AMURATH IL, the tenth emperor of the Turks, was born about 1404, and died February 9, 1451. He succeeded Mohammed I. in 1422. At first he had to contend against a pretender, the pseudo-Mustapha, who was supported by the Greek emperor and others; but through the assistance of an astute state prisoner, Mohammed Bey (Michael Ogli), he obtained a bloodless victory over him. He then turned his arms against the Greek emperor himself, but failed in the siege of Constantinople. Against his younger brother Mustapha he was successful by bribes. In April 1429 he besieged and took Saloniki (Thessalonica'), which was under Venetian rule, thus opening up the way for the final subjugation of Greece. He continued almost without any reverses of fortune till 1442, when Hunniades defeated his forces in the battle of Vasag, and obliged him to make peace with the Christian princes. The treaty was hardly concluded when his son Ala-Eddin died. In his grief lie abdicated in favour of his son Mohammed, a boy of fourteen, while he retired to Magnesia in search of repose. But the Christian princes took advantage of his abdication to renew their attacks, and he was called to oppose them, which he did with terrible sue-cess in the battle of Varna, Nov. 10, 1444, when the king of Hungary, Ladislaus, fell. Having saved his country, he again gave up the reins to his son, and returned to Magnesia. But the janissaries revolted, and his presence was demanded. Again on his throne, he invaded Albania and Peloponnesus, but was repulsed by George Castriot or Scanderbeg. He retreated, however, only to gain a great victory over his former adversary Hunniades at Cassova (Oct. 17, 1448), the battle lasting three days. He died at Adrianople, Feb. 11, 1451, from a stroke of apoplexy, according to the most probable ...