Sultan Mahmud II
Sultan Mahmud II ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1808 to 1839, presiding over a period of painful military defeat and dramatic reform. He eliminated the Janissary corps in 1826 — the 'Auspicious Incident' — destroying the obsolete old military order that had twice frustrated reform. He introduced European-style military organisation, modern bureaucratic administration, and secular legal codes. His reign witnessed the loss of Greece (1829) and the near-fatal challenge from Egyptian Pasha Muhammad Ali, yet his reforms laid the essential foundation for the Tanzimat modernisation era that followed his death.
- Lived: 1785 CE – 1839 CE
- Nationality: ottoman
- Roles: sultan, head_of_state
