Editing Mehmed V (section)

== Early life ==
[[Şehzade]] Mehmed Reşad was born on 2 November 1844, at the [[Çırağan Palace]],{{sfn|Uluçay|2011|p=209}} Constantinople.<ref name="Chisholm">''The Encyclopædia Britannica'', Vol. 7, edited Hugh Chisholm, (1911), 3; "''Constantinople, the capital of the Turkish Empire….''"</ref> His father was Sultan [[Abdulmejid I]], and his mother was [[Gülcemal Kadın]]. He had three elder sisters, [[Fatma Sultan (daughter of Abdulmejid I)|Fatma Sultan]],{{sfn|Uluçay|2011|p=218}} [[Refia Sultan (daughter of Abdulmejid I)|Refia Sultan]] and Hatice Sultan (Refia Sultan's twin sister, died in infancy).{{sfn|Uluçay|2011|p=220}} After his mother's death in 1851, he and his sisters were entrusted to the care of his father's senior consort [[Servetseza Kadın]].{{sfn|Uluçay|2011|page=203}}{{sfn|Brookes|2020|pp=xvi, 245}} She had asked Abdulmejid to take the motherless children under her wing, and raised as her own, and carried out the duties of a mother who cares for her children with compassion and concern.{{sfn|Brookes|2020|pp=70–71}}

In 1856, aged twelve, he was ceremoniously [[Khitan (circumcision)|circumcised]] together with his younger half-brothers, [[Şehzade Ahmed Kemaleddin]], [[Şehzade Mehmed Burhaneddin (son of Abdulmejid I)|Şehzade Mehmed Burhaneddin]], and [[Şehzade Ahmed Nureddin (son of Abdulmejid I)|Şehzade Ahmed Nureddin]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Mehmet Arslan|title=Osmanlı saray düğünleri ve şenlikleri: Manzum sûrnâmeler|year=2008|publisher=Sarayburnu Kitaplığı|isbn=978-9944-905-63-3|page=329}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Dünden bugüne İstanbul ansiklopedisi|year=1993|publisher=Kültür Bakanlığı|isbn=978-975-7306-07-8|page=72}}</ref>

[[Şehzade]] Reşad received his education at the palace. [[Halid Ziya Uşaklıgil|Halid Ziya]], the chief clerk of the [[Mabeyn-i hümayun|Chamberlain's office]] between 1909 and 1912, described this as being a poor one. Thanks to his comparatively high intelligence, however, he made good use of the education he had. He studied [[Arabic]] and [[Persian language|Persian]], and spoke the latter very well. He took piano lessons from an Italian pianist and calligraphy lessons from a famous Ottoman calligrapher, [[Kazasker Mustafa Izzet Efendi]] (1801–1876), who designed the giant pendant medallions of the [[Hagia Sophia]]. In addition to [[Persian literature]], Reşad was also interested in [[Mevlevi Order|Mevlevi Sufism]] and the ''[[Masnavi]]''.{{sfn|Glencross|Rowbotham|2018|p=125}}

He enjoyed the company of his uncle [[Abdulaziz|Abdul Aziz]]. Reşad became [[Crown prince|crown-prince]] in 1876 with the ascension of his half-brother [[Abdul Hamid II]], but was essentially kept under house arrest in [[Dolmabahçe Palace]], and was under close surveillance. For a variety of reasons, especially superstitious ones, Abdul Hamid abhorred his half-brother. It was said that Abdul Hamid was afraid of the [[evil eye]] of his brother who was two years younger than him, and that he had sacrifices made, held prayers, and incense burned immediately after he left the palace when he came to congratulate him on holidays. He was even heard to say, "I am doing my brother a great favor by not showing myself to the public" out of concern that his brother might be indiscreet. The belief in his bad luck began when he heard that a mare he liked while he was walking around the stables of the palace with his brother had died a few hours later.{{Sfn|Bardakçı|1998|p=51}}

After the lifting of many restrictions in the aftermath of the [[Young Turk Revolution]] Reşad earned popularity as crown prince by attending ceremonies that celebrated the [[Constitution of the Ottoman Empire|constitution]], much to the chagrin of his previously [[Absolute monarchy|absolutist]] brother.<ref name="saka486">Sakaoğlu, Necdet (1999) ''Bu Mülkün Sultanları'', İstanbul:Oğlak Yayınları {{ISBN|975-329-300-3}} p. 486</ref>