The story of the real “Dracula” .. the “thug” who fought Muhammad the Conqueror and became an icon of horror stories
In 1897, the Irish writer, Bram Stoker , published his novel “ Dracula ”, which talks about a vampire who wakes up at night to search for new victims who are brutally murdered. The name of its author to this day. The character of Dracula was not exactly Bram Stoker's fantasy, the origin of the name dates back to a Roman prince who lived in the fifteenth century AD, and was known for his brutality with his victims.
His brother converted to Islam.. the beginning of Dracula from the palaces of the Ottomans
In the early fifteenth century AD, the King of Hungary, Sigismund von Luxembourg, took it upon himself to intensify the efforts of the Christian princes in Europe, directing them to what they considered “the defense of the cross,” meaning standing against the ambitions of the Ottoman Empire, which was headed at that time by Sultan Murad II. The King of Hungary established the "Order of Dragon", which included senior European princes and aristocrats, and its mission was to combat the Ottoman overrun in European regions.
Prince Vlad II, the ruler of Wallachia on the Black Sea, which represents one of the regions of the current Roman Republic - was one of the members of the organization whose activity declined after the death of Sigismund in 1437 AD. Vlad II will be known in history as “Vlad the Dragon” or “Vlad Dracul .” Dracul”, but his greatest fame will come from being the father of one of the bloodiest figures in history, Vlad III, who will bear the name “Vlad III Dracula”, meaning “son of the dragon” or what will be termed in modern Romanian as “son of Satan”.
Wallachia fell at that time between the hammer of the Ottomans and the anvil of Hungary, which made Vlad the father fickle in his alliances in an attempt to preserve his king. Second.
In 1442, Vlad the father was invited to a diplomatic meeting with Sultan Murad II, and with him were his two young sons Vlad III and Radu, and this was just a trap, as the three were arrested before the father was released on the condition that he leave behind his two sons as hostages, to ensure the loyalty of Vlad the Elder In the war between the Ottomans and Hungary.
Despite the good treatment that Vlad III and his brother received in the Ottoman palaces, where they received lessons in philosophy, arts and sciences, the years of detention only increased Vlad III's hatred and anger against the Ottomans, and unlike his brother, who was familiar with Ottoman life and converted to Islam, enmity grew in the same Vlad the son who later became a knight and a skilled warrior.
In 1448 AD, Vlad II was killed by a group of princes in Wallachia with the support of the Hungarian leader John Hunyad, and his eldest son Mercia was killed after him. Wallachia, but the young boy's reign was short-lived, as he was overthrown by the Hungarians under John Huniad.
"Until the stars burn" .. Dracula masters the Ottomans' war
In subsequent years Vlad will change his compass, as he will abandon the alliance with the Ottomans, and extend his hands to the King of Hungary Ladislas V, who will help him over his opponents, and help him restore the throne of Wallachia, and in the manner of the castle massacre that Muhammad Ali carried out centuries later against the Mamluks of Egypt, the oldest Vlad To consolidate his new power, he invited the warring and troublesome Wallachia princes to a banquet, and killed them all, before he hung their bodies on iron “pillars” to serve as an example to those who wanted them to be considered.
The Ottoman Empire at that time was at the height of its power, as the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, known as “Mehmed the Conqueror,” succeeded in controlling the city of Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire in 1953. His first decision was to stop the annual tribute that Wallachia paid annually to the Ottomans - which earned him wide local popularity that helped him gain confidence.
Vlad III set his sights on confronting the Ottomans, with all his might, so that he was the only leader who accepted Pope Pius II's call to launch a new crusade against the Ottomans in 1459 AD, which earned him great favor with the church, so that he turned to Catholicism in order to gain Loving the Church and the King of Hungary and pushing them to support him in his wars, and all of this contributed to drawing an image of him to many as a believer and brave, and prompted many to consider him a national hero and a just ruler, and they gave him justifications for his atrocities as one of the necessities of war.
Dracula stood with unparalleled zeal in the face of the Ottoman Empire led by Mehmed the Conqueror - although the two men, ironically, had spent their early youthful years together while Vlad was imprisoned in Adrianople - refused to pay the tribute to the Ottomans, and when the Sultan sent some of his messengers to Wallachia they were met with the humiliating treatment of Dracula when they refused Taking off their turbans, as one of their religious customs, it is said that Vlad sarcastically praised the faithfulness of the messengers to their religion, before ordering to cut off their heads and install the turbans on the skulls in a clear indication.
"Dracula's Star Burning"
In addition to the title "Dracula", Vlad III is known in history as " Vlad the Impaler "; Because of his adoption of the method of "implying" against his victims, who were hanging their bodies on iron poles, and one of the famous incidents is that the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II sent a force led by Hamza Pasha to Wallachia. The length of the road leading to Wallachia, in a majestic and terrifying sight for everyone who goes to his city in peace or war.
The things that Dracula committed against the Ottomans provoked the Ottoman Empire; Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror mobilized a large army and marched himself to Wallachia, and on the way to the capital, Trgovisht, the conqueror would find thousands of Muslim corpses hanging on poles along the way, in a scene that Dracula wanted to intimidate in the hearts of the invading army.
But Dracula, despite his tireless efforts, failed to mobilize the necessary support to repel the Ottomans, so he resorted to guerrilla tactics, and launched raids on the invading forces. In one of the raids, he tried to assassinate Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror by raiding the Ottoman army camp during the night, but he failed in that; The Ottoman army was able to enter the city, and the conqueror Radu installed Vlad's brother as governor of Wallachia, and provided him with the men, equipment and support necessary to continue the fight against Dracula and the remnants of his army.
Radu was able to defeat his brother Vlad, through the alliance with the class of princes surrounding Vlad, after the latter stripped them of their privileges and killed them. He was charged with "treason", after he forged a letter in the name of Vlad to the Ottoman Sultan inviting him to peace, so that Dracula spent nearly 10 years in his new prison.
Fortune smiled at Vlad again; As his relationship with the King of Hungary improved, until he married one of the princesses of the royal family, and his brother Radu died suddenly, this was his chance to advance to regain the throne with Hungarian support, but his grip on power this time was fragile, after a few weeks the Turks were able to kill Dracula, cut off his head and sent to The Ottoman Sultan in Istanbul.
Despite the brutality with which Vlad is famous in history, to the point where his name is used as an icon in horror stories, he is still seen in Romania as a national hero and fighter, who fought for the unification and defense of the country, and the statue of his throne is located next to many famous Romanian figures at the headquarters of Vlad. The mayor of Bucharest, where he is considered one of the country's great heroes.
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