Military Expedition to the Safavid Empire by Selim I of Ottoman Empire: With a focus on disputes with the Eastern Anadolu conflict and Battle of Chaldiran(Çaldran Muharebesi)

The Ottoman Empire underwent internal and external troubles during the last years of Bayezid II's rule. His sons who came to age engaged in succession disputes, and the Safavid Dynasty that grew in the Anadolu region in the east plotted a revolt by instigating the Kizilbash living in the Ottoman Empire. Ascending the throne as a new ruler, Selim I sorted out the mess in the empire and planned an expedition to the Safavid Dynasty and the East to stabilize the empire. This study examined various policies implemented in the process of Selim I's preparation for a war with the Safavid Dynasty. He blocked any traffic to and from the Safavid Dynasty by closing the border to hit an economic blow to the dynasty and tried to isolate the dynasty diplomatically. He ordered the Safavid order and the Kizilbash living in the empire to move. In addition, he glamorized the planned war with the Safavid Dynasty as a holy war through fatwa and got a justification for the war. Based on these efforts, Selim I went off on an expedition to the Safavid Dynasty and the East. This military expedition of the Ottoman Empire began in May 1514 and faced many crises due to the extended supply ship line and long marches. The bureaucrats of the Ottoman Empire asked Selim I to withdraw, and the Yeniceri fired at his tent. These events drove the Ottoman Empire to a crisis, but Selim I overcame them with his remarkable leadership and won a victory at the Battle of Chaldiran by defeating the Safavid Dynasty. The Ottoman Empire occupied Tabriz, the capital of the Safavid, and many dukedoms nearby on its withdrawal route, thus dominating the Anadolu region in the east. The modern religious topography of the Middle East was formed after the Battle of Chaldiran. The Sunni cultural zone was established around the territory of the Ottoman Empire, and the Shia cultural zone was around the territory of the Safavid Dynasty. This shows that the outcomes of the important Battle of Chaldiran have impacts even in modern days.