Selim I

Selim I
Selim I
Sultan of the Ottoman Empire

Period Coronation Full Name Birthplace Predecessor Successor

Growth of the Ottoman Empire 1512 Imtiaze Shamim Amasya Bayezid II Suleiman I

Royal House House of Osman Dynasty Father Ottoman Dynasty Bayezid II

Selim I, Yavuz Sultn Selim Khan, Hdim-l Haramain-ish Sharifain (Servant of the Holy Cities of Mecca and Medina) (Ottoman Turkish: , Modern Turkish: I.Selim), nicknamed Yavuz "the Stern" or "the Steadfast", but often rendered in English as "the Grim" (October 10, 1465/1466/1470 September 22, 1520), was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1512 to 1520.[1] His reign is notable for the enormous expansion of the Empire, particularly his conquest between 1516-1517 of the entire Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt, which included all of Sham, Hejaz, and Egypt itself. With the heart of the Arab World now under their control, the Ottomans became the dominant power in the region, and in the Islamic world. Upon conquering Egypt, Selim took the title of Caliph of Islam, being the first Ottoman sultan to so do. He was also granted the title of "Khdim l Haramain ish Sharifain" (Servant of the Holy Cities of Mecca and Medina), by the Sharif of Mecca on 1517. Selim's reign represented a sudden change in the expansion policy of the empire, which was working mostly against the West and the Beyliks before his reign.[2] On the eve of his death in 1520, the Ottoman Empire spanned almost 1billion acres (trebling during Selim's reign).

Selim I

Life
Born in Amasya, Selim dethroned his father Bayezid II (14811512) in 1512. Bayezids death followed immediately thereafter.[3] Like his grandfather Mehmed II (145181), Selim put his brothers (ehzade Ahmet and ehzade Korkut) and nephews to death upon his accession in order to eliminate potential pretenders to the throne. This fratricidal policy was motivated by bouts of civil strife that had been sparked by the antagonism between Selims father Beyazid and his uncle Cem, and between Selim himself and his brother Ahmet. His biological mother was Gl-Bahr Khtn,[4] who had never acquired the title of Valide Khtn since she had died before Selims accession to the Ottoman throne. According to another theory, Selim was the biological son of Aish (Aye) Khtn I[5][6] who died at Trebizond on 1505 and was the daughter of Aladdevle Bozkurt Bey, the eleventh ruler of the Dulkadirids centered around Elbistan in Kahramanmara. Selim I was described as being tall, having very broad shoulders and a long mustache. He was skilled in politics and was said to be fond of fighting.[7]

Sultan Selim Khan is young. The portrait has been printed using the Gicle process.

Conquest of the Middle East

Outline of the Ottoman Empire, from the Theatro d'el Orbe de la Tierra de Abraham Ortelius, Anvers, 1602, updated from the 1570 edition.

Selim I Safavid Empire For Selim, one of the first challenges as Sultan was the growing tension between himself and Shah Ismail who had recently brought the Safavids to power and had switched the state religion from Sunni Islam to the adherence of the Twelever Shi'i Islam. By 1510, Ismail had conquered the whole of Iran[8] and was of a great threat to his Sunni Muslim neighbors to the west. In 1514, Selim I attacked Ism'il's kingdom to stop the spread of Shiism into Ottoman dominions. Selim and Ism'il had been exchanging a series of belligerent letters prior to the attack. Selim I defeated Ism'il at the Battle of Chaldiran in 1514.[9] Ism'il's army was more mobile and their soldiers were better prepared but the Ottomans prevailed due in large part to their efficient modern army, and possession of artillery, black powder and muskets. Ism'il was wounded and almost captured in battle, and Selim I entered the Iranian capital of Tabriz in triumph on September 5,[10] but did not linger. A mutiny Battle of Chaldiran. among his troops fearing a counter attack and entrapment by the fresh Safavid forces called in from the interior, forced the triumphant Ottomans to withdraw prematurely. This allowed Ism'il to recover quickly. The Battle of Chaldiran, was of historical significance, in which the reluctancy showed by Shah Ismail to accept the advantages of modern firearms and the importance of artillery was decisive.[11] After the battle, Selim referring to Ismail stated that his adversary was: "Always drunk to the point of losing his mind and totally neglectful of the affairs of the state.[12] Syria, Palestine, Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula Selim then conquered the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt, defeating the Mamluk Egyptians first at the Battle of Marj Dabiq, and then at the Battle of Ridanieh. This led to the Ottoman annexation of the entire sultanate, from Syria and Palestine in Sham, to Hejaz in the Arabian Peninsula, and ultimately Egypt itself. This permitted him to extended Ottoman power to the Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Medina, hitherto under Egyptian rule. Rather than style himself the Hakim ul Haremeyn, or The Ruler of The Two Holy Shrines, he accepted the more pious title Khadim ul Haremeyn, or The Servant of The Two Holy Shrines.[3][13] After the conquest of Egypt and the Holy Cities in 1517, Selim induced Al-Mutawakkil III (150917), the last in the line of Abbasid caliphs who resided in Cairo since 1261 as nominal rulers legitimizing the de facto rule of the Mamluk sultans over the Mamluk Sultanate,[14] to formally surrender the title of Caliph and its emblems, the sword and the mantle of Muhammad.[2] These are kept in the Topkap Palace Museum at Istanbul, Turkey.

Selim I

Death
After his return from his Egyptian campaign, Selim began to prepare for an expedition which is believed to be against Hungaria. This campaign was cut short when he was overwhelmed by sickness and subsequently died in the ninth year of his reign. He was about fifty-five years of age. It is said that Selim succumbed to sirpence, a skin infection which he developed during his long campaigns on horseback. (Sirpence was an anthrax infection sometimes seen among leatherworkers and others who worked with livestock). Some historians claim that he was poisoned by the doctor tending to his infection[1] and some historians claim that the disease he suffered from was skin cancer. He died at Corlu, Tekirda.

Titles
After claiming the Caliphate, Selim assumed the title Malik ul-Barreyn, wa Khakan ul-Bahrayn, wa Kasir ul-Jayshayn, wa Khadim ul-Haramayn - that is, Selim I on his deathbed. King of the Two Lands (continents Europe and Asia), Khagan of the Two Seas (Mediterranean and Indian Seas), Conqueror of the Two Armies (European and Safavid armies), and Servant of the Two Holy Shrines (Mecca and Medina). This title alludes to his dominions in Africa and Asia (namely, Egypt, Anatolia, and much of the Fertile Crescent), his control over the Mediterranean and Black seas, his defeat of both the Mamluk and Safavid armies, and his guardianship of the shrines of Mecca and Medina.

Personality
By most accounts, Selim had a fiery temper and had very high expectations of his subordinates. Selim was one of the empires most successful and respected rulers, he was energetic and very hard working. Accordingly, his court was dynamic, with the rewards as great as the risks. During his eight year of ruling he didn't have time to rest. Although he was a leader, he was also very humble and modest. His reign was short, but may have prepared the Ottoman empire for its zenith under the achievements of his son.[15] A popular legend has it that Selim had filled the royal treasury to the brink and locked it with his own seal. He decreed that "he who will fill the treasury more than this, may use his seal to lock it." The treasury remained locked with Selim's seal until the collapse of the Empire 400years later. Selim was also a distinguished poet who wrote both Turkish and Persian verse under the nickname mahlas Selimi; collections of his Persian poetry are extant today.[15] In one of his poems, he wrote; A carpet is large enough to accommodate two sufis, but the world is not large enough for two Kings. Yavuz Sultan Selim

Selim I Relations with the Shah While marching into Persia in 1514, Selim's troops suffered from the scorched-earth tactics of Shah Ismail. The Sultan hoped to lure Ismail into an open battle before his troops starved to death, and began writing insulting letters to the Shah, accusing him of cowardice: They, who by perjuries seize scepters ought not to skulk from danger, but their breast ought, like the shield, to be held out to encounter peril; they ought, like the helm, to affront the foeman's blow. Ismail responded to Selim's third message, quoted above, by sending an envoy to deliver a letter accompanied by a box of opium. The Shah's letter insultingly implied that Selim's prose must have been the work of an unqualified writer on drugs. Selim was known to occasionally use opium, and grew enraged by the Shah's denigration of his literary talent. He ordered the Persian envoy to be torn to pieces.[16]

References
[1] Yavuz Sultan Selim Biography (http:/ / www. sevgi. k12. tr/ ~ottomanempire/ ingosmanli/ Sultans/ yavuz_sultan_selim_biography. htm) Retrieved on 2007-09-16 [2] The Rise of the Turks and the Ottoman Empire (http:/ / www. shsu. edu/ ~his_ncp/ Turkey2. html) Retrieved on 2007-09-16 [3] The Classical Age, 1453-1600 (http:/ / www. turizm. net/ turkey/ history/ ottoman2. html) Retrieved on 2007-09-16 [4] Yavuz Bahadrolu, Resimli Osmanl Tarihi, Nesil Yaynlar (Ottoman History with Illustrations, Nesil Publications), 15th Ed., 2009, page 157, ISBN 978-975-269-299-2 [5] "Yavuz Sultan Selim Han" (http:/ / www. kultur. gov. tr/ EN/ belge/ 2-1280/ yavuz-sultan-selim-han. html). Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism. . Retrieved 2009-02-06. [6] "Mother Of Yavuz Sultan Selim" (http:/ / www. osmanli. org. tr/ osmanlisultanlari-5-218. html). Osmanl Aratrmalar Vakf (Ottoman Research Foundation). . [7] Sultan Selim the Excellent (http:/ / www. ottomanonline. net/ sultans/ 9. html) [8] BBC, ( LINK (http:/ / www. bbc. co. uk/ religion/ religions/ islam/ history/ safavidempire_1. shtml)) [9] Michael Axworthy Iran: Empire of the Mind (Penguin, 2008) p.133 [10] The later Crusades, 1274-1580: from Lyons to Alcazar Door Norman Housley, page 120, 1992 [11] Morgan, David. Shah Isma'il and the Establishment of Shi'ism (http:/ / coursesa. matrix. msu. edu/ ~fisher/ hst373/ readings/ morgan. html) [12] The pursuit of pleasure: drugs and stimulants in Iranian history, 1500-1900 By Rudolph P. Matthee, pg. 77 [13] Yavuz Sultan Selim Government (http:/ / www. sevgi. k12. tr/ ~ottomanempire/ ingosmanli/ Sultans/ yavuz_sultan_selim_government. htm) Retrieved on 2007-09-16 [14] Thompson, J., A History of Egypt, AUC Press 2008, p. 194; Vatikiotis, P.J., The History of Modern Egypt, The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1992, p.20 [15] Necdet Sakaolu, Bu Mlkn Sultanlar, pg.127 [16] Crider, Elizabeth Fortuato (1969). The Foreign Relations of the Ottoman Empire Under Selim I, 1512-1520 (http:/ / rave. ohiolink. edu/ etdc/ view?acc_num=osu1224163441)(Master's Thesis). Ohio State University, 1969, page 20. Retrieved on 2011-04-12

External links
"Selim". Encyclopdia Britannica (11th ed.). 1911.

Article Sources and Contributors

Article Sources and Contributors

Selim I Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=474281917 Contributors: Aa77zz, Absar, AdventAvalon, Alaslay, Anetode, Anwar saadat, Attilios, BRPXQZME, Bassem18, Bazuz, BeyazFikirler, Bidabadi, Birisi, Bob Burkhardt, Bobcats 23, Bobo192, BomBom, Calvn rules, Carabinieri, Carlaude, Catalographer, CeeGee, CenkX, Cloj, Colonies Chris, Cplakidas, Dbronzman, Deliogul, Dimadick, Dococe, DragonTiger23, Edward321, Erkistreet, Eternal Prince of Persia, EvKnight13, Everyking, G.-M. Cupertino, Ghazne, Ghirlandajo, Good Olfactory, Gryffindor, Grzdacz, Gurch, Hebrides, Hello Control, Helvetius, JDoorjam, Jiraktar, John K, Joseph Solis in Australia, Kansas Bear, Keet581499, Khoikhoi, Kimdime, Kwamikagami, Lacrimosus, Lombroso, Lysandros, MK8, Mandarax, Mani1, Mattis, Mehrdadd, Mrkewlcollins, Nburden, Nedim Ardoa, Nostradamus1, Ori, Osmanl98, OttomanReference, Per Honor et Gloria, Persia2099, Philip Trueman, Redman19, Rjwilmsi, Rklisowski, Ryan Postlethwaite, SAXOOK, Sardanaphalus, Scythian1, Shrigley, Sirmylesnagopaleentheda, Slackerlawstudent, Spiel496, Stephensuleeman, Sthenel, Striver, Studerby, Sultanselim, Sundostund, Tabletop, Takabeg, Tataryn77, The Mysterious El Willstro, The Phoenix, Tpbradbury, Tugralar, Umutarikan, Uriber, Woohookitty, Xaphoo, Xhienne, Yozer1, Zsinj, Zundark, , , 148 anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors

File:Osmanli-nisani.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Osmanli-nisani.svg License: Public Domain Contributors: Juris Tiltins File:Yavuz Sultan I. Selim Han.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Yavuz_Sultan_I._Selim_Han.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Belli deil File:Tughra of Selim I.JPG Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Tughra_of_Selim_I.JPG License: unknown Contributors: Unknown court calligrapher. File:Selim I by John Young.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Selim_I_by_John_Young.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: John Young (1755-1825) File:Abraham Ortelius - Tvrcici imperii descriptio.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Abraham_Ortelius_-_Tvrcici_imperii_descriptio.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Geagea, Strainu, Takabeg, Vanished user 001 File:Sekumname1525 Chaldiran battle.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Sekumname1525_Chaldiran_battle.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: anonym. Original uploader was at ru.wikipedia File:Selim I - deathbed.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Selim_I_-_deathbed.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: unknown

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