Assignment

TOPIC: Rise of Ottomans

Submitted by
Name: Aaliya Nazir
Roll no. : 21075118002
Masters of Islamic studies
Semester : 4th
Batch _ 2021

Date of submission 19 July 2023

Submitted to :Dr. Nasir Nabi

Assistant Professor
Department Shah-I- Hamadan Institute of Islamic Studies
University of Kashmir
Srinagar

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 Table of contents
Acknowledgement 03
Introduction 04
Origin of Ottomans 05
Seljuks of Rum 5-6
Establishment of ottoman empire 7-8
Consolidation and expansion of ottoman empire 8-10
Conclusion 11
Bibliography 12

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 Acknowledgement

First and foremost, I am thankful to Almighty Allah for giving me strength, knowledge, ability
and opportunity to complete my assignment. Secondly, I would like to thank my teacher
Dr.Nasir Nabi Sir for providing guidance and support in completing my assignment .I would
like to give my sincere thanks to all who have shown a good cooperation with me. Thanks to
them because they have shared a lot of ideas and thought about this assignment.

Name of Student
Aaliya Nazir

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Introduction
The Ottoman Empire was the mightiest dynasty in the Islamic history. It emerged in Anatolia
under the leadership of Osman -I whose followers were called as Osmanlis which was later
Europeanized into Ottomans. The Ottoman Empire was a great empire that inherited most of
the Abbasid land also with the land of the Roman empire. Ottoman empire became a great state
that continued the leadership of the Muslims in the middle east and surrounding area. The
Ottoman empire was established between the years (1299-1924) rules approximately for 625
years.

The history of Ottoman Sultanate began with a group of ethnic Turks from the Qayigh Oghus
who were muslims who lived near the Gobi Desert which is now Mangol region.Those who
moved to the south and west towards Eastern Europe, the middle east and central asia came to
be known as Oghuz among themselves and in general as Turkomens or Turks to those whome
they attacked.

It is said that the Ottomans descended from the mass of nomads who roamed in the area of the
Altai mountains. Due to the changing political, military and climatic conditions in the Altaic
homeland sent successive nomadic waves against the settled civilizations located on the
borders of the steppes.

The Ottomas preserved the institution of the Caliphate after Abbasids and became a symbol of
muslim unity across the globe. The Ottoman empire was not only a threat to European rulers
but also a source of great regional stability and the security as well as important achievements
in the arts, science ,religion and culture. This great empire ended the Byzantine empire with
the conquest of Constantinople in 1453 by Mehmad II. It included most of the territories of the
eastern roman empire and held portions of the Northern Balkans and North Black Sea Coast.

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Origin of Ottomans
According to the sources the Ottomans belonged to the Kayi tribe which was a branch of the
Ghuzz Oghuz Turks. It is however interesting to note that out of the twenty four tribes of Ghuzz
confederacy it was Kayi tribe that produced great swordsmen, statesmen and administrators.
Ghuzz were a confederacy of twenty four clans which all stemmed from the common ancestor
Oghuz Khan.1

Kayi Tribe
1
Kayi tribe was one of the twenty four tribes of the Oghuz. It comprises of 400 tents. They
usually used to travel from one place to another. The word Kayi is defined as “Possessor of
strength and might’’ as a force. Its head was Sulayman Shah. After the death of Sulyman Shah
into two branches.

Sulayman Shah
It is related that the ancestor of the dynasty was one, the Sulyman Shah, the leader of the Kayi
tribe of Turkomans who ruled the small area of Mahan in North Eastern Iran in the late 12th
century. He said to have fled from the Mongol invasion in the early 13th century along with
thousands of other Turkomans trying to avoid death or enslavement at the hands of the new
conquerors coming from Central Asia. It is believed that he drowned while crossing the
Euphrates into Syria. After his death his family divided: Two sons led most of the family back
to Harasan to enter Mongol service while two sons Ertugrul Bey and Dundar Bey led part of it
Westward into Anatolia.2

Saljuks of Rum
Saljuks of Rum succeeded great Saljuk empire under sulayman ibn Qutulmish in 1077 . They
made their capital first at Iznik later at Konya in Central Anatolia. The Rum Saljuk empire is

1. Findley, Carter Vaughn :The Turks in world history, Oxford university press,2005
2. Stanford J. Shaw, History of the Ottoman Empire and modern Turkey, Cambridge University Press UK.
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listed in the chronologies of Islamic kingdoms as having lasted for 230 years from 1077 to
1307.3

Greater part of Asia minor was under the rule of the Saljuks. The Saljuks once a mighty power
were now in a state of decline. A number of independent principalities has sprung up on the
periphery of the Saljuk kingdom. These included karamania, karasi, Surakha, Mantsche and
some others.In the northwest the Byzantines held the cities of Brusa Niciae and Nicomedia
and2 a belt of territory along the Bhosphorus the sea of Marmora and the Hellispoint. In the
northeast was the Christian state of Tribazond. In the southeast was another Christian state
“little Armenia”4

Saljuks of Rum are considered as the seeds of ottoman empire.ERTUGRUL Gazi was an ally
of the seljuk sultanate of Rum and fought against the Byzantine Empire and the
mongols.Ertugrul was the son of sulayman shah. After the death of sulayman shah,ertugrul
became the head of kayi tribe. Kayi tribe was one amongst the tribes which followed the
seljuks.It so happened that one day ertugrul was proceedind with a small band of men in the
direction of Anatolia where he unexpectedly came upon a battlefield[Angora] in which the
seljuk sultan was contending against a strong and determined foe.At once ertugrul and his four
hundrend men joined in the conflict and helped to gain a victory for seljuks. The sultan
Alauuddin in return for this welcome aid allowed them to settle on land where good pasturage
and suitable winter quarters were found. This was in the neighbourhood of Angora and not far
from the boundaries of the Byzantine province of Bithynia.5

The ancestors of ottomans thus came to be settled in the north western border district of Sogut
to the south of the sea of Marmora and they were required to protect the seljuk dominions
against the raids of the Byzantines.Eetugrul ,rule in sogut as a vassal of Rum saljuk.6

3.Mc Carthy, Justin: The Ottoman Turks: An introductory History to 1923. Routledge Taylor and Francis group
2013. P.no 21
4.Hasan, Masudul, History of islam part II, Adam publishers and distributors New Delhi P.no 35
5.Sell Canon: The Ottoman Turks: Jovian Press 2015 P.no 5
6.Hasan, Masudul, History of islam part II, Adam publishers and distributors New Delhi P.no 36

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ESTABLISHMENT OF OTTOMAN EMPIRE
By 1230, the saljuk sultan’s power had shrunk to a small area round konya.A number of little
Turkish principalities were casting covetous eyes at his throne,but none was sufficiently
stronger than the others to seize it.Ertugrul died in 1288 and uthman was born.The years of the
earlier manhood of uthman had been peaceable ones,during which he established a reputation
for administration ability and for justness in his rule.

The ottoman state came into existence around 1300c.e. as a small frontier principality which
devoted itself to the Gaza,holy war on the frontiers of the seljukid sultanate in Asia minor and
of the Byzanine empire.The concept of Gaza holy war was an important factor in the foundation
and development of the ottoman state7

In the beginning of the 14thcentury the seljuk empire which was split up into ten states had
begun to fall into decay. Many of its feudatory vassals aspired to independent rule over domains
of their own.Uthman remained firm in his allegiance and as a reward in 1295c.e the seljuk
sultan Alau ud din kaykobid II made him a ruler over a territory he had that year conquered
and presented him with the horse-tail,drum and banner which were the insignia of independent
rule.His name was now inserted in the Friday prayers.

The date 1295, mark the beginning of the ottoman empire.Gradually however,the ottomans
began to absorb the domains of the seljuks,but the process was not completed till some years
after uthman’s death.when the seljuk dynasty had become extinct there was no power left
sufficiently strong to curb the ambition of the ottomans though the stronger among the ten
states which arose out of the seljuk empire successfully resisted them for a time. The ottomans
now turned their attention to the easier work of invading the neighboring Christian lands,and
the conflict with the Greek emperor began in earnest8. 3

Othman [1299-1326]

7.Lewis Geoffrey: Nations of the modern world: Modern Turkey, Praeger publishers New York Washington 1974
P.no 29
8. Sell Canon: The Ottoman Turks: Jovian Press 2015 P.no 4 & 5
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Othman,the founder of great ottoman empire which ruled for over 600 years.Othman started
his rule as a vassal of Rum seljuks.At the time of his accession,the principality under him
comprised two districts only namely,the district of sugut and Eski.

Othman’s way of life was the ghazi way. He carried campaigns against the Byzantines. He
fought with mongols. He conquered the town of Melangnore, a little to the south east of
sogut,renamed it “Karajashahr”and made it his capital 9

Declaration of independence

In 1302 c.e the mongols dismantled the Rum seljuk state. Thereafter they withdraw and did
not meddle with the affairs of Asia minor. That provided Othman the opportunity to declare his
independence and came to be known as Amir and embarked on a campaign of making more
conquests. In the confrontations with the Byzantines,he defeated them repeatedly. He extended
the limits of his principality northward to the Bhosporus and Black sea, a distance city of 120
sq.miles. He died in the year 1326 after leading his state for 38 years and was succeeded by his
son, Orhan/ Orkhan.10

Consolidation and expansion

Orhan [1326-1362]

Orhan,the son of Othman expended and consolidated the ottoman state. A number of processes
that begin during Orhan’s lengthy reign are:

1. An administration takes root, for which we have the physical evidence of an

independent coinage with a sophisticated design. His coins bore the inscription

May God cause to endure the empire of orkhan.son of Othman.

2. He shift from tent to palace

3. Orhan’s reign also marked the beginning of the institutions that transformed the
ottoman principality into a powerful state.4

9. Hasan, Masudul, History of islam part II, Adam publishers and distributors New Delhi P.no 36
10.ibid P.no 37
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 4. The military army of the Beyliks turns to sedentary modes of warfare with an infantry
wing.5
5. During his rule,there was a military advance into the Balkans.there is evidence of a
symbiosis between Christian and muslims.
6. He built mosques,medreses and caravansaries in the newly conquerd towns particularly
the ottoman capital Bursa which later became a major Islamic centre11

Two years after his succession Orhan captured Bursa in 1324 the ancient Greek city under
Mt.Olympus of Bithynia which became the first ottoman capital. He then renewed the siege of
Nicaea [modern Iznik]which surrendered to him in 1331,after which in 1337 he went on to
besiege Nicomedia[modern Izmit]. With the fall of Nicomedia, the Byzantines were completely
driven away from Asia.Turning to the neighbouring Turkmen states Orhan annexed the
principality of Karasi,In 1336 which had been weakened by dynastic struggles and he extended
his control to the extreme northwest corner of Anatolia.12

In 1353, in return for a loan of Turkish troops the Byzantine govt gave Orhan the fortress of
Tzympa on the European side of the Hellespoint. The turks thus got a foothold in Europe for
the first time in history. Also in 1354,seized Gallipole as a permanent foothold in Europe.

Orhan died in 1362 after an eventful rule of thirty five years.13

Murad I [1362-1389]

Murad’s rule witnessed rapid ottoman expansion in Anatolia and the Balkans and the
emergence of new forms of government and administration to consolidate ottoman rule in these
areas. Murad ascended the throne in succession to his father ,Orhan. Shortly after Murad’s
accession, his forces penetrated western Thrace and took Adrianople and Philippopolis and
forced the Byzantine emperor John V Palaeologus to become a vassal. Adrianople was renamed
Edirne, and it became Murad’s capital. Murad used Edirne as a base to campaign ever deeper
into the Balkans and during the two decades after his accession his raids took him into Greece,
Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania, Serbia ,Bosnia and Wallachia. At the same time, his forces

11.Cambridge History of Turkey Vol.I Edited by Fleet Kate 2010. P.no 120-121
12.Creasy Edward Shephard: History of the Ottoman Turks, Henry Holt and company New York 1878 P.no 3
13. Hasan, Masudul, History of islam part II, Adam publishers and distributors New Delhi P.no 125

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expanded the ottoman domains eastward and southward into Anatolia conquering the
Germiyan,Hamidad and Teke beyliks.

Battle of Kosova, fought between the armies of the Serbian prince Lazar and the Turkish forces
of the ottoman sultan Murad I in 1389 that left both leaders killed and ended in a Turkish
victory, the collapse of Serbia and the complete encirclement of the crumbling Byzantine
empire by Turkish armies.

Under Murad I the seeds of some of the basic ottoman imperial institutions were sown. The
administrative military offices of Kaziasker [military judge],Beylerbeyi[commander in
chief]and grand vazir[chief minister] crystallized and were granted to persons outside the
family of Osman I. The origin of the Janissary corps[elite forces] and the Devsirme[child-levy]
system through which the janissaries were recruited are also traced to murad’s reign.14

14. John Freely, A History of Ottoman Architecture, WIT Press, Southampton 2011. P.no 4

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Conclusion
Therefore in conclusion,the origin of ottoman empire goes back to kayi tribe. They start their
rule from small area of Sugut and spread throughout Anatolia. They succeeded two empires,the
seljuk empire and the great byzantine empire. Initially they rule as a vassal state of seljuk
empire but later Othman declare independence. It had many great leaders and each brought
great changes through their reigns in the empire. It ruled large areas of the middle east , eastern
Europe and north Africa for more than 600 years.

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Biblography

1. Donald quataert,The ottoman empire:1700-1922,Cambridge University

Press,UK,2005
2. Halil Inalcik,The Ottoman empire:The Classical age 1300-1600,Phoenix press,New
Haven,2001
3. Creasy,Edward Shepherd,History of the ottomand Turks,Richard Bentley and son,
London.
4. Lepids,Ira.M.:A History of Islamic Societies,Cambridge University Press,USA.
5. Douglas A.Howard: A History of the Ottoman Empire,Cambridge university
6. Norman Itzkowitz, Ottoman Empire and Islamic Tradition, The University of
Chicago Press USA 1980.

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