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(#8) Suleiman the Magnificent
- Dec. at 72 (1494-1566)
Royal Title: Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, dubbed "the Magnificent" for his renowned military, cultural, and legal exploits
Relatives Killed:
Several of his sons. The father of multiple heirs, Süleyman experienced a typical imperial problem: his favorite wife, Roxelana, tangled with his other consorts. Once she became Süleyman's number one lady, Roxelana allegedly conspired to oust her husband's sons by other women from the succession in favor of her own sons. In particular, she wanted a prince named Mustapha out of the way; once he became sultan, he'd probably kill his half-brothers (her own sons), as was customary.
In 1553, he supposedly forged a letter implicating Mustapha in a rebellion against his father. Süleyman wasn't sure how to punish him, but Roxelana likely urged him to have his son killed. Süleyman ordered Mustapha dead, making Roxelana's son Selim heir to the throne.
This story has a violent postscript. Several years later, Mustapha's brother Bayezid clashed with Selim, who defeated him in battle. Bayezid and his sons were later strangled to death in 1561.
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(#10) Aurangzeb
- Dec. at 89 (1618-1707)
Royal Title: Mughal Emperor of India
Relatives Killed:
His arch-rival, his brother Dara Shikoh. Although Dara was Muslim, he was very interested in finding connections between his faith and Hinduism. In contrast to his extremely devout warrior sibling Aurangzeb, this philosopher prince was very interested in religious plurality. However, Aurangzeb beat Dara in battle, making himself their father's number one choice as successor, and ordered his heretical brother executed.
Another brother, Shah Murad. Murad allied himself with Aurangzeb at one point, but rivalries got the best of the siblings. The emperor got Murad drunk and kept him captive for three years, then executed him in 1661.
His nephew Sulaiman Shikoh, son of Dara. Three years after Dara's death, Sulaiman was imprisoned and allegedly fed opium regularly, which led to the decline of his health. He finally passed away in 1662.
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(#12) John I Tzimiskes
- Dec. at 51 (925-976)
Royal Title: Emperor of Byzantium
Relative Killed: His uncle, the famed general Emperor Nicephorus II Phocas. In the 10th century, Nicephorus fell in love with a young and ambitious woman named Theophano, who he married and made empress. She supposedly turned him against his best advisors and put him in a precarious position. In swooped his nephew, John, who took Theophano as a lover and plotted to oust his uncle from power.
How did they kill Nicephorus in 969 CE? Theophano is said to have dressed assassins up as women and snuck them into the palace to kill him. Another account has John doing the deed, probably indirectly. John went on to be a notable ruler in his own right, though he banished his lover/aunt Theophano and was forced to repent before he became emperor.
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(#6) John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy
- Dec. at 48 (1371-1419)
Royal Title: Duke of Burgundy
Relative Killed: His cousin, Louis, Duke of Orleans. When Charles VI, King of France, went mad, his little brother, Louis, took a great deal of power into his own hands. So did the dukes of Anjou, Berry, and Burgundy, but it was Burgundy - Duke John the Fearless - who emerged as the number-one rival to Orleans.
Orleans and Burgundy began a tug-of-war over control of France. Orleans even went so far as to allegedly seduce his sister-in-law, Queen Isabeau. Burgundy in turn kidnapped the heir to the French throne, and it's believed Orleans may have then tried to assault Burgundy's wife. This didn't end well - Burgundy hired a gang of assassins to murder his cousin Orleans on the streets of Paris. They ultimately beat the dead duke to a pulp. Burgundy later claimed he did it because Orleans was trying to kill his brother, the king, by using black magic.
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(#1) Elizabeth I of England
- Dec. at 70 (1533-1603)
Royal Title: Queen of England
Relatives Killed:
Her royal arch-rival, Mary, Queen of Scots. Always a Catholic rival to Elizabeth, Mary thought of herself as the rightful queen of England. She was raised in France but came back home to Scotland in her teens. Mary married her own first cousin, had an heir, and got into a lot of political trouble (her alleged lover and third husband might have killed her second spouse). Mary wound up in battle against her own nobility, abdicated her throne, and threw herself on the mercy of her cousin Elizabeth by fleeing to England. Mary was imprisoned by her for decades until a plot to kill Elizabeth that allegedly implicated Mary was revealed. The Queen of Scots was executed in 1587.
Her second cousin, Thomas, Duke of Norfolk. One of the Queen of Scots's followers was Elizabeth's own cousin, an English duke named Thomas Howard. He became involved in multiple insurrections against Elizabeth, leading to his execution in 1572.
Elizabeth's first-cousin-twice-removed, Robert, Earl of Essex. One of the Virgin Queen's favorites was Robert Devereux, son of her first-cousin-once-removed, Lettice Knollys. He charmed the much older Elizabeth but offended her many times and may have even possibly tried to overthrow the government. Elizabeth ultimately had him beheaded at the Tower of London in 1601.
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(#3) Cleopatra
- Dec. at 39 (68 BC-29 BC)
Royal Title: Pharaoh of Egypt
Relatives Killed:
Her sister Arsinoe IV. Cleopatra's little sister wanted to be pharaoh herself and even rallied an army in support of her claim, but Cleopatra and her Roman allies defeated her. Arsinoe was exiled to Turkey and later murdered on her sister's orders.
Her two brothers (also her husbands), Ptolemy XIII and Ptolemy XIV. In true royal Egyptian fashion, Cleopatra married both her brothers, but they died under suspicious circumstances. Ptolemy XIII set himself up as Cleopatra's rival in Alexandria but died in battle with her Roman allies, led by Caesar. Next up was Ptolemy XIV, who was possibly killed by Cleopatra so that her son by Caesar, Caesarion, could assume power.
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About This Tool
Historical facts tell us that not all rulers in real life are the handsome, strong, and benevolent kings described in fairy tales. Most rulers in history have carried out cruel executions to consolidate their status and maintain the rule of the royal family. Many royal families Members have also been cruelly treated because of the strengthening of the imperial power, such as Peter the Great, who once cruelly executed many people, including his son Alexei for treason.
Regardless of whether these cruel rulers were born like this, or the lofty status that drove them to do some despicable things, their actions have more or less promoted the course of history. The random tool introduced 13 historical rulers who killed their own relatives.
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