The scene shifts to the Topkapı Palace. Sultan Bayezid II, weakened by age and grief, presides over a tense divan meeting. The Grand Vizier, Hadım Ali Pasha, warns the Sultan that the Janissaries are growing restless and favor Şehzade Selim because of his military prowess and harsh justice. Meanwhile, the influential Şeyhülislam and courtiers whisper support for Şehzade Ahmet, who is mild-mannered and scholarly. Bayezid, torn between his sons, announces he will officially declare an heir soon.
The episode opens in the lush forests near Amasya (circa 1511). Şehzade Selim (later Yavuz Sultan Selim) is on a hunting expedition with his loyal Janissaries and close companions. He is not merely hunting game; he is testing his men and strategizing. The hunt is interrupted when one of his trusted soldiers brings news: His father, Sultan Bayezid II, is old and ailing, and the struggle for the throne between his brothers—Şehzade Ahmet (governor of Amasya) and Şehzade Korkut (governor of Manisa)—is intensifying in the capital, Istanbul. Selim, the governor of Trebizond, is the third son, often overlooked but the most fierce and uncompromising. yavuz sultan selim episode 1
Refusing to wait for his father’s indecision, Selim makes a controversial decision. Against protocol, he begins marching his army west toward Edirne (the second capital) without the Sultan’s permission. His wife, Hafsa Hatun (a Crimean Tatar princess and mother of the future Suleiman the Magnificent), warns him that this could be seen as rebellion. Selim famously replies: “A lion cub does not ask permission to hunt. If I wait, my brothers will slaughter me and my sons.” The scene shifts to the Topkapı Palace
In Amasya, Şehzade Ahmet learns of Selim’s march. Though outwardly gentle, Ahmet is manipulated by his cunning vizier, Piri Pasha, who urges him to strike first. Ahmet sends assassins disguised as bandits to ambush Selim’s camp. The attack happens at night. A fierce skirmish ensues, where Selim personally kills two assassins with a dagger, shouting, “Even my shadow does not fear you!” His loyalty is proven when one of his own guards, wounded, admits he was bribed by Ahmet’s men. Selim, displaying his famous severity, executes the traitor on the spot. Şehzade Selim (later Yavuz Sultan Selim) is on
News of the assassination attempt reaches Istanbul. The Janissaries, who see Selim as the true warrior-sultan, riot in the streets, demanding Selim be named heir. Sultan Bayezid, fearing a coup, orders Selim to halt his march and return to Trebizond. But Selim refuses. He sends a daring letter to his father: “You taught me that the throne is not inherited—it is taken by the sword. I am only following your lesson.”