Life With The Ottomans
In 1436, Vlad II Dracul ascended the throne of Wallachia. He was ousted in 1442 by rival factions in league with Hungary, but secured Ottoman support for his return by agreeing to pay tribute to the Sultan and also send his two legitimate sons, Vlad III and Radu, to the Ottoman court, to serve as hostages of his loyalty.
The boys were taken to the various garrisons at Edirne. Radu caught the eye of the sultan's son, Mehmet II. Vlad developed a well-known hatred for Radu and for Mehmet II, who would later become the sultan. Vlad was later educated in logic, the Quran and the Turkish and Persian language and literature. The boys' father, Vlad Dracul, with the support of the Ottomans, returned to Wallachia and took back his throne from Basarab II.
While Vlad was eventually released to take his place on the Wallachian throne after his father was killed by John Hunyadi, Radu converted to Islam and was allowed into the Ottoman imperial court. Radu later participated alongside the now sultan Mehmet II in the Ottoman siege which eventually led to the Fall of Constantinople in 1453.
Read more about this topic: Radu Cel Frumos
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