SELIM I the Terrible SELIM I the Terrible
SELIM I the Terrible (Selim I Yavuz) (1467, Amasya - September 20, 1520, Istanbul), Sultan of Ottoman Turkey from 1512.
The path to the throne
Selim I ascended the throne in 1512 as a result of a coup when his father Bayezid II the Holy (reigned from 1481) was overthrown from the throne. Before his enthronement, Selim I was the governor of Trebizond and was not his father's direct heir, since he was not the eldest son. But the eldest son Ahmed was inclined towards Sufism and lost his father's support. Selim, taking advantage of his father's poor health, fled to Crimea, where his son was governor, and there he gathered an army that marched along the northern coast of the Black Sea and captured Adrianople. Selim's Janissaries approached Istanbul and forced Bayezid to abdicate. He died on the way to his place of exile; most likely, he was poisoned. Selim also ordered the killing of his brothers and young nephews. Only Prince Djem was saved, who asked for refuge from the Christian sovereigns, but in 1515 he was poisoned by order of Pope Alexander VI Borgia, bribed by Selim’s rich gifts.
Character of man and ruler
From the first steps of his reign, Selim I declared himself as an extraordinary personality and ruler. Like most famous eastern rulers, he was distinguished by his penchant for aphoristic statements and, in particular, stated that he shaved so that none of the nobles could drag him along by his beard, like his father.
Indeed, the reign of Bayezid II was one of the most peaceful periods in the political life of the Turkish empire, and the actions of Selim I during his short reign were radically different from all previous policies. In practice, he prepared all the main bridgeheads for the subsequent conquests of his son Suleiman I the Magnificent (cm. SULEIMAN I KANUNI). However, immediately after ascending the throne, Selim I acted as a strong opponent of the policy of religious tolerance that had already become familiar to the Ottoman Porte.
In general, a characteristic feature of Selim as a person turned out to be incredible cruelty. Direct collaboration with him horrified the nobles. The appointment of new viziers was associated with great difficulties. In order to appoint the next vizier, the Sultan even had to resort to beatings (even a curse saying was born: “May you be Selim’s vizier!”). Having chosen his only direct heir, the Sultan practically ended his relations with the harem. Perhaps this was a reaction to the political difficulties that arose in the country due to the large number of heirs of previous sultans, and the struggle of various elites associated with the harems and entourage of the sons of their predecessors. Most often, internal political conflicts related to the struggle for power were resolved through poisoning.
Selim, however, had a good knowledge of literature, was educated and himself wrote poetry, in particular, odes in Farsi. He patronized poets and scientists.
War with Iran
The personality of Selim I is very characteristic of some kind of internal inseparability of seemingly purely personal interests and plans from the state policy pursued by him. Thus, having begun the persecution of the Shiites, Selim began preparing a war with Safavid Iran, where Shiism was a recognized religion. The formal pretext for the start of the war was that Ishmael Safavid, the founder of the dynasty (1499-1524), refused to recognize the legitimacy of Selim I’s accession to the throne. Two years after ascending the Sultan’s throne, in the spring of 1514, Selim addressed a letter to Ishmael Safavid, declaring that he is a heretic, and that on this basis he declares war on him. The Sultan with a large army invades Azerbaijan, follows the southwestern shore of Lake Urmia and, not far from the then capital of Iran, Tabriz, in the Cheldiran Valley, inflicts a crushing defeat on the Iranian troops, capturing the Shah's harem and convoys. Ishmael himself did not participate in this battle. In early September, the Sultan's troops captured Tabriz.
It is characteristic that, on the orders of the Sultan, Iranian artisans and their families were taken to Turkey, which, in particular, contributed to the development of ceramics production in Turkey. In 1515, a peace was concluded with the Shah, according to which a significant part of Mesopotamia, right up to Mosul, ended up within the borders of Turkey. These borders mainly include areas populated by Sunni Kurds, whose refugees, going into the Sultan's service, formed the main contingent in the border confrontation between Iran and Turkey, which facilitated the preparation of further conquests in Iran, carried out under Selim's son and heir, Suleiman I Magnificent. The natural high mountain plateau captured here made Turkey virtually invulnerable from the East, which radically changed the balance of power in Asia.
War against Mamluk Egypt
Selim I conducts his next decisive military campaign against the Syrian-Egyptian Arab power of the Mamluks (cm. MAMLUKI). This company was held in 1516-1517. It opened with the Battle of Aleppo at the end of the summer of 1516, when, having defeated the Mamluk troops on the Marj Debik plain, the Sultan took possession of Syria, Palestine (including Jerusalem), then northern Arabia (including Medina and Mecca) and Egypt with its capital Cairo. This fast military campaign caused enormous economic damage to the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean. Looting and destruction of large areas of crops in the territories of Syria and Palestine caused famine and desolation in many areas. Popular protest movements were suppressed with the cruelty typical of Selim I.
The Legend of the Inheritance of the Caliphs
One of the mythological results of this conquest was the emergence of the question of the Sultan’s right to the title of Caliph. The fact is that at the court of the Mamluk rulers the family of the last descendants of the Arab Abbasid caliphs was kept (cm. ABBASIDS), who, without real power, purely formally continued the dynastic history of the Arab Caliphate (cm. ARAB CALIPHATE), although these ephemeral caliphs themselves were simply listed in the retinue of the Mamluk Sultan. According to legend, the Mamluk caliph Mutawakkil III, when he was captured by Selim the Terrible, gave him the right to inherit the caliphal throne. True, having survived Selim, Mutawakkil III, upon returning to Egypt, was still considered the caliph until his death in 1543, which did not prevent the Turkish sultans from calling themselves caliphs of the faithful, even in official documents.
Military results of the reign
The great wars of conquest of Selim I opened up a huge base bridgehead for the Turkish Empire, which made it possible to prepare Turkey's further aggressive policy in the eastern Mediterranean and the Mediterranean Sea as a whole. Through Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean ports, Turkish trade with European states is intensifying and complex and contradictory political contacts are beginning to be established, which previously went through Turkey’s European possessions in the Northern Black Sea region and the Danube region.
Selim I begins to prepare the next major operation, which was to be directed against the European outpost in the Eastern Mediterranean, about. Rhodes, possession of the Johannite Crusaders. However, preparations for this war required significant efforts to create a Turkish navy. It was because of the creation of this fleet that the conquering sultan suffered death.
The eight-year reign of Sultan Selim I, the Terrible, opens the era of the Turkish conquest of the Mediterranean and the dominance of the Ottoman Porte in it, and thereby the influence of Turkey and Turkish politics on the complex political life of European states during this period.
Beginning of the Reformation (cm. REFORMATION) contributed to the successes of Muslims in the Mediterranean, and political contacts with European states competing in the religious wars turned Turkey into a powerful force to which both German emperors and French kings turned for support.
encyclopedic Dictionary. 2009 .
See what "SELIM I the Terrible" is in other dictionaries:
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SELIM I the Terrible (Yavuz) (Selim I Yavuz) (1467/68 or 1470 1520) Turkish Sultan from 1512. During the wars of conquest he subjugated the East. Anatolia, Armenia, Kurdistan, North. Iraq, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Hijaz... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
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Selim I- Grozny (Yavuz) (Selim I Yavuz) (1467/68 or 1470 1520), Turkish sultan from 1512. During the wars of conquest he subjugated Eastern Anatolia, Armenia, Kurdistan, Northern Iraq, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Hijaz. ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary
Selim was the son of Sultan Bayezid II. He became the Ottoman sultan's viceroy in the Balkans.
Fight for the throne
When his father, Bayezid II, began to show clear preference for his second son, Ahmed, Selim feared for his future.
He rebelled and, at the head of a small army, bravely moved towards Constantinople. Most likely, Selim hoped for support from the rebels in the capital, but his calculations did not come true.
In the battle that took place, Bayazid II, who stood at the head of a huge army, easily defeated Selim, and he had to flee to the Crimean Khanate, where it was difficult for the Sultan to reach him.
In the Northern Black Sea region, among the Crimean Tatars, the fugitive decided to wait out the difficult time and again begin the fight for his father’s inheritance.
In 1512, Sultan Bayezid II made a rather rare decision among the monarchs of the world: he voluntarily abdicated the throne of the Sublime Porte and, in order to save it from military upheavals, transferred power to Selim.
The return of the fugitive from Crimea to Constantinople looked more like a military triumph.
Yavuz
The new Sultan Selim I repaid his father's generosity by ordering the execution of all male relatives who could lay claim to his Sultan's throne. For this he received the nickname Yavuz, which translated from Turkish meant “Gloomy”.
Beginning of conquest
During the reign of Selim I, a large period of conquests began, to a certain extent prepared by the activities of his predecessors.
The rulers of Eastern Europe feared him, Western monarchs defeated him on paper and divided his possessions. However, under Selim there were almost no wars against Christians.
During this period, the power of the Safavid Shah Ismail I, who captured Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Central Asia, was very great, but Selim without hesitation decided to measure his strength.
In 1513, Selim carried out a brutal massacre of Shiite “heretics” in Anatolia, exterminating 40-45 thousand people aged 7 to 70 years - probably to clear the border areas of Shiites (in general, 4/5 of the population of Asia Minor were Shiites and sympathized with the Safavids).
In May 1514, Selim's army set out on a campaign to the east, passed Sivas, Erzurum and invaded the possessions of Ismail; The Qizilbash avoided battle, hoping to exhaust the enemy army, and retreated deeper into the country, destroying everything that could be useful to the Turks.
On August 23, 1514, in the Battle of Chaldiran, the Sultan defeated the Shah, who miraculously survived during the flight (Selim had 120-200 thousand, Ismail 30-60 thousand; the Turks had an advantage in firearms, the Qizilbash had infantry and artillery was practically absent).
Two weeks later, Selim entered the Safavid capital of Tabriz; He stayed here for several days, but the Janissaries, fearing a hungry winter, demanded to be led back.
Selim left through Yerevan, Kars, Erzurum, Sivas and Amasya, capturing the treasury and harem of the Shah and taking about a thousand skilled artisans to Istanbul.
After Chaldiran, Diyarbakir, Bitlis, Gosankeyfa, Miyafarikin, Nejti submitted to the Turks; but when Selim left, Ismail conquered most of southeastern Anatolia and besieged the Turkish garrison in Diyarbakir for a whole year.
In 1515, Selim I destroyed the Dhu-l-Ghadir dynasty, which ruled in the buffer state of Elbistan (Abulustein), beheaded Sultan Ala ad-Din and began preparing a campaign against Egypt.
The Turks liberated Diyarbakir from the siege and again defeated the Safavids at the Battle of Kochhisar.
Kurdistan
Kurd Idris, who received the right to conquer Kurdistan for his services to the Sultan, took Mardin after a long siege, captured Diyarbakir, Sinjar, and conquered all of Mesopotamia; Ismail I did not try to take revenge over the Turks until his death.
The Mamluk Sultan Kansukh Ghuri tried to interfere with the conquest of Kurdistan; Selim I maintained his hope for a peaceful resolution of the conflict for a long time, until he prepared a blow.
Battle of the Plain of Marj Dabik
Back in July 1516, the Ottoman embassy visited Cairo to discuss the purchase of Egyptian sugar, and on August 5 the Turks invaded the possessions of the Circassian Mamluks.
On August 24, 1516, a battle took place between the Turks and the Mamluks on the plain of Marj Dabiq near Aleppo.
The outcome of the battle was again decided by Turkish artillery - the best in the world at that time. The Circassians despised artillery, and the Mamluk cavalry was much better than the Turkish, but Selim hid his guns behind tied carts and wooden barricades, and the Circassians were completely defeated.
Sultan Guri died in the battle and was succeeded by Ashraf Tuman Bey, who continued the war.
On August 29, 1516, Selim accepted the title “Servant of both holy cities,” that is, Mecca and Medina, which were still subordinate to Egypt.
Syria and Palestine
In September, the Turks occupied Syria without a fight, entered Damascus on October 9, and by the end of November the Turks completed the conquest of Palestine by capturing Gaza.
Tuman Bey gathered a new army, which was defeated on December 25, 1516 at Beisan, in Palestine. The Mamluks killed Selim's ambassadors, which gave him a reason for revenge.
Egypt
Entering Egypt in January 1517, Selim destroyed the fortifications of Cairo with artillery and forced Tuman Bey to flee the city.
However, a few days later, Tuman Bey with a small detachment burst into the city at night; A fierce massacre took place on the streets; in the general chaos, about 50 thousand Cairo residents were killed.
After this, Selim I ordered the beheading of 800 Mamluk beys.
Tuman Bey tried to fight the Turks for another two months: he retreated to the Delta, where he could have resisted for a very long time, rejected surrender with contempt (Selim thought to save his life and use his courage), but was extradited as a result of treason by the Egyptian Bedouins, for whom The Mamluks were strangers and oppressors, and on April 13, 1517, he was hanged under the arch of the gates of Cairo.
Hijaz and Venice
In April 1517, Selim was sent the keys to Medina and Mecca, and the entire Hijaz became an Ottoman possession.
Venice began to pay tribute to the Turks for Cyprus, which it had previously paid to Egypt; even the Mamluk detachment, which had conquered Yemen shortly before, submitted to the Sultan.
Thus, in four years, Selim doubled the territory of the Ottoman Empire.
Hungary and Algeria
In 1518, the victorious Sultan made peace with Hungary, and in 1519, the later famous corsair Khair ad-Din Barbarossa, who had just captured the city of Algiers, recognized himself as his vassal (however, a year later he lost Algiers and fought for the city for several years and for domination over the country).
In the Middle East, no one else dared to challenge Selim I, except for the religious revolts in Syria and Anatolia in 1518-19, which the Sultan's troops easily dealt with.
Death
Selim the Brave and Fierce died at the age of 54 from the plague in the city of Chorlu, while preparing expeditions to the island of Rhodes and India: he did not have time to implement many of his plans.
His work was continued by the son and heir of the Sultan Suleiman, who received the nickname Magnificent in history. His father prepared him well to rule the country and a strong army.
"To subsequent generations, Selim is known as "Yavuz", i.e. "The Terrible": he came to power through violence, and violence marked his entire reign. He died on the way from Edirne to Istanbul on the night of September 21-22, 1520 , leaving only one son, Suleiman, who ascended the throne without a fight. Before his death, he ordered the main clerics of the country to extend the duration of the agreement sanctioning the war against Ismail."
Caroline Finkel. "History of the Ottoman Empire. Osman's Vision"
“In Tabriz, on one of the five city hills, there is a mosque. Sultan Suleiman the First the Magnificent built this mosque in memory of his father Selim the First, nicknamed Yavuz. Translated, it means “gloomy” or “formidable.”
This nickname suits the legendary ruler perfectly...
Census of the Dead
The Sultan carefully planned all his military and political actions. He looked for gaps in the conclusions of his enemies and easily destroyed their plans. He himself knew that all the actions and actions of the enemies were aimed at the destruction of Turkey. And he wanted to become famous as a great conqueror.
His eight-year reign is the implementation of a plan to transform small Turkey into a world power of the time. He resolved this issue in a unique way - by destroying part of his own population on the border with Persia, where Shah Ishmael, who professed Shiite Islam, then ruled.
When domestic Shiites became more active in cities in the east, the Sultan ordered his Qizilbash to conduct a kind of census. And then, exactly according to the lists, all Shiites between the ages of seven and seventy were liquidated.
Historians estimate the number of those killed at 45-50 thousand people and justify the murderer’s actions as a pre-emptive maneuver. Allegedly, he put the unfortunate people to death so that they would not unexpectedly become a fifth column during the war with Ishmael! This was followed by military operations on the territory of the Shah.
Ishmael hoped to stop the enemy by using scorched earth tactics - that is, devastating the areas through which Selim had to move. But the tactic didn't work. The Turks easily passed through the dead lands and gave battle to the Shah. There were much more Turks, and they had excellent artillery. Ishmael was defeated, and Tabriz went to Turkey along with the Shah's treasury and various talented craftsmen. The masters were immediately taken to Istanbul.
Selim reacted in a similar way to the strife between Syria and Egypt. In Egypt at that time, the Circassian Mamluk dynasty established itself on the throne. The head of Egypt also bore the title of Sultan of Islam, that is, he was considered the head of all devout Muslims. But the Sultan of Islam could not protect the pilgrims going to the Muslim shrines in Mecca and Medina. They were constantly intercepted and captured by the Portuguese crusaders.
In 1506, the pilgrimage throughout the history of Islam was suspended! Selim decided to take advantage of the moment. Unexpectedly for the enemy, he entered Kurdistan and expelled the Persians from there to mountainous Iran, and then in 1516 captured Syria. In 1517, the Sultan marched on Cairo. The Mamluks lost the Battle of Mount Mukkatam, and Egypt passed into the hands of Selim. He automatically received the title belonging to the ruler of Egypt - ruler of the two holy cities. Selim took with him to Istanbul a huge indemnity - “a thousand camels loaded with gold and silver, and this is not counting the booty, which consisted of weapons, porcelain, bronze, horses, mules, camels and other things, not to mention magnificent marble.”
Selim the Terrible at the walls of Damascus. Miniature from the Selim-name manuscript.
1597-1598
But the most important catch was Caliph al-Mutawakkil the Fourth, whom the Sultan also added to the trophies. In Istanbul, the caliph was forced to renounce his title and rights to power. The title of caliph passed to Selim. Turkey's territory rapidly expanded and now ranged from Egypt to Central Asia, from the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean. Turkish fortresses sprang up everywhere along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Selim planned the next step - the gradual capture of Europe. But in 1520, while preparing an expedition to the island of Rhodes, the Sultan died of the plague. His actions were continued by his son
Topkapi Palace. July 1512. Tashlyk.
Attention! Raisan Sultan Khazretleri! - Aha said loudly.
The Padishah's concubines lined up and humbly bowed their heads. The Lady entered the tashlyk. Dark curls fell beautifully over her shoulders, and a tiara with emeralds added elegance to her look. The Lady's red dress was decorated with lace and a scattering of precious stones that shimmered in the sun.
“Welcome, Madam, we are very glad to see you,” Yahzy Aga, the harem eunuch, said, breaking into a satisfied smile, bowing politely.
Thank you, Yahzy,” Raisan smiled welcomingly at the age, “Is the Lord at home?”
Okay, I'm going to him. But first, girls, I want to tell you that I brought gifts from Egypt,” the sultana added, in order to cheer up the frozen girls with fasting faces.
The servants brought in four chests containing marvelous fabrics, jewelry and dresses.
May Allah protect you, Sultana, we are praying for you! - joyful girls chirped.
The lady was pleased, smiled and followed to the Padishah’s chambers. “It’s been so long since I’ve been here,” she thought, looking at the walls of the palace.
Raisan Sultan is the younger sister of Sultan Selim I Yavuz, daughter of Sultan Bayezid Khan and Gulbahar Sultan. At the age of 14 she was married to Orhan Pasha - Beylerbey Diyarbakir. The young Sultana begged her father on her knees; she dreamed of marrying for love, but Bayezid Khan did not change his decision. Raisan Sultan hated both the Sultan and her husband. The lady went with Orhan Pasha to Diyarbakir. But less than a year had passed when news came to Topkapi: Orhan Pasha suddenly died of illness. Raisan Sultan returned to the capital. Eight years later, she was married a second time to Pasha, the Egyptian governor, and the Lady left Topkapi again. The couple went to Egypt and have never returned to Istanbul since then.
And now, four years later, the Sultana again walks along her native corridors of the palace, remembering her childhood. But suddenly the flow of thoughts is interrupted by a loud exclamation:
Raisan?
She stopped and turned around slowly, as if she was afraid to scare away the person who had called out to her.
Sister! I'm so glad to see you! - exclaimed Melikha Sultan, the youngest sister of the Padishah, - we haven’t seen each other for so long. Why weren't we informed about your arrival?
Melikha, dear, you have no idea how glad I am to see you! Inshallah, are you in good health? I thought that the Sultan-father, may Allah protect his soul, gave you in marriage.
How happy the Lady was to meet her younger sister! The blue-eyed, blond baby became a young beautiful Sultana. A soft pink dress emphasized the innocence of the young Sultana, elegant bracelets and earrings completed the look, and an expensive gold necklace with rubies on the girl’s neck indicated her high status, belonging to the Ottoman dynasty.
“Everything is fine, dear sister,” answered the no less joyful Melikha.
I'm glad. I'm going to the lord, won't you join me?
No, I will go to Valida, tell her the good news and order a celebration to be held in the harem in honor of your arrival! It’s time for me, I have to prepare everything,” hugging her sister, the girl rushed to Valide’s chambers.
Chambers of the Padishah
“Overlord, Raisan Sultan has arrived,” the guard said monotonously.
“Ask,” the Sultan answered joyfully.
Lord... - Raisan entered the chambers, - I am very glad to see you, I greet you.
My dear Raisan, welcome to Topkapi! Inshallah, did you get there well? - The Padishah said, holding out his hand.
Thank you, Selim, everything is fine,” the Lady answered and kissed her brother’s hand.
Let’s sit down,” Selim pointed with his hand, “Murad Pasha has arrived with you?” How is my nephew Mehmed?
Murad Pasha remained in Egypt with his son. Glory to Allah, Sultanzadeh Mehmed is in good health,” said Raisan, settling down on the pillows near the table with sweets.
Selim Khan talked for a long time with his sister, it began to get dark. Suddenly their conversation was interrupted by an entering guard:
Lord, Aishe Hafsa Sultan and your children have arrived, they are in the courtyard. The Sultana wished to go to you immediately.
Okay, Mahmoud Aga, ask.
Selim's wife, Aishe Hafsa Sultan, entered the room.
“Lord,” Hafsa bowed, “You have been in Topkapi for two months, I missed you so much!” I kept thinking about when I would see your blessed face again! Why did we have to wait so long?
Hafsa, my rose, you shed light into my chambers,” answered the satisfied Sultan, “It was necessary for your safety.” This is Raisan Sultan, do you remember her?
Of course, I remember the beautiful Sultana,” Hafsa Sultan nodded welcomingly, “How are you, Madam?”
Hello, Aishe,” Raisan greeted the Padishah’s wife with some arrogance, “I’m great, how are you?” How are my nephews?
Everything is fine, inshallah. We pray for your health, Madam. My daughters and Shehzadeh arrived with me. If you want to see them, I will immediately give orders,” Hafsa was already heading towards the door, but Raisan stopped her with a gesture.
No need. Later I will visit my nephews myself, but now let the children rest. They spent a lot of time on the road, just like you, by the way. Leave us,” the Sultana said sternly and proudly raised her chin.
Hafsa was outraged. Contorting her face into an incomprehensible smile, Aishe said quietly:
With your permission, Lord.
Selim nodded and his wife left. Raisan was satisfied. The Lord frowned slightly.
Raisan.
Yes, my Sultan?
Treat my wife with due respect. This is not a harem slave, but my lawful wife, the mother of my children.
The Sultana could not hide her dissatisfaction with what she heard and decided to end the conversation that had not yet begun:
Let me leave, Lord, I’m very tired, I want to rest,” the Lady said annoyed.
Of course, go,” the Padishah kissed his sister on the forehead.
The most beautiful concubines dance at the festival. Their hands intertwine in graceful movements and look like stems of roses. Pleasant music is playing, joy and fun reign in the air. In honor of the Mistress’s arrival, the concubines are given Turkish delight and halva and treated to sherbet. Meliha Sultan sits on cushions at the largest table, swaying to the beat of a beautiful melody. The Sultana's blond hair is gracefully tied up with a gold hairpin, and her delicate cream dress emphasizes her thin waist.
Way to go! Valide Sultan Hazretliri! - The guard suddenly shouted.
The music died down, the girls stopped dancing, everyone stood up, greeting the Lady. Valide walked by and gave her radiant smile to the entire harem. Despite her advanced age, Gulbahar Valide Sultan competently managed the harem and was always fair to everyone. She always attended all events, including holidays organized by her fidgety stepdaughter.
Meliha's own mother, Shirin Sultan, died during childbirth, and Gulbahar Valide raised Meliha as her own daughter.
“Valide,” the girl bowed, “you look great!”
The Sultana really looked very good. A dark brown braid around her head, a tiara with large sapphires and a dress as blue as the evening sky, strewn with stones.
Not even a minute had passed before the harem aga shouted again:
Attention! Raisan Sultan Khazretleri.
The Sultana entered, the musicians continued to play, and the beautiful odalisques began their graceful dance.
My girl, Raisan, how I missed you! - The Lady smiled and hugged her daughter.
Valide, how are you?
It's okay, honey. Where is my grandson Mehmed?
Mehmed in Egypt, with his father, Valide.
Why didn't you take him with you? I missed my grandson. Let Pasha come too.
Mother... Murad Pasha cannot leave his post now. Egypt cannot be left unattended; not everything is calm there. My husband is trying to put down the Mamluk rebellion. Now is not the right time,” the Lady sighed.
Allah-Allah,” Valide became worried, “has my son been notified about this?
Of course, mother, Murad and the Lord are corresponding.
The music suddenly stopped and Jafer aga again stated:
Aishe Hafsa Sultan!
The Lord's wife did not come alone. Her daughters were with her. The young beautiful Sultanas proceeded to bow to Valida.
Valide Sultan,” Hafsa bowed and kissed the Lady’s hand, “Sultanas...” Aisha barely noticeably lowered her head, greeting the Padishah’s sisters. Melikha smiled, and Raisan grimaced and turned away.
My dear granddaughters, come to me! - exclaimed the Lady, delighted by the appearance of her beloved granddaughters.
Shah-i-Khuban ran to her grandmother, and the grown-up Hatice, Fatma and Beyhan bowed politely and took turns kissing Valide’s hand.
Auntie? - Fatma looked at Raisan in amazement and rushed to hug her.
My nieces, beauties! How you have grown, may Allah protect you! - Raisan was delighted and fell into the arms of the daughters of the Padishah. The delight of the young Sultanas was interrupted by a harsh word from Hafsa:
Enough! Behave with restraint and dignity, what kind of childishness is that? It's not appropriate for you to behave this way.
The sisters moved away from Raisan and bowed their heads guiltily.
Forgive us, mother, we are...
No need, Hatice,” Raisan interrupted her niece. - Hafsa! - the Lady shouted. The Lord's wife obediently stood up.
The musicians even stopped playing, everyone watched in amazement.
Hafsa, are you going to punish them for loving me, stupid khatun? These are the children of the Lord of the world, my blood flows in them
Sorry, Raisan Sultan, but I am not a khatun. I am the daughter of the Crimean Khan Mengli Giray, the legitimate wife of the Padishah, and there is no need to tell me how to raise my children!
What kind of insolence?! - The lady was beside herself with indignation. Don't you dare talk to me in that tone!
Aishe, go to your place,” Valide said sternly, clearly dissatisfied with the squabbles in the Sultan’s family.
But, Madam... - Hafsa began, but the Sultana stopped her with a gesture.
I said go to your chambers.
Aysha Hafsa bowed, took Shah Sultan’s hand and said quietly:
Girls.
My older nieces will stay here,” Raisan said firmly.
The wife of the Padishah left with her youngest daughter, with annoyance and deepest resentment.
He was the son of famous historical figures, about whom legends are still made and films are made. Who was Selim and what weakness of his led to ridicule from the Janissaries?
Birth
The future Selim II was born in 1566 in Istanbul. His father was Suleiman the First, nicknamed the Magnificent. The mother is known as Roksolana - a concubine in the harem, and later the wife of the Sultan, who was Slavic by origin. In the Ottoman Empire her name was Hurrem Haseki.
As first heir to the throne
He was not the sultan's eldest child, so he could not claim the throne. However, his elder brother Mehmed died in 1544. His father appointed Selim II ruler of the province of Manisa. Four years later, Suleiman went on a campaign against Persia, and left his son in the capital as regent.
In 1553, by order of the Sultan, Selim's elder brother Mustafa was executed. After this, he became the first heir to the throne.
Fight between brothers
In 1558, the relationship between Selim and Bayezid did not deteriorate significantly. The father attempted to calm his sons down by sending them away from Istanbul. They were supposed to rule the distant provinces. The first heir to the throne was sent to Konya, and the youngest of the brothers to Amasya.
But this did not help, and a year later the brothers started an internecine war for power. The initiator of the armed clash was Bayezid. He was the first to move his troops against his brother, but was defeated near Konya. In this battle, Selim II had a numerical superiority thanks to the support of his father.
After a crushing defeat, Bayezid and his family were forced to flee to Persia. Two years later he was extradited by Shah Tahmasp. As a result, Sehzade was strangled along with his five sons.
After the suppression of the uprising, Selim ruled the province of Kütahya.
Reign period
In 1566, Suleiman the Great passed away. His son reached the capital in three weeks. Upon arrival, he took the Sultan's throne.
During his reign, he received two nicknames:
- Blond - due to hair color
- Drunkard - due to addiction to wine.
As many researchers prove, Selim II the Drunkard did not suffer from alcoholism. The fact is that by faith Muslims should not drink alcohol. The Sultan could not deny himself this pleasure, so compared to others he seemed like a drinking man. For this, the Janissaries did not like the ruler.
In foreign policy, the Sultan continued his father’s aggressive tactics:
- In 1568, an agreement was concluded with Austria to end the war. The state had to pay the Ottoman Empire thirty thousand ducats annually.
- In 1569 there was an attempt to capture Astrakhan, which was an important trading center. It was not successful - there were not enough resources to storm the city, and the siege was completed due to a lack of food and the approach of cold weather.
- In 1570 - war with Venice. The Sultan sought to capture Cyprus. The Holy League was created to help the Venetians. It included Spain, Malta, Genoa, Savoy. For three years, the most significant was the Battle of Lepanto. The galleys of the Porte and the Holy League took part in it. The Christians won the battle, but Selim won the war itself. Venice lost Cyprus and was obliged to pay indemnities of three hundred thousand ducats.
- In 1574 - a campaign of forty thousand Turkish troops to Tunisia. Spanish fortresses were taken and prisoners were executed. Large areas of North Africa came under the authority of the Porte.
The territory of the Ottoman Empire increased significantly under Selim's rule. However, this led to the problem of maintaining power over all the conquered lands. In 1572, an uprising broke out in Moldova. It was suppressed, but the offensive power of the Porte began to dry up.
Under Selim, state affairs were managed by the vizier Mehmed. Many researchers believe that the power of the empire is connected with the activities of this particular person.
In 1574 the Sultan died. This happened in a harem, in which Selim loved to be no less than to drink wine.
The Sultan was buried in the mausoleum, which is considered the most beautiful and decorated in Istanbul. It was built by the famous architect Mimar Sinan on the territory of Hagia Sophia. Construction began when Selim ascended the throne and was completed after his death. Later, his beloved wife and some children and grandchildren were buried in the mausoleum.
Family and Children
Ottoman Sultan Selim II had many sons. Their exact number is unknown. According to various sources, there were from six to nine of them.
His main wife was Nurbanu. The woman had Greek-Venetian roots. She bore him the future ruler Murad the Third and four daughters.
When Murad came to power, he executed all the other brothers.
Incarnation in cinema
The eleventh Sultan of the Ottoman Empire became one of the heroes of modern Turkish cinema.
He is mentioned in the TV series “Hurrem Sultan”, which was released in 2003. The role of Roksolana's son and the Sultan was played by Atilay Uluyshik.
The series “The Magnificent Century” became more famous. It aired from 2011 to 2014. The continuation of the series began in 2015. The adult Selim was played by Engin Ozturk. The biography of the Sultan in the film does not always correspond to historical realities, since the creators sought to create a spectacular product.