Sultan Mustafa the Mad

Several years pass. Dilruba Sultan asks Sultan Osman for permission to see Mustafa, but the young man doesn't recognize her and won't speak to her. Dilruba lies to Halima Sultan that Mustafa is doing well and misses his mother. Meanwhile, the sultana, along with her husband, Davud Pasha, plans to take revenge on Kösem for Mustafa's torture and restore him to the throne. With the help of several bribed men, Davud manages to incite a Janissary revolt against Sultan Osman.

During Friday prayers, he sees a vision of Osman demanding the throne and attacking him with a drawn sword. Mustafa flees and finds himself in the marketplace; the young man becomes hysterical, screaming that he is the sultan and begging those around him to save him from assassins, then begins throwing money around. Davud Pasha takes Mustafa to the palace, where the young man tells his mother about his visions, unable to believe that Shehzade Osman is under lock and key. Halime Sultan understands that at the salary ceremony scheduled for the following day, everyone will realize Mustafa is unfit to rule, and he will be dethroned. The Sultana orders the execution of all the shehzades, as then Mustafa will remain the sole representative of the dynasty and will be safe from all threats.

At court, there was hope that regular social contact would improve Mustafa's mental health, but his condition remained unchanged. The new sultan was eccentric: in the middle of a Divan council, he would rip the viziers' turbans off their heads and begin tugging at their beards. Throughout his short reign, Mustafa was little more than a pawn at the court. The country was effectively ruled by the Grand Vizier Damat Halil Pasha and the Valide Halime Sultan.

From birth, Mustafa was both physically and mentally weak. He spent his childhood and adolescence in a "kafes" (golden cage) due to the fratricide law, which was relaxed by his brother, Sultan Ahmed I, who spared his life. Constant fear and isolation led to Mustafa's severe mental disorder. After Ahmed I's death, dignitaries elevated Mustafa to the throne, believing that a weak and ill ruler would be easy to control. However, he was soon deposed due to his progressive insanity.