Editing Mehmed III (section)

=== Fratricide ===
Upon ascending to the throne, Mehmed III ordered that all of his nineteen brothers be [[Fratricide#Ottoman Empire|executed]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Quataert|first1=Donald|title=The Ottoman Empire, 1700-1922|date=2000|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=0-521-63328-1|page=90}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=McCullagh|first1=Francis|title=The Fall of Abd-ul-Hamid|url=https://archive.org/details/fallofabdulhamid00mccuuoft|date=1910|publisher=Methuen & Co. Ltd.|location=London|page=[https://archive.org/details/fallofabdulhamid00mccuuoft/page/72 72]}}</ref> They were strangled by his royal executioners, many of whom were deaf, mute or 'half-witted' to ensure absolute loyalty.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independentliving.org/miles200907.html|title=DEAF PEOPLE, SIGN LANGUAGE & COMMUNICATION, IN OTTOMAN & MODERN TURKEY: Observations and Excerpts from 1300 to 2009. From sources in English, French, German, Greek, Italian, Latin and Turkish, with introduction and some annotation {{!}} Independent Living Institute|website=www.independentliving.org|language=en|access-date=2020-01-29}}</ref> Fratricidal successions were not unprecedented, as sultans would often have dozens of children with their concubines.