Selim I the Terrible (1470-1520). Selim I, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire - All monarchies of the world Sultan Selim 1 personal life

SELIM I Grozny SELIM I Grozny

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 dethroned from the throne. Prior to his enthronement, Selim I was the governor of Trebizond and was not the direct heir of his father, since he was not the eldest son. But the eldest son, Ahmed, leaned towards Sufism and lost his father's support. Selim, taking advantage of his father's poor health, fled to the Crimea, where his son was the governor, and there he gathered an army, which marched along the northern coast of the Black Sea and captured Adrianople. The Janissaries of Selim approached Istanbul and forced Bayezid to abdicate. He died on the way to the place of exile, most likely, he was poisoned. Selim also ordered to kill his brothers and young nephews. Only Prince Jem was saved, who asked for asylum from the Christian princes, but in 1515 he was poisoned by order of Pope Alexander VI Borgia, bribed by the rich gifts of Selim.
Personality and ruler character
From the first steps of his reign, Selim I declared himself as an extraordinary personality and ruler. Like most famous oriental rulers, he was distinguished by a penchant for aphoristic statements and, in particular, stated that he shaved so that none of the nobles could drag him by the beard, like his father.
Indeed, the reign of Bayezid II is one of the most peaceful periods in the political life of the Turkish empire and the actions of Selim I in his short-term reign were fundamentally different from all previous politics. In fact, he prepared all the main footholds for the subsequent conquests of his son Suleiman I the Magnificent. (cm. SULEIMAN I CANUNI)... However, immediately after accession to the throne, Selim I comes out as a sharp opponent of the policy of religious tolerance that has already become customary for the Ottoman Porte. Persecutions of Christian subjects begin, but they do not reach particular acuteness, for the sultan's administration strikes the main blow on the Shiite heretics. In 1512-1514. was destroyed approx. 40 thousand Shiites.
Generally, characteristic feature Selim as a person turned out to be incredibly cruel. Direct cooperation with him terrified the nobles. The appointment of new successive viziers was associated with great difficulties. In order to appoint the next vizier, the sultan even had to resort to beatings (even a curse proverb was born: "May you be Selim's vizier!"). Having chosen his only direct heir, the sultan practically ended his relationship 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 the previous sultans, and the struggle of various elites associated with harems and the environment of the sons of their predecessors. Most often, internal political conflicts associated with the struggle for power were resolved with the help of poisoning.
Selim, however, knew literature quite well, was educated and wrote poetry himself, in particular, odes in Farsi. He patronized poets and scientists.
War with Iran
In the personality of Selim I, some kind of internal inseparability of seemingly purely personal interests and plans from the public policy... So, having begun the persecution of the Shiites, Selim begins to prepare for a war with Safavid Iran, where Shiism was a recognized confession. The formal pretext for the start of the war was that Ishmael Safavid, the founder of the dynasty (1499-1524), refused to recognize the legality of the accession to the throne of Selim I. Two years after accession to the sultan throne, in the spring of 1514, Selim wrote a letter to Ishmael Safavid, declaring that he is a heretic, and that on this basis he declares war on him. The sultan invades Azerbaijan with a large army, follows along the southwestern shore of Lake Urmia and not far from the then capital of Iran, Tabriz, in the Cheldyran valley, inflicts a crushing defeat on the Iranian troops, seizes the shah's harem and baggage. Ishmael himself did not participate in this battle. In early September, the Sultan's troops capture Tabriz.
It is characteristic that Iranian artisans with their families were taken to Turkey by the order of the Sultan, 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, up to Mosul, was within the borders of Turkey. These borders mainly include areas inhabited by Sunni Kurds, whose flees, switching to the Sultan's service, constituted the main contingent in the border confrontation between Iran and Turkey, which facilitated the preparation of further conquests in Iran, carried out already under the son and heir of Selim, Suleiman I Magnificent. The natural high-mountain plateau captured here made Turkey practically invulnerable from the East, which radically changed the balance of power in Asia.
War against Mamluk Egypt
The next decisive military campaign Selim I spends against the Syrian-Egyptian Arab power of the Mamluks (cm. MAMLUKI)... This company was carried out in the years 1516-1517. It opened with the Battle of Aleppo in the late summer of 1516, when, having defeated the Mamluk troops on the Marj-Debik plain, the Sultan seized 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 significant agricultural areas in the territories of Syria and Palestine have caused famine and desolation in many areas. Popular protest movements were suppressed with the brutality typical of Selim I.
Legend of the legacy 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 the family of the last descendants of the Arab Abbasid caliphs was kept at the court of the Mamluk rulers. (cm. ABBASSIDS) who, having no real power, purely formally continued the dynastic history of the Arab Caliphate (cm. ARABIAN KHALIFAT), although these ephemeral caliphs themselves were simply listed in the retinue of the Mamluk sultan. According to legend, the Mamluk caliph Mutavakkil III, when he was captured by Selim the Terrible, gave him the right to inherit the Caliph throne. True, having outlived Selim, Mutavakkil 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 the caliphs of the faithful, even in official documents.
Military results of the reign
The great wars of conquest by Selim I opened up a huge base for the Turkish empire, which made it possible to prepare the further policy of conquest of Turkey in the eastern Mediterranean and in the Mediterranean Sea as a whole. Through Egypt, the eastern Mediterranean ports, the trade of the Turks with the European states is increasing and complex and contradictory political contacts are beginning to be established, which previously went through the European possessions of Turkey in the Northern Black Sea region, the Danube.
Selim I begins to prepare the next major operation, which was to be directed against the European outpost in the Eastern Mediterranean, Fr. Rhodes, possession of the John Crusaders. However, preparation for this war required significant efforts to create a Turkish navy. It was for the creation of this fleet that the conqueror sultan died.
The eight-year reign of Sultan Selim I, the Terrible, opens the era of the Turkish conquest of the Mediterranean and the domination of the Ottoman Port in it, and thus the influence of Turkey and Turkish politics on the complex political life of European states during this period.
The beginning of the reformation (cm. REFORMATION) contributed to the success of Muslims in the Mediterranean, and political contacts with opposing European states in the context of 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 Grozny" is in other dictionaries:

    - (Yavuz) (1467/68 or 1470 1520) the Turkish sultan from 1512 conquered Eastern Anatolia, Armenia, Kurdistan, Northern Iraq, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Hejaz (in Saudi Arabia) ... Historical Dictionary

    Selim I the Terrible (Yavuz)- Selim I. Selim I. Selim I the Terrible () (/ 68 or 1470 1520) Turkish sultan since 1512 conquered Eastern Anatolia, Armenia, Kurdistan, Northern Iraq, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Hijaz () ... Encyclopedic Dictionary " The World History»

    - (1467/1468 or 1470 - 1520), the Turkish sultan from 1512. During the wars of conquest, he subdued Eastern Anatolia, Armenia, Kurdistan, Northern Iraq, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Hejaz ...

    Selim I the Terrible سليم اول Selîm i evvel ... Wikipedia

    SELIM I the Terrible (Yavuz) (1467/68 or 1470 1520) Turkish sultan from 1512. During the wars of conquest, he subdued Vost. Anatolia, Armenia, Kurdistan, North. Iraq, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Hejaz ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

    Grozny (Yavuz) (Selim I Yavuz) (1467/68 or 1470 1520), Turkish sultan from 1512. During the wars of conquest, he subdued Eastern Anatolia, Armenia, Kurdistan, Northern Iraq, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Hijaz ... Modern encyclopedia

    Selim I- Grozny (Yavuz) (Selim I Yavuz) (1467/68 or 1470 1520), Turkish sultan from 1512. During the wars of conquest, he subdued Eastern Anatolia, Armenia, Kurdistan, Northern Iraq, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Hijaz. ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

The name of Selim I in the history of the Ottoman Empire is associated with the era of glorious conquests, victorious battles and the strengthening of the country's status on the world stage. However, such an aggressive policy has a downside: even during his lifetime, the ruler was nicknamed first the Brave, and then Yavuz - the Terrible and the Fierce: Selim did not know pity either for his opponents or for the guilty allies, which earned him the fame of the cruel, albeit a fair person.

Childhood and youth

The father of Selim I was Sultan Bayezid II. In due time, the son of the ruler received the city of Trabzon under his control, where he began to study state affairs. Soon, the young man's successes allowed Bayazid to entrust him with a more serious territory - the Balkans, where Selim became the official sultan's governor.

Of the Selim brothers, Korkut, who ruled the territory of Antalya, and Akhmet, who represented the power of the Sultan in Amasya, remained alive at that time. According to tradition, after Bayazid's death, power should have passed to the son who would be the first to arrive in the capital. And thanks to the efforts of the Sultan, who pinned his hopes on Akhmet, it was he who was located geographically closer to Constantinople (now it is the Turkish city of Istanbul).

Selim was not satisfied with this state of affairs, and he repeatedly tried to persuade his father to transfer him closer to the capital. As a result, Bayazid allowed his son to head Semendir (now it is the Serbian city of Smederevo), but Akhmet still remained much closer to the capital.

Governing body

After some time, the prospect of losing the cherished throne forced Selim to act more decisively. Enlisting the support of the close military, the son of the Sultan moved to the capital, counting on the support of a group of rebels in Constantinople. However, these calculations did not come true, and the battle, which took place in the summer of 1511, ended not in Selim's favor.


Fleeing from the wrath of a powerful father, the rebel fled to the Crimean Khanate, where he continued to make plans to seize power in the country. Selim was supported by the ruler of the khanate Mengli-Girey, who also had some army.

Meanwhile, the Sultan began to suspect his second son, Akhmet, of his intention to speed up the transfer of the throne. Then the wise ruler, fearing bloodshed, abdicated the throne. Power passed to Selim. According to one version, Bayazid's decision was voluntary, according to another, Selim entered the capital with an army and made his father transfer power by threats.


However, the sultan's abdication to the new ruler did not seem enough. As soon as he took the throne, Selim decided to protect himself from possible intrigues of the dissatisfied and gradually got rid of all relatives in the male line. Both brothers of Selim were executed by his decree, however, this did not seem enough to the newly-minted sultan: he executed the sons of Akhmet and Korkut, his nephews. In addition, there is a version that Selim I is also guilty of the death of his own father, who passed away only a month after his son's accession to the throne.

The very rule of Sultan Selim began with the conquest of new lands. First of all, the ruler entered into confrontation with the ruler of Persia Ismail I. In 1514, the army of the Ottoman Empire entered Persia and defeated the army of Ismail. The survivors retreated from the borders, surrendering city after city. Soon Selim entered the capital, plundered the treasury and took prisoner the shah's harem.


Ottoman Empire under Selim I

A year later, the sultan conquered the dynasty of Zul-l-Gadirs - the rulers of neighboring Elbistan, and then began to prepare for a serious campaign against Egypt. The rivals outnumbered Selim's army in cavalry, but significantly lost in artillery and general training, therefore, already in August 1516, the Turks defeated the Mamluks. A few months later, the Turkish army conquered Syria, and then captured the Palestinian city of Gaza.

For some time after these events, the former rulers of the conquered lands tried to reclaim their own possessions, but to no avail. In 1517, Selim I received the keys to Mecca and Medina, which symbolized the transfer of these territories under the control of the Ottomans. In addition, the Turks imposed a tribute on Venice, forcing them to pay tribute for the island of Cyprus. Thus, it took Sultan Selim only 4 years to practically double the territory of the Ottoman possessions.

Personal life

Incomplete data have been preserved about the personal life of the Sultan - this page of the biography of Selim I, unfortunately, is not sufficiently covered by historians. Surely it is known about the 4 wives of the ruler, who gave him children. They were Aishe Khatun, Hafsa Sultan, Tajlu Khatun and another woman whose name has not survived. There is also information about 15 children of Selim - 5 sons and 10 daughters.


After the death of the Sultan, his son ascended the throne, whose mother was Hafsah Sultan. This woman also remained in history - her name has long been associated with wisdom among the Turks. Hafsah Sultan gently guided her son, helping him make the right political decisions.

Death

Disputes about the exact cause of the death of the great sultan are still ongoing. It is officially believed that the life of Selim I was carried away by anthrax, but there is another assumption - that the ruler was poisoned. The Ottoman ruler was 54 years old.


Suleiman, who replaced Selim on the throne, did not repeat his military exploits, but went down in history as a man of art, patronizing poets, artists and architects, as well as as a ruler under whom the Ottoman Empire achieved the greatest development in all areas.

Memory

Films and serials have been filmed about the events of the life of Selim I, and many books have been written. The series "Roksolana" (based on the work of the same name by writer Pavel Zagrebelny), in which the role of the Sultan was played by an actor, is dedicated to this period of the history of the Ottoman Empire. Another series in which the image of Selim the Terrible appears is "". The role of the ruler, who appears in memories to his son Suleiman (actor), was played by Muharrem Gulmez.


In addition, in 1978, the writer published a fiction book dedicated to the events of the life of Selim I. This novel, called "Harem", takes the reader to the era of the Sultan's reign, and also tells about the family of the ruler, his beloved Saira and the events preceding the ascension Selim to the throne.

-). In total, Selim I increased the size of the Ottoman Empire by 70%, and at the time of his death its area was 1.494 million km².

سليم اول - Selîm-i evvel
Ottoman Sultan
April 24 - September 22
Predecessor Bayezid II
Successor Suleiman I
Birth 10 october(1465-10-10 )
Amasya, Ottoman Empire
Death September 22nd(1520-09-22 ) (54 years old)
Edirne, Ottoman Empire
Burial place
  • Yavuz Selim[d]
Genus Ottomans
Father Bayezid II
Mother Gulbahar Khatun
Spouse Aishe Khatun and Hafsa Sultan
Children Suleiman the Magnificent
Religion Islam
Autograph
Selim I at Wikimedia Commons

Biography

In May 1514, Selim's army set out on a campaign to the east, passed Sivas, Erzurum and invaded the domain of Ismail; Kyzylbashs avoided battle, hoping to exhaust the enemy's army, retreated inland, destroying everything that could be useful to the Turks. On August 23, 1514, in the battle of Chaldyran, the sultan defeated the shah (Selim had 120-200 thousand, Ismail had 30-60 thousand; the Turks had an advantage in firearms, the Kyzylbashs had practically no infantry and artillery).

Two weeks later Selim entered the Safavid capital of Tabriz; he stayed here for several days, but the Janissaries, fearing a hungry winter, demanded that they be taken back. Selim left through Yerevan, Kars, Erzurum, Sivas and Amasya, seizing the treasury and the shah's harem, and taking about a thousand skilled artisans to Istanbul. After Chaldyran, Diyarbakir, Bitlis, Hasankeyf, 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 culture

Appears in one of the final scenes of Assassin's Creed: Revelations, where he personally throws his brother, Shehzade Ahmet into the abyss.

In 1996-2003. the Ukrainian TV series "Roksolana" was released. The role of Sultan Selim was played by Konstantin Stepankov.

Appears in the memoirs of the son of Suleiman I in the television series "The Magnificent Century". The role of the Sultan was played by Turkish actor Muharrem Gulmez.

Immediately after that, he ordered to strangle three of his brothers and 10 nephews. According to the testimony of Turkish historians, this sultan was an educated man, loved literature, respected theology and patronized scientists with pleasure. However, he was very cruel and terrified all his entourage. No one could consider themselves protected from his wrath (one by one, the sultan executed seven grand viziers). Under him, the wars of conquest by the Turks, which had ended under his father, unfolded with renewed vigor.

The first victim of Selim was Shiite Iran. The sultan himself was a devout Sunni and an ardent opponent of Shiism. In 1513, at his direction, lists of Shiites were compiled throughout the empire with the aim of their universal destruction. The lists included 40-45 thousand real and imaginary followers of Shiism, and all of them, between the ages of 7 and 70, were destroyed. Having exterminated the Shiites within his state, Selim in May 1514 began a war against the Iranian Shah. It was difficult, but not long. The Persians avoided battle, wanting to exhaust the enemy's army - they went deep into the country, destroying everything that would be useful to Selim, especially food on the way. Finally, on August 23, 1514, the opponents met in a fierce battle in the Chaldyran Valley, located east of Lake Urmia. Selim's army numbered 120 thousand soldiers. There were no less soldiers in the army, moreover, they were not exhausted by a long grueling march. However, the Sultan had an advantage in firearms, especially in artillery. The main strength of the Persian army was its cavalry. As for the artillery and regular infantry, they were practically absent from the Persians. This circumstance predetermined their defeat.

The Turkish army lined up in its usual battle formation: on the right flank were Anatolian and Karamani cavalry and Azabs (irregular infantry). On the left flank were the European irregulars. In the center, along with the Sultan, were located the janissaries, covered with a fence of carts and camels. The artillery was placed between the troops on the two flanks. The horses, emaciated from lack of food, could barely keep their feet; the infantry was also greatly exhausted by hunger, but the soldiers were again inspired by courage at the sight of the enemy tents, in which they hoped to find great treasures, and the Persian uniforms, glistening with gold and precious stones. As the battle began, the Persians attacked the flanks and center of the Turkish army. The Azabs, standing on the left flank, could not withstand the blow of the Persian cavalry and fled in different directions. On the left flank, the Azabs held on more confidently and only stepped aside to open the cannons behind them (they were tied to one another with iron chains). Then the Janissaries standing in the center came out from behind their fence and showered the advancing Persians with bullets from squeaks. Volleys of cannons and squeaks, fired at close range, inflicted enormous damage on the Shah's cavalry. The Shah who led the attack was wounded, knocked off his horse and nearly captured. His army, unable to endure the brutal shelling, fled. The battle ended with the complete defeat of the army. About 50 thousand Persian soldiers remained on the battlefield. The camp, as well as the shah's harem, fell into the hands of the victors. All the captives were executed on the same day. Two weeks later Selim entered the Shah's capital Tabriz, stayed in it for several days and set off on the return journey, taking with him the treasury of Ismail. He also took about a thousand skilled artisans to Istanbul.


Selim Yavuz in another campaign

In 1514, the Sultan managed to annex Kurdistan practically without a fight. In 1516, the Turkish army invaded Syria, whose population languished under the yoke of the Mamluk sultans of Egypt. A 78-year-old but still energetic Egyptian sultan came forward to meet Selim. The decisive battle took place on August 24, 1516 on the Dabik field (Marj-Dabik), located at a distance of one day's march from Aleppo. The striking force of the Egyptians was the magnificent Mamluk cavalry. But the outcome of the battle, as in the war with the Persians, was not decided by her, but by the Turkish artillery, which was rightfully considered the best in the world at that time. The Turkish army had guns of various calibers, including light weapons mounted on horse-drawn carts. Selim's batteries, hidden behind interconnected carts and wooden barricades, inflicted enormous damage on the Mamluks. The subsequent attack by the Turks ended with the indiscriminate flight of the Egyptians. Seeing his defeat, he took poison. On August 28, Selim entered Aleppo, and the next day he took the title of "Servant of both holy cities", which had previously belonged to the sultans of Egypt. This meant that he assumed the role of the spiritual and secular head of all Muslims, for whom the cities of Mecca and Medina, which were in the possession of the Mamluks, were sacred. In September, the Turks freely occupied all of Syria, and by the end of November they completed the conquest of Palestine.

The new Mamluk sultan tried to organize a rebuff to the Turkish offensive, but on December 25, 1516, in the battle of Beisan (Palestine), the Ottoman troops defeated a significant part of the assembled army. A month later, decisive battles took place in the northern suburb of Cairo, Ridaniyya, where he built fortifications and installed about 100 cannons. On January 22, 1517, the forces were defeated. The Mamluk cannons did not hold out against Selim's batteries, and their troops quickly fled. The Turks took possession of Cairo. A few days later he tried to recapture the city at night. Fierce street fighting unfolded, killing about 50,000 residents of the Egyptian capital. When the Turks got the upper hand, Selim ordered the beheading of 800 Mamluk beys. for another two months he tried to fight the Turks, but he was seized by his own associates and handed over to Selim. On April 13, 1517, the last Mamluk sultan of Egypt was hanged under the arch of the Cairo gate. In August Selim set off on the return journey, according to tradition, having evicted a thousand skilled artisans to Istanbul. Even before his departure, Cairo was visited by the sheriff of Mecca and Medina. He officially recognized the Turkish sultan as the caliph - the ruler of all Muslims.

While Selim was at war in Egypt, Turkish pirates recaptured Algeria, a major port in North Africa, from the Spaniards. In 1518, their leader Hayreddin Barbarossa recognized the sultan's power over himself and received the title of Beylerbey of Algeria. Thus, in a short time Selim almost doubled the boundaries of the Ottoman Empire.

He died suddenly of cancer at the age of fifty, preparing a military expedition to the island of Rhodes. He never managed to carry out many of his plans. His business was continued by his son and heir, who received the nickname Magnificent in history.

-). In total, Selim I increased the size of the Ottoman Empire by 70%, and at the time of his death its area was 1.494 million km².

سليم اول - Selîm-i evvel
Ottoman Sultan
April 24 - September 22
Predecessor Bayezid II
Successor Suleiman I
Birth 10 october(1465-10-10 )
Amasya, Ottoman Empire
Death September 22nd(1520-09-22 ) (54 years old)
Edirne, Ottoman Empire
Burial place
  • Yavuz Selim[d]
Genus Ottomans
Father Bayezid II
Mother Gulbahar Khatun
Spouse Aishe Khatun and Hafsa Sultan
Children Suleiman the Magnificent
Religion Islam
Autograph
Selim I at Wikimedia Commons

Biography

In May 1514, Selim's army set out on a campaign to the east, passed Sivas, Erzurum and invaded the domain of Ismail; Kyzylbashs avoided battle, hoping to exhaust the enemy's army, retreated inland, destroying everything that could be useful to the Turks. On August 23, 1514, in the battle of Chaldyran, the sultan defeated the shah (Selim had 120-200 thousand, Ismail had 30-60 thousand; the Turks had an advantage in firearms, the Kyzylbashs had practically no infantry and artillery).

Two weeks later Selim entered the Safavid capital of Tabriz; he stayed here for several days, but the Janissaries, fearing a hungry winter, demanded that they be taken back. Selim left through Yerevan, Kars, Erzurum, Sivas and Amasya, seizing the treasury and the shah's harem, and taking about a thousand skilled artisans to Istanbul. After Chaldyran, Diyarbakir, Bitlis, Hasankeyf, 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 culture

Appears in one of the final scenes of Assassin's Creed: Revelations, where he personally throws his brother, Shehzade Ahmet into the abyss.

In 1996-2003. the Ukrainian TV series "Roksolana" was released. The role of Sultan Selim was played by Konstantin Stepankov.

Appears in the memoirs of the son of Suleiman I in the television series "The Magnificent Century". The role of the Sultan was played by Turkish actor Muharrem Gulmez.