Born: 21 September 1842 · Died: 10 February 1918 · Age at death: 75
How old was Abdul Hamid II when he died?
Abdul Hamid II died aged 75. He was born on 21 September 1842 and died on 10 February 1918.
Last Sultan to rule with absolute power over the Ottoman Empire
Did you know?He was a highly skilled carpenter who personally made furniture that is still displayed in palaces in Istanbul.
Quick facts
Date of birth21 September 1842
Date of death10 February 1918
Age at death75
NationalityOttoman
BirthplaceIstanbul, Turkey
Occupationsovereign
Editor's Take:
Abdul Hamid II ruled a shrinking empire with suspicion and determination. He built railways, schools and telegraph lines to strengthen central control. He used a vast network of spies to keep it. He promoted pan-Islamic ideas to bind his Muslim subjects to the throne. His reign also saw massacres of Armenians in the 1890s, a dark mark on his record. In Turkey today he is remembered very differently by different groups.
Key Milestones
1876: Becomes sultan and issues a constitution
1878: Suspends parliament
1900: Begins the Hejaz Railway
1909: Deposed
Abdülhamid II or Abdul Hamid II (Ottoman Turkish: عبد الحميد ثانی, romanized: Abd ul-Hamid-i s̱ānī; Turkish: II. Abdülhamid; 21 September 1842 – 10 February 1918) was the 34th sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1876 to 1909, and the last sultan to exert effective control over the fracturing state.
