Post by Sublime Porte on Oct 9, 2016 18:25:19 GMT
The Grand Vezir now spent much of his time in the Italian-style offices just west of the Imperial Palace, where he could work late into the night. The palace itself had become quieter since Ahmet's departure for war. No access was possible into the Inner Court without the Sultan's permission, so there were no more guests strolling through the Tulip garden. The Divan still met at the palace, but day-to-day governance was largely conducted in departmental offices. Rami Mehmed found himself increasingly deprived of his previous self-confidence. The new Sultan had came to power in such a wave of optimism, that Rami was unsure whether he had stoked it or been swept up in it himself. He had fallen for Ahmet's charm, and had encouraged the 30-year-old to see himself as a successor to Alexander the Great. In his self-confidence, brought about by the youth of his reign, it had seemed as if Ahmet had indeed planned to conquer the world before he reached his 32nd birthday. Now it seemed increasingly questionable whether he could even undo the losses of the recent past. Austria proved to be more popular than previously thought. The false emperor had been perceived by the Ottomans as vulnerable and isolated, but now stands at the centre of a great coalition stretching from Moscow to Rome. The victory would have to be grand, or else the defeat would be terrible. Nothing less of complete success would do now. Ahmet is Padishah, so he may carry on, but the Grand Vezir behind the Great War would surely fall if his promises prove hollow. The best Rami could hope for is ignominious exile, left to write poems on the shores of Marmara. If the Catholic alliance proved too great, and the cost of defeat too steep, Rami could even lose his head, and the Sultan his throne. Attempts to reach out, to back-track, all had failed. The only solution was to prosecute war with full intensity. The flower-obsessed whimsy of recent years now appeared inappropriate, and the Cities of Pleasure along the Bosphorus now smelled more like dens of iniquity.
The Grand Vezir, in pious desperation, institutes the following temporary prohibitions:
- The sale, but not consumption, of Tobacco and Alcohol is to cease at once in the imperial cities of Istanbul and Edirne.
- All tabernas, sherbet houses, brothels, and shisha establishments are to close their doors to customers.
- The consumption of alcohol or tobacco in public civic spaces is to be punished by lashing.
- The Grand Vezir is to attend prayers daily at Aya Sofya mosque, to pray for victory and peace. The Grand Vezir will abstain from all lokum and dessert pastries, choosing to eat a simpler diet consisting mostly of bread, olives, cheese and vegetables. He shall drink only milk and water.
- The sale of luxury cloths and silks is to be restricted in the bazaars of Istanbul. There is to be a prohibition on the import of thrown silks.
- Businesses will no longer be allowed to operate into the night, and night markets are to end. Trading has one hour to close after sunset. Street parties are forbidden in the capital.
These prohibitions are made to give a great show of piety and temperance, and to 'bring the war home'. Rami feels the need to rally the population to the cause of military victory by driving home the seriousness of the situation. They will see these austerities and realise that the war is real, and it is not a case of business as usual.
Of course, Sultans sometimes make similar prohibitions on sinful enterprises when they come to power in order to show their moral character, but these prohibitions never last. The businesses of Istanbul would be more than ready to suffer through this dry spell, knowing that the prohibitions would not be permanents. Within a month or two the restrictions will gradually be relaxed. The night shall come to life once more, warehouses will begin to distribute tobacco and alcohol once more, and the markets will be flooded with silk. As usual, following a brief period of abstinence, the return of sinful luxuries will see a great spike in demand as the populace celebrate.
The religious nature of these prohibitions will be scoffed at by the elite, as such superstition is no longer fashionable, but it will be popular amongst the provincial immigrants and working poor of the city. The optics are also good, and will allow the Sultan and his government to be praised as paragons of virtue throughout the empire. Unfortunately, this does mean suffering through a month of having sober sex with ones own wife, but sacrifices must be made in wartime. Parties with wine and tobacco will, of course, continue in the private residences of the elite. The prohibition only applies to displays in public space.
The Grand Vezir, in pious desperation, institutes the following temporary prohibitions:
- The sale, but not consumption, of Tobacco and Alcohol is to cease at once in the imperial cities of Istanbul and Edirne.
- All tabernas, sherbet houses, brothels, and shisha establishments are to close their doors to customers.
- The consumption of alcohol or tobacco in public civic spaces is to be punished by lashing.
- The Grand Vezir is to attend prayers daily at Aya Sofya mosque, to pray for victory and peace. The Grand Vezir will abstain from all lokum and dessert pastries, choosing to eat a simpler diet consisting mostly of bread, olives, cheese and vegetables. He shall drink only milk and water.
- The sale of luxury cloths and silks is to be restricted in the bazaars of Istanbul. There is to be a prohibition on the import of thrown silks.
- Businesses will no longer be allowed to operate into the night, and night markets are to end. Trading has one hour to close after sunset. Street parties are forbidden in the capital.
These prohibitions are made to give a great show of piety and temperance, and to 'bring the war home'. Rami feels the need to rally the population to the cause of military victory by driving home the seriousness of the situation. They will see these austerities and realise that the war is real, and it is not a case of business as usual.
Of course, Sultans sometimes make similar prohibitions on sinful enterprises when they come to power in order to show their moral character, but these prohibitions never last. The businesses of Istanbul would be more than ready to suffer through this dry spell, knowing that the prohibitions would not be permanents. Within a month or two the restrictions will gradually be relaxed. The night shall come to life once more, warehouses will begin to distribute tobacco and alcohol once more, and the markets will be flooded with silk. As usual, following a brief period of abstinence, the return of sinful luxuries will see a great spike in demand as the populace celebrate.
The religious nature of these prohibitions will be scoffed at by the elite, as such superstition is no longer fashionable, but it will be popular amongst the provincial immigrants and working poor of the city. The optics are also good, and will allow the Sultan and his government to be praised as paragons of virtue throughout the empire. Unfortunately, this does mean suffering through a month of having sober sex with ones own wife, but sacrifices must be made in wartime. Parties with wine and tobacco will, of course, continue in the private residences of the elite. The prohibition only applies to displays in public space.
