Review: The Case of Cem by Vera Mutafchieva

Synopsis: Vera Mutafchieva’s The Case of Cem, presented as a series of depositions by historical figures before a court, tells a straightforward tale: Upon the death of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror in 1481, his eldest son Bayezid takes the throne. However, discontented factions within the Ottoman army urge Mehmed’s second son Cem, a well-educated and experienced warrior, to oppose his brother’s ascension. Bayezid refuses, setting off a ruthless power struggle and forcing Cem into long years of exile, a pawn for European powers as they try to slow the Ottoman Empire’s expansion.

This enticing novel of court intrigue maintains lasting resonance for being a personal exploration of emigration and loss as told through the historical era during which the politics of the East and West were sketched out with utter clarity. These early lines of demarcation, as voiced through Christian and Muslim emissaries, power hungry rulers, unflinching warriors, and poets, have indelibly influenced the word as we know it today.

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As the synopsis mentions, this historical fiction novel is set out as if the characters were themselves in court, setting out their own history before embarking on their recollection of their involvement in the events surrounding the last years and days of the Ottoman Prince and Sultan Cem. Each character, speaking in the first person, provides their own unique and personal view on events from their interactions with the exiled Cem. Each character provides a little more to the overall story of Cem, with the fictional character of the poet Saadi, providing the main thread linking all to and providing an insight into Cem, as Cem himself does not provide any account for the reader.

Following his failed attempt to take his father's throne and the accession of his brother Bayezid as ruler of the Ottoman Empire, Cem became the ultimate bargaining chip in international political relations between the East (Ottoman Empire) and the West (Kings, Popes, Knights) - all of whom were eager to bring about some truce with the encroaching Ottoman Empire - for themselves, individually, not collectively. Cem is often viewed as "a hapless prisoner and cruelly betrayed paramour of a bored and similarly imprisoned noblewoman".

Cem was far from being a distant figure - having come across him in my readings on the Ottoman Empire (a fascinating lesson in the art of political survival) and other historical tomes where he has featured during his exile, not least as a "guest" of the Hospitallers on Rhodes and of the Borgia Pope in Rome.  Even in death, Cem still provided to be worthy of bargaining.

This is quite a lengthy read but I would say one that is not overly cumbersome - take your time and enjoy the story. A new reader to this period may find this style a bit more user-friendly as opposed to diving head first into Ottoman politics and history (which is quite the fascination).