Sultan II. Selim, also known by his epithet Sarı Selim (1524-1574), was the 11th Ottoman Sultan and the son of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and Hurrem Sultan. He was the 90th Caliph of Islam.
What made Sarı Selim stand out among the notable Ottoman Sultans was that he was born and died in Istanbul, making him the first Ottoman Sultan to do so. His father, Kanuni, gave him the name of his grandfather, Yavuz Sultan Selim.
During his princely years, he served as a governor in Manisa, Konya, and Kütahya. He engaged in a struggle for the throne with his brothers, but thanks to his father Sultan Süleyman's support, he emerged as the sole heir.
Kanuni Sultan Süleyman desired for one of his children from his beloved wife Hurrem Sultan to ascend the throne. In 1553, while Kanuni Sultan Süleyman was on a campaign to Nahcivan, he had his son Şehzade Mustafa drowned, leaving only Selim and Bayezid, both born to Hurrem Sultan.
In 1558, after Hurrem Sultan's death, Şehzade Bayezid, who governed the province of Konya, contested the succession openly with his brother Selim. Despite launching an attack with an army of 2,000 on Selim's forces, he was unsuccessful.
On May 29, 1559, with military support from Kanuni Sultan Süleyman, Şehzade Selim won the contest and Bayezid sought refuge with the Shah of Iran, Tahmasp. At Kanuni's insistence, the Shah sent the captured prince back, who was subsequently drowned. Şehzade Selim was then appointed to the province of Kütahya to be closer to the capital until he ascended the throne.
Upon hearing of his father's death during the Siege of Szigetvár on September 7, 1566, he rushed to Istanbul. He ascended the throne as the sole heir at the age of 42. Immediately, he went to Belgrade to meet the returning army from the Zigetvar campaign and his father's remains.
He later returned to Istanbul. His decision to remove Sokullu Mehmed Pasha from the position of Grand Vizier and maintain the political stability initiated during Kanuni's reign was significant. Cyprus was conquered under his rule by Lala Mustafa Pasha, marking one of the greatest strategic and military achievements of the time. His promise to his father to capture Cyprus played a role in this conquest. However, shortly after this campaign, the Battle of İnebahtı resulted in a significant defeat for the Ottoman Empire.
Following this defeat, the navy was essentially rebuilt, and a campaign to Tunis was organized under the leadership of Admiral Sinan Pasha, resulting in the recapture of Tunis.
Contrary to the belief that the Ottoman Empire entered a period of stagnation after Kanuni Sultan Süleyman, historical events reveal the truth. After the conquest of Cyprus, Chios Island was taken, Astrakhan Castle was besieged, a campaign was launched in Yemen, and ambitious projects like the opening of the Suez Canal and connecting the Don and Volga rivers were proposed, dispelling claims that Sultan Selim was a passive ruler.
When Aceh's ruler Alauddin Shah sought to align with the Ottoman Empire and requested assistance, Sultan Selim sent Hızır Reis from Egypt to aid them. Known by the epithet Sarı Selim, he was renowned for his hunting skills, and it is even said he learned of his father's death while hunting in Kütahya. Sultan II. Selim is known as the first Sultan who did not personally lead the army on a campaign.
While he continued the tradition, his son and grandson later resumed the practice, with Sultan Mehmed III leading a campaign to Eğri Castle. He often showed little interest in state affairs and delegated the administration to Sokullu Mehmed Pasha. Sultan II. Selim passed away suddenly, slipping in the bath and hitting his head on the marble, on December 15, 1574. He was interred in the mausoleum he had built for himself next to the Hagia Sophia Mosque.
Post a Comment