Süleyman I << SOO luh `mahn` or `soo` lay MAHN >> (1494-1566) became known in the Western world as the Magnificent. However, his own people called him the Lawgiver. He was the 10th ruler of the Ottoman Empire. His name is sometimes spelled Suleiman I.
During Süleyman’s rule, the Ottoman Empire was the richest and most powerful empire in Europe and the Middle East. Süleyman led armies into Hungary and stormed the walls of Vienna. In Asia, his armies invaded Persia (Iran) and captured Tabriz and Baghdad. Süleyman’s fleets dominated the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, and the Persian Gulf. His sailors held North Africa and raided the coasts of Spain, France, and Italy. Süleyman took Rhodes from the Knights Hospitallers. He revised the legal system of the Ottoman Empire. He died on Sept. 5 or 6, 1566.
See also Knights Hospitallers; Ottoman Empire (History).
