The Princedom of Selim II and His Accession to the Throne

Selim II was the son of Suleiman the Magnificent and Hürrem Sultan. He was known by the nicknames "Selim the Blonde" and "Selim the Drunkard." Sultan Selim II ascended the throne after Suleiman the Magnificent and reigned for 8 years. He spent his childhood in the Old Palace in Istanbul. On June 27, 1530, he was circumcised along with his brothers. His life until the age of 16 was spent receiving an education in the palace. At the age of 16, he was appointed as the Governor of the Konya Sanjak. Subsequently, in 1544, he became the Governor of the Manisa Sanjak and served in this position until 1558. During his tenure as Governor of Manisa, he is known to have frequently organized hunting parties and festivities. In 1558, he was reassigned to Konya and remained there for another 4 years. Prince Selim began to compete with his brothers for the throne from 1553 onwards. While Suleiman the Magnificent was alive, a significant number of his princes died, leaving only Prince Selim and Bayezid. After the execution of Prince Mustafa in 1553, there were no major threats left for Prince Selim. With the death of Hürrem Sultan in 1558, the princes openly began to fight. Prince Bayezid's more assertive and rebellious demeanor caused him to fall out of favor with his father. Prince Selim, on the other hand, appeared more calm and patient during this period, gaining his father's support. With his father's backing, Prince Selim began to fight his brother near Konya on May 29, 1559. Prince Selim emerged victorious from the battle, and upon hearing that his father would come after him, Bayezid sought refuge in the Safavid state with his army of 2,000 men. When Suleiman the Magnificent wrote letters to Shah Tahmasp requesting the return of his son, the Shah of Iran had Prince Bayezid and his sons strangled. Following this, Prince Selim was declared the undisputed heir apparent in 1561. After this date, he was appointed to the Kütahya Sanjak to be closer to the capital. Selim did not participate in his father Suleiman's last campaign, the Siege of Szigetvár. On September 7, 1566, he learned of his father's death and set off for Istanbul with his retinue on September 30. When Selim arrived in Istanbul, no one knew that Sultan Suleiman had died. Upon his arrival at the capital, royal cannons were fired, and Prince Selim was proclaimed the new Sultan.

Sultan Selim's Reign

Upon becoming Sultan, the first thing Selim did was to go to Belgrade to retrieve his father's body. When Selim arrived in Belgrade, the army did not yet know of Suleiman the Magnificent's death. This information had been kept from the army to ensure the successful conclusion of the campaign. Upon arriving at the encampment, Sultan Suleiman's funeral prayer was performed, and Suleiman was taken to Istanbul. Sultan Selim remained in Belgrade and distributed accession gifts to the soldiers. However, the soldiers found the gift insufficient and caused trouble on the return journey. Consequently, Sultan Selim did not reach the capital until December. During Sultan Selim's reign, his greatest fortune was having a Grand Vizier like Sokollu Mehmed Pasha. Sultan Selim was the first Sultan in the Ottoman Empire who did not concern himself with the administration of the state and the army. He left the army's management entirely to Sokollu Mehmed Pasha and never personally led any campaigns. This action of his led to the beginning of a new tradition. Most of the Sultans who ascended the throne after him did not participate in campaigns. This became a factor that demoralized the army.

The Conquest of Chios and War with the Holy Roman Empire

The first place Sultan Selim conquered after becoming Sultan was the island of Chios. Chios was conquered in 1566 by the armies under the command of Sokollu Mehmed Pasha. The recapture of the island from the Venetians and Genoese secured the safety of the straits. Both sides suffered heavy losses in this battle. Sultan Selim's second war was with the Holy Roman Empire. The peace treaty with the Holy Roman Empire, made during Suleiman's reign in 1562, was broken, and war began in 1566. The war took place while Sultan Selim was in Belgrade, and the armies under the command of Özdemiroğlu Osman Pasha conquered the Bobokça Castle. Following the conquest of the castle, the Treaty of Edirne was signed on February 17, 1568.