Suleiman the Magnificent

The Greatest Eastern Leader Of Them All
Originally voiced by: Suleiman The Magnificent
Transcribed by: M** M******

Who is the greatest leader of them all? It was I, the tenth sultan of the Ottoman empire, Suleiman! I was very well educated, trained by the sultan, and respected throughout my empire. I lasted longer than any other Ottoman Sultan. I was a fantastic military genius. My quick and unbiased decisions were vital in my many campaigns in Europe. My kindness and fairness was unparalleled in the whole history of the Ottoman Empire.

My military genius was unsurpassed throughout the whole of history. I succeeded where my great-grandfather Mehmed II, the same man who conquered Constantinople, had failed. I conquered Belgrade by taking out their only major ally: Hungary. Hungary was the last formidable force that stood between me and the rest of Europe. By the end of my life, I had doubled the size of the empire to about two billion acres! Was I not truly amazing as a military leader, strategist, and general?

I had stupendous decision making skills, except for once. As I grew older, I slowly gave running the empire over to the grand vizier, until my death in 1556. This did not bode well for me, as it almost directly related to the deterioration of the empire. You see, my son, who followed my rule, decided to act in the same way, instead of being more actively engaged as I, myself had done.

I was an incredibly kind and fair leader, although I did what I needed to do to remain on the throne. For example, I killed my own son because I feared he would kill me to become the next sultan. I saved artisans and brought them into my court.

I, Suleiman the Magnificent was truly the greatest eastern leader.