EuropeEvent

Succession of Selim III as Ottoman Sultan

When
1789
Where
Ottoman capital where the sultan's accession took effect; Ottoman Empire at large
Episodes
2

Selim III succeeded his uncle Abdul Hamid I as Ottoman sultan on 7 April 1789 at age 27, inheriting an empire diminished by ongoing wars with Russia and Austria.

Episodes

  1. 7 April 1789 · Ottoman capital where the sultan's accession took effectAccession of Selim III

    Selim III succeeded his uncle Abdul Hamid I as Ottoman sultan on 7 April 1789, at the age of 27.

  2. 7 April 1789 · Ottoman Empire at largeEmpire Diminished at Accession

    Selim III found the Ottoman Empire considerably reduced due to conflicts outside the realm when he took the throne.

Background and detail

Background. Sultan Mustafa III had named his son Selim as his successor, but after Mustafa's death the throne passed instead to Selim's uncle Abdul Hamid I. Abdul Hamid took care of Selim and emphasized his education during his reign.

Accession. After Abdul Hamid's death, Selim succeeded him on 7 April 1789, at the age of 27, beginning a reign that would last until 1807. He was regarded as an enlightened ruler.

Situation on Accession. Selim ascended the throne to find that the Ottoman Empire of old had been considerably reduced due to conflicts outside the realm. His accession came while the empire was fighting simultaneous wars against Austria and Russia.

People involved

  • Selim III · New Ottoman sultan; succeeded Abdul Hamid I on 7 April 1789 at age 27
  • Abdul Hamid I · Predecessor and uncle of Selim III; his death opened the succession
  • Mustafa III · Selim's father, who had named his son his successor before Abdul Hamid I instead took the throne

Sources

  1. Selim III Wikipedia, revision of 2026-07-29

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.