Selim II Biography

Selim II was the 11th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. Unlike his predecessors, he was not keen to hold the title. He was neither authoritarian nor ambitious. He was more inclined toward worldly pleasures and spent most his time in his harem drinking wine. Due to this, he was given the title ‘Sarhoş Selim’ or ‘the Sod,’ meaning ‘Selim the Drunk.’ It was the tradition for a Sultan to raise his son to follow in his footsteps, but Selim II received no such training from his father because he was never seen as a future Sultan. He never received any mentoring in the military or government affairs and always remained disinterested in the Sultanate. Selim II’s reign is seen as a stark contrast as compared to his father, Suleiman the magnificent, whose rule was considered ideal. The Empire saw a slow decline as Selim was not able to neither honour the existing treaties nor make new ones. He relegated most of his responsibilities to his Grand Vizier (Chief Minister) because he had no interest in governance or stately affairs. He started the trend of Sultans not going to campaigns. Though his rule was short, it is remembered as unfortunate and incompetent.