The Crown City

The Imperial Council

It is indeed surprising how, in one single palace, you can see places and chambers, which serve for many different functions.
This is a place much different from the one earlier. In this place, there is no time for laughing and having fun. In this place, you hold responsibilities on your shoulders, and you make decisions based on the responsibilities you hold. The fate of dozens is made by the consequences of those decisions.
In this place, you lose your head because you ask for too much, no matter whether you deserve it or not. When you are granted what you have, your life is still at risk because of the others' egoism and enviness.
You despise, and you are despised, you oppress and you are oppressed, you hate and you are hated, you execute and you are executed...well...this is the imperial council!

The Divan in the Ottoman Empire, or the Imperial Council, typically gathered on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. These were the primary days for official meetings and discussions within the council of Vezirs. However, the exact schedule could vary depending on circumstances such as the availability of key officials, the urgency of matters to be addressed, religious holidays, or the preferences of the sultan, during each one's reign.
The discussed matters were administrative, militaric, and judicial.
Based on these matters, the Sultan could choose to attend or not, and in the last case, the Divan would be started and led by the Grand Vezir, the Prime Minister.
Ambassadors or delegates of different states, allies, or not to the Ottoman Empire would come to the Council to regulate trade routes, impose tariffs and taxes on foreign goods, and negotiate commercial agreements between their nations.
Also, Divan played a crucial role in planning and executing military campaigns abroad. It approved military expeditions, allocated resources for war efforts, and coordinated with military commanders.
At the end of each meeting, the sultan was informed and reported on each decision or order and their progress.

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When Sultan Mehmed entered the room, all those present took their seats without sitting down. He did not sit on his throne, but stood on his feet, at the head of everyone, raised his hands in a prayer position, with the inside of his hands in front of his face, saying:
- I am starting today's meeting with the 99 names of Allah the Beneficient and the Most Merciful!

All those who were present, including him, said their duaa, and only after he sat and gave them permission, they sat too.

- Osman Paşa, how is the state of the imperial budget? - he asked the vezir.

- Your Majesty, - spoke the Vezir while opening a big book he had in his hands, -  as a result of the victory we had during the war with the Persians, our budget now consists of 7.345.657 million golden ducats, - finished and closed the books.

- Great! - said Sultan Mehmed with a happy expression, - What about the soils of war?

- Your Majesty, - Osman Paşa answered again, - the soils of war were successfully added in the imperial budget, and also, - he added, - as you requested, the Janissaries salary was raised from 3000 to 5000 silver coins. Gold was given to families in need, and preparations for the construction of new schools have started.

- You've done a good job, Paşa, you've done a good job, - congratulated the Majesty.

He looked in his left at two vezirs who were whispering, but they immediately stopped.

- Your Majesty, - said a man second in row of the Sultan's right side, - again you spread the success of the Ottoman Empire all over the world with your glorious victory!

- Don't be so happy, Ibrahim Paşa.

Ibrahim Paşa's smile faded. He looked in his left, to the man who spoke to him. Suddenly, a frightening silence took over the place.