Real History of Orhan Gazi (Son of Osman Gazi)
Biography of Orhan Gazi
★ Birth and Pedigree: (Orhan Gazi) was the second sultan of the emerging Ottoman Empire, then known as the Ottoman Beylik. He was born in 1281 in Sogu. He is the son of Osman I and his 2nd wife Malhun Hatun.
★ Early Life of Orhan Gazi : The first child of Osman Gazi, the founder of the Ottoman Empire, was named Orhan Gazi. He was born around 1281 AD. Grandfather Artugrul loved and named his grandson Orhan.
Orhan Gazi grew up slowly under the care and rule of his parents. Not much is known about his childhood and adolescence. Orhan, who had a fit body, was a favorite of father Osman Gazi. Thinking about the future, he always kept his son with him, wanted to teach him the duties and responsibilities of a sultan. According to some historians, the twenty-year-old Orhan was once sent by Osman Gazi to look after the small province of “Nakihire”. But in 1309 he returned from there to the capital Sagu.
★ Orhan Ghazi’s wife: It is known from history that Orhan Gazi married four times during his lifetime. His four wives namely :– 1 :- Nilufar Khatun 2 :– Asporcha Khatun 3 :– Theodora Khatun 4 :– Eftandis Khatun.
★ Seated on the Throne of Power: After succeeding his father, Urhan proposed to his brother Alauddin Ali that they share the emerging empire. But Alauddin rejected the offer on the grounds that their father had nominated Orhan as the sole heir and the empire could not be divided. He only took as his share the revenue of a village near Bursa. Orhan then proposed his brother Alauddin to be the vizier. According to historians Alauddin accepted this offer. Alauddin did not lead the army as often as other viziers. But he devoted himself to the formation and management of the military and civil institutions of the state.
★ State expansion: Orhan launched a campaign against the Byzantines in Anatolia. First, in 1321, he captured Mudania, the port of Bursa on the Sea of Marmara. He then sent troops to conquer the western Black Sea coast under Konur Alp and Ijmit under Aqueda. Eventually the Marmas occupied the southeastern coast of the ocean. After that, through diplomatic negotiations, he occupied Bursa. Evronos Bey, the commander of the Bursa fortress, became a commander of the light cavalry, and his sons and grandsons served under the Ottomans in many Balkan conquests. After conquering the city of Bursa, Orhan sent an army towards the Bosphorus and occupied the Byzantine cities along the Sea of Marmara.
The Byzantine Emperor Andronicus III’s army advanced and encountered Orhan’s forces in the present-day city of Dariza. The Byzantines were defeated in the battle. Thus, after the Battle of Pelecanone in 1329, the Byzantines abandoned the idea of recovering the territory of Kochaili. The city of Nicaea surrendered in 1331. In 1337 Izmit or Nicomedia was captured. Orhan gave his eldest son Suleiman Pasha control of the city. Suleiman had earlier led the siege of the city. Most of northern Anatolia fell to the Ottomans with the conquest of Üsküdar in 1338.
In 1345, Orhan conquered the neighboring Turkic kingdom of Karesi (present-day Balikesir and surrounding areas). After the death of the emir of Qaresir, a conflict between his two sons over the throne began. Orhan then attacked Karesi and took possession of it. As a result of the Karesi conquest, almost all of northwestern Anatolia came under the Ottoman beylik. The cities of Bursa, Izmit, Iznik and Bergama became Ottoman strongholds. Few Expedition Details:——
1/ Siege of Nicaea:In 1328, Orhan Gazi’s forces besieged the city of Nicaea (present-day Iznik). In 1329, Andronikos III attacked the Ottomans to break the siege. Although he had some success in the beginning, in the end, the smile on Andronikos’ face no longer remained. Nicaea fell in 1331. At that time Nicaea was the most important of the Asian cities of the Byzantine Empire. The Ottoman Empire was able to stand on a stronger foundation by including it in their own empire.
2/ Fall of Nicomedia: After the fall of Nicaea, the fall of Nicomedia (present-day Izmit) was only a matter of time. Emperor Andronikos even wanted to bribe Orhan to prevent its fall. But there was no benefit. Finally, in 1337, this city also fell under the Ottoman attack. Sulaiman Pasha, son of Orhan Gazi, led this campaign.
3/ Others:In 1338 Uskudar also came under the Ottomans. Until then, the Byzantines held sway from the Black Sea coastal city of Sail to Uskudar and the Paphlagonian port city of Amsara. But the isolated areas were never a threat to the Ottomans. Finally, in 1345, Orhan Gazi took possession of Karesir (present-day Balikesir and its surrounding areas). This resulted in the establishment of Ottoman Empire rule over almost all of northwestern Anatolia. Bursa, Nicomedia, Nicaea and Pergamum were its four strong pillars.
★Contribution: The institutions that transformed the Ottoman Empire into a powerful state also began during Orhan’s reign. In 1327, the first silver Ottoman coins were minted in Orhan’s name. When the Anatolian conquests reorganized the army on a more permanent basis. Finally, Orhan built mosques, madrasas (theological colleges) and inns for caravans in the newly conquered cities, especially in the Ottoman capital of Bursa. and established justice in the empire. Strengthened the foundation of governance.
★ Personality of Orhan Gazi:After his father’s death, Orhan Gazi was named as the second sultan of the emerging Ottoman Empire. Orhan Gazi was a very benevolent, forgiving, pious and just ruler. Specialists in theology were objects of his special respect. Strength of character, patience, regular monitoring of the surrounding people made Orhan a firm seat in the hearts of the people within a short period of time.
★ Death of the 2nd Sultan of the Ottoman Empire:Orhan Ghazi. In the last days of his life, he passed most of the reigns of the empire in the hands of his second son, Murad, and spent time quietly in Bursa. Finally, the Sultan II of the Ottoman Empire breathed his last in Bursa at the age of eighty years in 1362, ending his thirty-six-year reign. Read more Articles
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