Vlad the Impaler’s Imprisonment in Turkiye
By Onur Işık
Vlad III or in the other name Vlad the Impaler’s story starts in a very chaotic time in history. At that time, the Ottomans were trying to imperialize the region of today’s Romania. The arch enemy of the Turks were Hungarians at the time. Although it is not certain, Vlad III is known to be born in 1428 or 1431. He is the second son of Vlad Dracul. Vlad III was given to the Ottoman Empire as a captive. He was educated at the schools of Ottoman royal class. When he got older enough, he became the commander of the troops in Wallachia. After years of being a subject of Ottoman Empire, he changed his side and fought against the Ottoman Turks with Hunyadi Mátyás. The stories about his death vary but the most accepted version is that he was killed with his soldiers and his head taken to prove that he is dead to the Sultan of the time.
As known, Vlad III is the inspiration for the character Count Dracula. The reason for this lies beneath the ruthless practices of Vlad III. According to the records it is said that Vlad III make the captivated people impaled. That is why, he is also known as the Vlad the Impaler. This notorious fame, helps him to scare the enemies and moreover, he becomes a source of inspiration for Bram Stoker. As the witnesses record the things they see in Wallachia practiced by Vlad III and the stories spread all over Europe.
From the point of view of Turkish history, Vlad the Impaler has a unique place. Today, there are castles in various cities of Turkiye, where it is said that the Impaler was imprisoned. Among these cities are Edirne, Kütahya, and Tokat. As it is known, the first residence address of the Vlad the Impaler in the Ottoman Empire was Edirne. After Vlad the Impaler took the front against the Ottoman Empire, he was imprisoned in various cities of Anatolia more than once after various wars. Although it is considered as an urban legend, it is said that Vlad the Impaler was imprisoned in Tokat Castle. Until today, unfortunately, a reliable source for the name of Tokat has not been found in the historical records. However, on the other hand, there are reliable records showing that Vlad the Impaler was imprisoned in Eğrigöz Castle in Emet, a district of Kütahya.
It is for sure that there are other cities that use their castles to make it a touristic destination point by saying that Vlad the Impaler was sentenced there. This urge emerges from the notorious records of Vlad the Impaler. He is famous in Turkiye not only because he was the inspiration for the novel Dracula, but also as a person who could challenge against the Turks. In the light of the context of the time, Ottoman Empire was an improving and well-established country and that was a great threat for the countries in the west. Vlad the Impaler provided them a hope that this “devilish oriental” empire could be defeated. Most of the Turks have a similar mind and approach to the issue. That is why, it is possible to claim that Turks respect power and courage of Vlad the Impaler.
The Tokat governorship shares some details saying that:
The prince of the Wallachian (Romania) kingdom, which was defeated by the Ottomans, during the reign of Vlad III, that is, Dracula, with his brother, was kept under surveillance first in Kütahya Eğrigöz Castle and then in Tokat Castle, and then he was sent to Edirne next to the prince Mehmet (Fatih Sultan Mehmet), where he received training for a certain period of time. (Tokat Valiliği, n.d.)
As it can be seen from above, the authorities of Tokat city try to promote their city as one of the places Vlad the Impaler visited as prisoner. However, until now, there is not a reliable source of proving this case. However, in one of the biggest newspapers of Turkiye, Hürriyet, there was a news regarding Vlad the Impaler’s possible stay in Tokat:
Vlad III lived between 1431 and 1476. Most historians say he was kept in captivity in Romania. The exact length of his period of captivity is open to debate, though indications are that it was from 1462 to 1474. (Clues About “Dracula’s Captivity” Unearthed in Tokat, 2014)
It is also stated in the newspaper that the stay in Tokat is open to debate as there is no reliable source, yet. However, Vlad the Impaler’s stays in Edirne and Kütahya are not a subject to a debate:
Dracul had just returned from Gallipoli where he had promised on the Koran not to participate in further military action against his Turkish suzerain, and later in the summer of 1444, sent his two young sons, Vlad, barely aged 12, and Radu, no more than 7 years old, as a pledge of his future good conduct. They were held captive in the fortress of Egrigöz in the Kutahya district of Western Anatolia. (Treptow, 2019, p. 128)
As it is stated above, Vlad III and his brother were taken as pledges. By doing so, the Ottomans wanted to guarantee the position of Vlad and Radu’s father. Otherwise, Dracul would be a persistent problem in northwestern soils of the Ottoman Empire. However, these stays taught so much to Vlad III and did not come out as good results for the Ottomans as follows:
[…] he had no love for the Turks and that his upbringing at both Eğrigöz and Edirne had been viewed by him as a strategic means to an end—he would learn everything he needed to know about Ottoman battle tactics, and when the time was favorable, and he occupied the throne in Târgoviște, he would use the Turks’ own methods of warfare against them. (Captivating History, 2020, n.p.)
In his reign, Vlad III changed his side and fought against the Turks. This situation resulted with so many casualties for Turks. It is easy to assume that Vlad III learnt so much about the military techniques of the Turks and made use of this knowledge well.
As a result, there are so many debates on the possible stays of Vlad III in Turkiye’s various cities, however the researchers could not find reliable documents to prove this situation. Tokat is just one of those examples. The efforts of local authorities to promote their cities with this figure is understandable as he has had a big impact upon not only history, but also literature. Maybe, it will not be wrong to claim that although he is a notorious prince, he is still respected even by his enemies at the time.
Onur Işık (Ph.D.) is currently working at Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University as an Assistant Professor in the department of English Language and Literature. He researches on American literature, Gothic literature, comparative literature, and psychoanalytic criticism.
Bibliography
Captivating History. (2021). Romanian history: A captivating guide to the history of Romania and Vlad the Impaler.
Clues about “Dracula’s captivity” unearthed in Tokat. (2014, October 13). Hürriyet Daily News. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/clues-about-draculas-captivity-unearthed-in-tokat-71501
Tokat Valiliği, (n.d.). Tokat Kalesi. Tokat Kalesi. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from http://www.tokat.gov.tr/tokat-kalesi
Treptow, K. W. (2019). Dracula: Essays on the life and Times of Vlad the Impaler. Histria Books/Center for Romanian Studies.