Yavuz Sultan Selim’s Eastern Policy
Abstract

The reign of Yavuz Sultan Selim stands as one of the most decisive phases in Ottoman history, since it significantly redirected the course of the empire. During this period, the Ottoman movement toward the East should be understood not simply as a strategy of conquest, but also as a broader process of political, sectarian, military, and economic reorganization. The emergence of the Safavid State, the spread of Qizilbash propaganda in Anatolia, the unrest along the eastern borders, and the gradual weakening of Ottoman central authority all pushed Selim to adopt a policy centered on the East.

This study first provides a brief biography of Yavuz Sultan Selim, paying particular attention to his years as a prince in Trabzon, his tensions with Bayezid II, and his activities in the Georgian sphere. It then examines the character of the Safavid threat, the developments that led to Chaldiran, the outcomes of the war, and the implementation of the policy of istimâlet after the eastern campaign. Finally, the study discusses the relationship between Selim’s eastern policy, the Egyptian campaign, and a wider Ottoman vision of the world. The central argument of this study is that Yavuz Sultan Selim’s eastern policy cannot be reduced to military achievement alone; rather, it played a fundamental role in shaping the Ottoman Empire’s new identity in the sixteenth century.

Keywords: Yavuz Sultan Selim, Eastern Policy, Safavids, Battle of Chaldiran, Ottoman-Safavid relations, Georgian campaigns