Selim II (1524-1574), also known as “the Blond” (Sari Selim) or “the drunkard”, was the eleventh Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. Due to his inclination to a life of pleasure, he is known to be the first ruler without interest in the military, always delegating these functions to his ministers. During his reign the dominion of the Mediterranean was achieved and the conquest of the island of Cyprus, but the slow decline of the Ottoman power also began.
The Ottoman Empire was an absolute monarchy, whose main power figure was the Sultan. He had political, military, judicial, social and religious capacities. The mandate of the sultans had a sacred character, so he was only responsible before God and his laws.
Selim II. Source: Belli değil
From its foundation in 1299 until its dissolution in 1922, Turkish power was in the hands of one of the most powerful dynasties of the Middle and Modern Ages: the House of Osman.
Biography
In 1524, in the city of Magnesia (present Manisa), the future Sultan Selim II was born. He was the son of the famous Suleiman "the Magnificent" and his favorite wife Anastasia Lisowska, who was renamed Haseki Hürrem Sultan (popularly Roxelana).
It was she who convinced Suleiman that Mustafa, the son of his first legal wife, was plotting against him to take the throne. Suleiman ordered his son to be strangled in the face of latent betrayal.
This sentence and the victory over his brother Bayezid in the Battle of Konya (1559), left the way clear for Selim II to succeed his father. But "El Rubio", as some knew him for his light hair, did not have the talent of Suleiman or his grandfather Selim I.
During his father's rule he ruled provinces such as Anatolia and Kutahya. In 1566 his father Suleiman died during a campaign in Hungary. That's when he took power at the age of 42, with little interest in running the government and getting involved in military affairs.
Selim II entrusted the affairs of state to the grand vizier (prime minister) of his father, Mehemed Pasha Sokullu, whom he kept as part of his officials along with many others. From that moment, Selim II's life was totally hedonistic, guided by pleasure and debauchery. So much so that he would soon earn the nickname "El Borracho", for his love of wine.
Military raids
Turkish miniature. Selim II ascends the throne. Source: Topkapı Palace
Among the successful maneuvers of the reign of Selim II is the treaty that in 1568 managed to establish his grand vizier in Constantinople and that wove part of his power in Eastern Europe. In this treaty, the Roman Emperor Maximilian II agreed to grant authority to the Turks in Moldavia and Walachia (present-day Romania), in addition to paying an annual tribute of 30,000 ducats.
They did not have the same luck with Russia, with which they broke off friendly relations when they tried to impose themselves. The trigger was that the Turks had plans to build a canal linking the Volga and Don rivers at their closest point to southwestern Russia.
In 1569, the Ottomans sent forces to besiege the cities of Astrakahn and Azov, thus initiating work on the canal. There they were dispersed by a garrison of 15 thousand Russian men and a storm ended up destroying the Turkish fleet.
Turkish-Venetian War
One of the highlights of Selim II's reign was the invasion of Cyprus, which was ruled by the Venetians. The strategic location of the island and, according to unofficial versions, the quality of its wine, were part of the reasons why they decided to start a campaign to dominate it.
The Ottomans took the capital Nicosia in October 1570, as well as most of the small towns. However, Famagusta, one of the largest cities, held the resistance for almost a year. It was not until August 1571 that the Ottomans managed to fully establish themselves on the island.
The conquest of Cyprus led to the formation and intervention of the so-called Holy League, composed of Spain, Venice, Genoa, Malta, the Duchy of Savoy, Tuscany and the Papal States. In 1571, European and Ottoman forces engaged in what is considered the largest naval battle in modern history, with 400 galleys and nearly 200,000 men in the Gulf of Lepanto.
The Battle of Lepanto was one of the greatest defeats of the Ottomans, who withdrew after they killed the admiral who led them, Ali Pachá. Rebuilding its fleets was extremely costly for the empire, which began a slow decline from then on. However, this fact did not mean a significant or immediate reduction of Ottoman control in the Mediterranean.
On recovering, the Turks managed in 1573 to get Venice to sign a treaty in which Cyprus definitively ceded and also paid a tribute of 300 thousand ducats. Then in 1574 the dynasty seized the power of Tunisia from Spain.
Death and legacy
In December 1574, at the age of 50, Sultan Selim II died in Istanbul, apparently from injuries he sustained during a fall from one of his drunks. He left his son Amurath or Morad III in power.
The reign of Selim II marked the declining trend of the Ottoman Empire, as the following sultans chose to imitate the little interest in ruling competently and dedicated themselves to enjoying luxuries and pleasures. The superiority of the Ottoman army was lagging behind, to which was added an indebted administration that made it impossible to reorganize its power.
The legacy of Selim II highlights the architectural works, by Mimar Sinan, his father's chief architect, whom he kept in government. Among the most important monuments are the mosques of Selimiye in Edirne, Sokollu in Luleburgaz or Selim in Payas.
In addition, the Ayasofya mosque was restored and two new minarets or towers were built. The construction of the Black Sea Canal was also started and the Suez Canal was planned, although the project was never started during the reign of the picturesque Selim II.
References
- Encyclopædia Britannica, (2019, 2019, April 27). Selim II. Recovered from britannica.com
- New World Encyclopedia (2015, 04 September). Selim II. Recovered from newworldencyclopedia.org
- LibGuides: The Transformation of the Middle East, 1566-1914 (HIST 335): Sultans 1566-1914 (& other important figures) (2019, June 05). Recovered from guides.library.illinois.edu.
- Crabb, G. (1825). Universal historical dictionary. London: Baldwin, Cradock, and Joy.
- Aikin, J., & Johnston, W. (1804). General Biography: Or Lives, Critical And Historical, Of The Most Eminent Persons Of All Ages, Countries, Conditions And Professions, Arranged According To Alphabetical Order. London: Robinson.