Selim III Turkish Sultan in 1789-1807 Date of Birth: 24.12.1761 Country: Turkey

1. Biography of Selim III
2. Education and Radical Transformation
3. The Failure of Reforms
4. Later Life and Death

Biography of Selim III

Selim III, the twenty-eighth Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, ascended to the throne in 1789 after Abdul Hamid I and ruled until 1807. He was the son of Mustafa III. Selim III became the last and most consistent of a series of "traditionalist" reformers who, since the early 17th century, had attempted to save the crumbling Ottoman Empire by reviving its traditional institutions.

Education and Radical Transformation

Selim received a Western education and believed in the radical transformation of Ottoman society. He engaged in secret correspondence with King Louis XVI of France, whom he considered an enlightened monarch. However, from the moment of his accession to the throne until 1792, Selim was unable to focus on internal reforms due to the bloody war with Russia and Austria, which he inherited from Abdul Hamid I.

Only after the signing of the Treaty of Jassy in 1792, which ended the war, was the Sultan able to fully dedicate himself to internal affairs. To safeguard himself from constant military uprisings, Selim created a military corps armed, organized, and trained according to the latest European military practices. To finance this corps, the Sultan established a new treasury, completely separate from the funds traditionally used for the needs of the old institutions. This treasury and the military corps were collectively known as the "New Order" or "Nizam-i Cedit".

The Failure of Reforms

The creation of new military formations to address new challenges while maintaining old structures was a common practice in the Ottoman Empire. However, this reform ultimately failed as the old military elite proved strong enough to remove Selim from power in 1807.

Later Life and Death

After his removal from power, Selim continued to live in the palace under his successor, Mustafa IV, who ruled from 1807-1808. When an army led by Bayraktar Mustafa Pasha entered Istanbul from Edirne (Adrianople) to restore Selim to the throne, Mustafa killed Selim instead.

As a result, Selim's cousin Mahmut, who miraculously escaped death, ascended to the Ottoman throne in 1808 as Mahmud II.