Selim I

Selim I (Turkish: I. Selim; also known as Yavuz Sultan Selim) was the ninth sultan of the Ottoman Empire, ruling from 1512 to 1520. He was the son of Bayezid II and father of Suleiman the Magnificent. His reign was brief, but resulted in massive territorial expansion of the empire to the east and south, notably into the Levant, Egypt, and the Hijaz.

Selim came to power following a succession dispute with his brothers, which ended with his father's departure from the throne in 1512. The Ottoman system of succession based on military capability and the support of the Janissaries (the sultan's elite infantry corps) played a decisive role in that outcome.

Conflict with the Safavids and Chaldiran

During Selim's time, the emerging Safavid state of Persia, led by Shah Ismail, was exerting religious and political influence in eastern Anatolia. Selim viewed this as an internal threat, since many Anatolian tribes were inclined toward the Safavids. In 1514 the two forces clashed at the Battle of Chaldiran in eastern Anatolia. The Ottoman army, equipped with firearms and artillery, prevailed, giving the Ottomans control of Diyarbakr and parts of eastern Anatolia.

Fall of the Mamluks

In 1516–1517 Selim launched a campaign against the Mamluk state, which ruled Egypt and the Levant. The Battle of Marj Dabiq (1516), fought near Aleppo, opened the way to the Levant, and the Battle of Ridaniya (1517), near Cairo, ended the state's existence. The Ottomans thus gained control of Egypt, the Levant, and influence over the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, which transformed the empire's economic and administrative reach.

The Caliphate and Titles

After the conquest of Egypt, Ottoman sultans began to use religious titles, including guardianship of the holy places of the Hijaz and later the claim to the caliphate. Modern historians debate the exact manner in which the caliphate was transferred to the Ottomans; a popular account claiming that the last Abbasid caliph formally transferred the title has been questioned.

Legacy

In three years of rule, Selim vastly expanded the empire's territory and left his son Suleiman with substantial economic and military resources. The Turkish epithet 'Yavuz' may be rendered as 'stern' or 'resolute', referring to his forceful style of governance; some European languages know him as 'Selim the Grim'. His name is now borne by several places in Turkey, including the Yavuz Sultan Selim mosque in Istanbul.