Selim I

About Selim I

Selim I (1470–1520) was the ninth Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, reigning from 1512 until his death. His historical importance stems largely from his aggressive expansion of the empire's territory and consolidation of power, earning him the epithet 'the Grim.' Under his rule, the Ottomans decisively defeated the Safavid Empire at the Battle of Chaldiran and conquered the Mamluk Sultanate, bringing Syria, Palestine, Egypt, and the Hejaz—including the holy cities of Mecca and Medina—under Ottoman control. This effectively established the Ottoman Empire as the paramount Islamic power in the region and positioned Selim as the Caliph of Islam, securing the empire's central role in global affairs, which solidifies his #412 rank in historical importance.

In the context of modern internet attention, Selim I occupies a relatively balanced position, with an Attention Gap of approximately 1x compared to his historical importance, registering 487K annualized Wikipedia views in 2025. This attention contrasts somewhat with the relative obscurity of some far more influential figures. For instance, William IV of the United Kingdom (#261 importance) garners only about 67K views, suggesting Selim maintains a stronger contemporary digital footprint relative to some earlier, more highly ranked rulers. Furthermore, his interest is growing, evidenced by a +3.6% year-over-year increase in views and a +3% positive momentum reading between Q1 and Q3 of 2025, indicating a sustained, if modest, contemporary relevance.