Murad IV

About Murad IV

Murad IV was an Ottoman Sultan who ruled from 1623 until his death in 1640, during a tumultuous period for the empire. Ranked #769 in historical importance by MIT’s Pantheon project, his reign is notable for the re-conquest of Baghdad from the Safavids in 1638, a significant military achievement that temporarily restored Ottoman prestige in the region. He was also known for his notoriously harsh enforcement of Islamic law, earning a reputation for severity and for reintroducing strict controls on coffee houses and tobacco use following a period of relative laxity.

Despite his significant, albeit controversial, historical standing, Murad IV receives relatively little modern digital attention. In 2025, his Wikipedia page garnered 318K views, placing his Attention Gap at approximately 1x-suggesting his online attention aligns roughly with his historical weight, yet this must be weighed against other figures. For instance, the contemporary politician Pratibha Patil, ranked slightly lower at #941 in importance, commanded 505K views last year, showing that modern political figures often outpace historically significant, older rulers in online visibility.

Murad IV’s online interest appears to be gently receding, as his 2025 annualized view count shows a decline of -9.3% year-over-year. Furthermore, his short-term momentum is negative, with a -13% drop between Q1 and Q3 of 2025, indicating a slow fade from immediate public curiosity.