Mahmud I was born in Edirne in 1696. His father was Mustafa II and his mother was Saliha Sultan. After the 1703 uprising that resulted in his father being dethroned, Mahmud was brought to Istanbul with his siblings and began living in Topkapi Palace. After living in a cage here for twenty-seven years, he became the 24th sultan of the Ottoman Empire in 1730 after Ahmed III abdicated as a result of the Patrona Halil Rebellion. He remained on the throne for a total of 24 years and died in Istanbul in 1754 and was buried next to his father in the Valide Turhan Sultan Tomb next to Yeni Camii mosque.
At the beginning of his reign, Mahmud I was forced to fulfill the demands of the rebel leaders. He had to abolish some of the taxes that had been previously imposed. He turned a blind eye to the rebels demolishing the mansions on the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus, which were places for pleasure parties during the Tulip Era. Over time, he reduced the pressure of Patrona Halil and his supporters on the state and got rid of them, thus managing to dominate the administration. The sultan, who implemented strict discipline in Istanbul, took measures for public order.
Mahmud I, who eliminated the rebel groups and completely dominated the state administration, began to deal with foreign affairs. At that time, the Ottoman-Iranian struggle in particular was escalating, and war was declared on Iran in 1733. In the face of Russian attacks, the Ottoman government decided to wage war against Russia in 1736. Austria also began to attack Ottoman lands in 1737. After a while, peace agreements were made with these countries, thus beginning a long period of peace between the Ottoman Empire and the European states that would last until 1768.
Mahmud I suppressed minor rebellions and unrest in various places in domestic politics. He tried to strengthen and modernize the army, and although he did not touch the Janissary Corps, he was careful to keep them under control. He was closely interested in the country's affairs and participated in the Divan-i Hümayun (Council) meetings. He wrote poems, was involved in music and composed some of which have survived to this day. He enjoyed watching javelin and horse racing, and played chess.