throne, of which, it must be admitted, they were
quite unworthy. He had proclaimed his son Matthew as co-Emperor with
himself. But when the full effect of his policy of inviting the Turks
into Europe was understood there was a revulsion of feeling against
him at Constantinople. The Greek Patriarch refused to crown Matthew. A
revolution took place in the city. Cantacuzene found himself without
friends. He was everywhere accused of having betrayed the Empire to
the Turks. He was compelled to abdicate. He became a monk and retired
to a monastery in Greece. He spent the remaining thirty years of his
life in seclusion there, and in writing a history of his times, which,
though very unreliable, tells enough of his own misdeeds to justify the
conclusion that, by inviting the Ottomans into Europe, he proved to be
a traitor to his country. The Empress Irene, his wife, became a nun.
John Palæologus was recalled by the people of Constantinople, and,
after defeating Matthew, not without difficulty, was established there
as sole Emperor. His reign lasted for fifty years, a period full of
misfortune for the Empire. He was no more able to compel or induce the
Turks to evacuate Europe and return to Asia than his father-in-law. The
twenty thousand soldiers who had been invited to Europe by Cantacuzene
remained there as enemies of the State they had come to assist.
Under the command of Solyman, they advanced into Thrace and captured
Tchorlu, within a few miles of Constantinople. Though the occupation
of this city and of Demotika was only temporary, the Ottomans firmly
established themselves in the southern part of Thrace. The Emperor John
was eventually compelled to sign a treaty with Orchan, which recognized
these Ottoman conquests in Thrace. Thenceforth the Byzantine Empire
became subservient to, and almost the vassal of, the Ottoman Sultan.
Solyman brought over from Asia many colonies of Turks and settled them
in the Thracian Chersonese and other parts of Thrace.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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