HeWhoIsMe
Banned
Author's intro:
Seeing as this is my first attempt at a timeline, regarding a story I had going in my head for quite a while, I would like to ask for the dear readers' patience and understanding. On a side note, I could also use some advice with maps as I haven't used any yet and I would like to.
I hope, but am not entirely confident, that my English is up to the task.
The story will, hopefully, take us from the fall of Bursa to the young Ottoman beylik, then still known as the tribe of Sogut, all the way to the modern times. This might sound a bit too ambitious, while retaining a semblance of plausibility but I have high hopes to it. By the end hopefully I will have created an Ottoman(well, sort of) Empire that will be very different to the one we know from OTL.
Any sort of criticism, no matter how harsh, is welcome.
Strap in and enjoy the ride! Or read the first couple of paragraphs, and leave this thread disgusted not to ever return...
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The House of Evrenuz
October 26th, 1326 CE:
Just outside the walls of Prusa:
The almost full moon shone down upon Photios Vrennos as he rode through the darkness towards the two distant lights. If he was right, those lights were his companions' torches, lit up for him to spot the crossroad in the pitch dark. If he wasn't right they could be a pair of stray Turkish scouts who wandered too far ahead of their main force, now less than 4 hours' march to the southeast. Knowing how the Turks march, they'd probably be here in two.
As he closed in on the lights he reduced his speed down to a slow gallop and took his horse off the dirt track on the grassy field to the side. The track was riddled with stones and they made a noise that immediately gave away his position as his horse's hooves struck against them. He wasn't yet convinced those were his own men holding the torch lights and he decided to be cautious with his approach.
Yet, there was no need for that. Apparently the men had already spotted him. They were waving their torches, signalling at him it was them, his troop of light cavalrymen. They all served under Photios' command in the provincial garrison of the city of Prusa. He in turn served under his father's command who was the governor of Prusa. In times past his father would be insubordinate to the vastly powerful Kometas(count) of the Theme of Opsiakon, the single most powerful political entity within the Empire. By now these times were gone. The theme hardly even existed anymore and it was split too many times in the past that nobody really knew who was under whose authority anymore and nobody cared either.
“My lord!” Exclaimed a bearded fat rider among the horsemen, “They're coming for good this time. There's a host of camel riders and soldiers on foot approaching from the east. Judging from the supplies they're carrying with them they probably plan to stay a while.”
“I agree” said Photios while a sigh escaped him. “I've spotted a scouting troop of light cavalry approaching from the southeast, there's just but a couple dozen of them but, without a doubt, another sizable force must be following behind them. There's hardly anything we can do men. Disperse! Ride back to your homes and families and let the townsfolk know a storm is coming!”
“Disperse, my lord?!” There was genuine objection in the fat rider's voice.
“Oh, my bad! I should have known better than to offend the gallantry of valiant warriors such as you! How about this, then? The handful of you can stay here and defend the pass to the last man, while I ride to the keep to plead with my father for a capitulation before any more lives are lost! Or you can choose to obey my initial order.”
“Men! You heard the lord. We ride back into town!” , the fat man's tone changed almost instantly. Then he turned to Photios, “May God keep you safe my lord. You are a good man.”
Photios nodded his head and raised a steady hand at which point his band of riders started riding away towards the dim lights of Prusa.
He then made his way towards his fathers residence and provincial headquarters. He could feel it in his stomach that things were about to change radically for both the Vrennos men. For better or for worse, it was yet to be seen.
At the keep of Prusa:
“I can't believe you're here asking me to relinquish my honour and bow my head to the Turk, while you should be out there fighting them instead! If I were Basileus(Emperor) and you were my strategos(general), I'd have definitely had you beheaded!” Ormon Vrennos, Photios' father and lord and governor of Prusa was nothing short of furious!
“If you were the Emperor, instead of my father, and I was a general, instead of your son, then I'd have defected to the Turks already without even bothering to come here and argue with you!” Photios answered without even raising the tone of his voice, “Now listen to me you old fart. There's nothing we can do with our local forces. And as far as I know, the Emperor, is much too distracted fighting his own brother to mind sending us reinforcements from Constantinople! Additionally, this is no mere raid we're facing. The Sogut bey seems to have brought with him all the necessary means to capture and hold our fine land permanently. To make a long story short, father, we're DOOMED!” he put some emphasis on this last word of his.
“So what do you suggest we do then, oh, fruit of my loins?”
“Way I see it there's two viable options. Either we pack what we can carry, turn tail and run while we still can, then we flee to a life of shame and poverty back in the capital. Or, you rush out to ask for audience with the Turkish bey! You pledge allegiance to him, offer to pay generous tribute, accept harsh terms and only ask in return that he allows you to maintain your lordship over Prusa.”
“Ha! Yes, I'm sure a fine noble Christian lord like me would fit in very nice nice among the Muhameddan steppesmen!”
“From what I hear, father, the bey does not pay much attention to such details. If you should be a loyal and reasonably competent vassal he would treat you same as any other vassal! And I should mention here, that it was you, father, who taught me that religion is but a tool we yield to further our political goals. Maybe if we considered adopting their religion, doors would open for us...doors we would have never been given the chance to open within the frame of the old and tired Empire. Father please try and see the sense in my words. We can turn an otherwise catastrophic defeat into a rather acceptable outcome for our family. As for the local people. They won't have it any worse than they did before.
'
“You've sort it all out in your head! Haven't you, you little traitor?”
“Yes I have actually. I saw all this coming, father, and don't presume me so na?ve as to overlook that you have, too! Only question that remains is what will you do now?”
“Ahh” he let out a long sigh. “Of course I have seen this coming! I didn't make lord and survive this long being one for being short sighted, Photios! You do not presume me to be senile...Still, I am not too proud to admit that I'm too old and too set in the ways of the Imperial court. I 'll probably do more harm than good negotiating such delicate matters with the Turk. So you be a good son and go act as your father's ambassador with the bey. You already know better than I do what you are supposed to aim for and how to handle them. Go, now. Go, and remember...I probably have less than a decade left on this world. Which means that the best deal you strike with the Turk, the richer your imminent inheritance will be”, said the old lord, struggling to keep a smirk from forming on his lips.
“Oh, yes. I needed to be reminded that! Thank you father!”, came the ironic reply from the son.
At the bey's tent:
The main Sogut army had already arrived and were setting up camp, or looting the country side by the time Photios managed to locate someone with authority to take him to the commander's tent.
It was almost dawn now and the swift Turkish night march made sure that the people living on the wrong side of the defensive wall would wake up to a really nasty surprise as the bey allowed the advancing colums of his soldiers to plunder a few of the wealthy agricultural estates on the outskirts of the town, before they fall back in line to storm the walls. So, while everyone around him was preparing to storm his father's keep, Photios, on horseback and escorted by a seemingly Turkish horseman, was being taken to see the bey. He was made to stand by the tent's entrance while his escort went inside to let the bey know there was an envoy there to discuss important matters with him. Then to Photios' surprise instead of the olive skinned, tall and lean escort that went in to announce him, a kind of short and bulky young man with a fairer complexion came out. He wore garments of exquisite textile, bearing the colors he knew only Turkish noblemen wore and on top of these he wore a sizable woolen cap. To his side hang a bend sword with two rather sizable opals embedded in it's ivory handle. Behind him followed the escort who would also act as interpreter between the two men as none of them spoke the other's language. A rag was spread on the ground right in front of the tent and after the short bulky man sat and the tall interpreter took his position standing behind him, he waved at Photios to sit opposite the bey.
Photios, almost lost his nerve for a while “Erm...my noble bey?” he hesitated...
The bulky man let out a short laugh and said something for the interpreter to translate.
“My lord says you would be excused to make such a mistake. He says it is not he who is the bey but his father. Yet his old and ailing father could not join the lords in this expedition so the prince assumed command. His name is Orkhan, son of Osman.” The interpreter's accent indicated that Greek was probably his first language before he learnt how to speak the Turkic language of the invaders.
Then, the prince seemed to ask Photios something and the interpreter translated, “So what is that you wish to discuss with my prince?”
“I have come to offer terms!” Photios immediately regained his composure and answered confidently. “I am also here on behalf of my father. Who is lord of the fort you are about to attack. He is also lord of all the lands between here and the outskirts of Nicomedia to the northeast. My father lord wishes to ask that you cease the hostilities.
Another short laugh escaped the prince as Photios' words were translated to him. “Why would I recall the attack when I see that it's only a few weeks, maybe a month at most, before I am master of your holdings without any terms or pre-conditions?”
“Because this time around you haven't come to sack the riches and run back to your tents. This time around you want to establish your authority over the province and profit from this, adding Prusa to the kingdom you are building my prince! And If I may say, if you want to do that fast and with the least amount of trouble you'd need a man with local knowledge and ample experience to aid you. That's where my father comes in! Not to mention that it's my father alone who can give a final order to the local garrison not to resist you.”, Photios really hoped that the bey didn't know the local garrison was close to non-existant, “And it would serve you well to be done with the conquest as soon as possible. The Emperor in Constantinople might wake up one of those days to realize that Prusa is too valuable to lose. And he still has wealth enough to buy him a mercenary force to bring down on your rear while you are still besieging my father's fort.”
“So I should trust him, your lord of a father, with those lands only that he can go on to sell me off to my enemies next time he's in a tight corner?” Came a cold reply from the bey's mouthpiece...
“Listen, I see your point but it's not that simple my bey. My father has always been a loyal and obedient servant to his Emperor. And all he got in return was nothing at best. Best proof of that, there is no army from Constantinople to face you in battle here today. We were left here to our fates. A fair and wise ruler like you would never treat his most loyal vassals like that. “
Another short laugh from the prince. “You dhimmi are nothing if not sly and cunning! You could talk the Devil into visiting Heaven. I admire and respect this, strangely. It seems to be an effective survival strategy. I shall retire to my tent now and consider what we've talked over for a while. You shall stay here as my guest and you will be summoned when I am ready to announce my decision. As long as you remain here, I will give order for the assault on the fort to be halted. Make yourself comfortable.” translated the tall, lean horseman for his bey and then they both entered the tent. That left Photios sitting alone on the rag contemplating whether he had just saved or forever doomed his father's, and soon to be his, status and holdings!
The assault was halted indeed and the Turks started setting up camp while making sure to cut off all external communications from the fort of Prusa to the outside world. The day passed by and the night came again. Various Sogut noblemen were coming in and out of the prince's tent the whole time. Finally when it was getting really late and everybody else but the prince and the interpreter had retired for the night, Photios was summoned in the tent. He was surprised to see the prince in his undergarments, getting ready to slip into some sort of intricately decorated sleeping suit!!!
“Well, my Greek friend, or should I say opponent, it's too late to reach any important decisions now. My head is spinning from the day's proceedings and I need some rest. I am sure you do, too. As my guest you will lay here on the spare divan and spend the night with me. By morning we shall discuss the matter at hand.“
The bey, now dressed in the fancy sleeping suit, rested his bulky body on the largest divan in the tent. Photios was shown to a smaller, yet adequate, divan where he could rest himself for the night. He noticed that the man who originally escorted him here this morning was nor leaving the tent, neither preparing to. “Well”, Photios thought to himself, “it makes sense that they are not about to let the enemy alone with their prince through the whole night. I should have expected as much!” Not that he was harboring any vile thoughts, anyway.
The prince seemed like a reasonable man. One you'd rather sit down and talk business with rather than stab them in their sleep.
With these thoughts crossing his mind, Photios, felt himself slip away into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Orkhan gazi, prince and soon to be become bey of the tribe of Sogut.
October 28th, 1326 CE:
Capitulation of Prusa. Osman, leading bey of the tribe of Sogut, founder of the House of Osman dispatches his son and successor, Orkhan to capture the wealthy and sizable Byzantine city of Prusa. The bey Orkhan negotiates a bloodless take-over of the city of Prusa and it's surroundings, with its former Byzantine lord Ormon Vrennos. The bey extracts a tribute in women, valuable items like textiles and jewellry from the city's trading stock and many fine studs and a few select mares from the local horse breeding grounds. The lord Vrennos is retained in his position as local governor under the Ottoman overlordship. On a side note, the bey Orkhan, develops a liking towards lord Vrennos' son, Photios Vrennos. The feelings are seemingly mutual and the young man is taken under the bey's protection to join the corps of the akinci. A force of irregular light cavalry recruited among both the Turk and the Christian subjects of the Ottoman realm. This force had steadily evolved from a marauding band of steppesmen into an elite fighting force by the time Photios joined. Sources indicate that the bey even allowed Photios to retain his hereditary right to lorship over Prusa once his father passed away. The outcome of this treaty was considered a great success since Osman initially planned to capture the city and turn it into his fledgling kingdom's new prestigeous capital. The city is however restyled Bursa.
Photios Vrennos, renamed Fatih Evrenuz, clad in the garments and armor of the akinci light cavalry corps
November 8th, 1326 CE:
Osman, only having received news of his son's victory in Bursa a week before, dies an old, exhausted and reasonably satisfied man. The Sogut tribal council unanimously approves the sons of Osman, Orkhan and Alaeddin as the bey's rightful successors to each rule over a part of the realm. But, Alaeddin, respecting his father's will not to have the realm split after his death, renounced all his claims on the title of bey and was satisfied to receive the income of a single settlement, near Bursa. Orkhan following his coronation, declares the beginning of the House of Osman(Ottoman). His first action as bey is to start laying plans for further conquest. At the same time building a new team of royal advisors and generals around him to help him command his realm. What he needed no help at all deciding was the target of his short-term conquests. The lands of the Orthodox Empire now bordering his lands were sufficiently wealthy and the Empire itself was clearly in its death throes. Rich pickings. But the uneasy situation on his rears would have to be adressed, too. For, the other Turkish princes of Anatolia might be calm and compliant for now, but for how long?
June 23rd, 1328 CE:
After a relatively short siege of 4 months the city of Nicaea capitulates to Orkhan's forces. Though again Constantinople was either too distracted or too catatonic to offer any reinforcements, the Nicaean garrison was well provisioned and under sound command. It was estimated that the city could have lasted for at least another 2 years. Instrumental in the early capitulation was Photios Vrennos'(now having adopted the name Fatih Evrenuz) intervention with the Nicaean lord. The lord was an old acquaintance of his father and he recognized Fatih as lord Ormon's son. After they caught up with the news, Fatih convinced the Nicaean lord that he'd be better off negotiating the take over with Orkhan rathen than waiting hidden behind his walls for Orkhan to break through. The city of Nicaea was renamed Iznik. Although, direct control of the city proper, and its fort, were taken from the Byzantine lord, he was given in return the right to extract income from the surrounding lands and all his able bodied sons were taken into service with the akinci. Orkhan made Iznik his new Ottoman capital.
It should be noted that very active throughout the whole operation, was young prince Suleyman, firstborn son of bey Orkhan. He was entrusted to Fatih who was to be his guardian and mentor. Even though Suleyman was roughly 13, he was an excellent rider and seemed to be a promising scout and warrior as well. The two men would grow to be friends as the young prince grew older.
After the terms of surrender are reached, Fatih is invited by a group of nobles to review the group of ladies that were to be given as tribute to the Ottomans. Among the girls he singles out, a young, fine Greek girl, called Anastasia. She is to become his most beloved wife of a least four decades.
Suleyman pasha, Orkhan's eldest son and apparent successor, depicted here at the age of 30
September 1st, 1329 CE:
In the family fort of Bursa, a daughter is born to Fatih Evrenuz and his wife Anastasia(now renamed Guzeler). Her name is to be Acelya. Though both Fatih and Guzeler always call the girl Azalea, by her Greek name, in private. Ormon Evrenuz is present at his granddaughter's birth and prince Suleyman arrives in the fort 4 days later, bringing gifts and expressing his family's wishes that the young girl grow into a healthy and beatiful woman.
March 2nd, 1331 CE:
One of the Byzantine Empire's largest urban centers and the one closest to Constantinople submits to Ottoman rule. It is the city of Nicomedia which is now fashioned Izmit by the Ottoman conquerors.
As with early cases the Ottoman army enveloped the city and was preparing to lay siege to the city while Fatih Evrenuz was dispatched along with prince Suleyman to attempt at negotiating the city's bloodless surrender. The reputation of Orkhan's respectable treatment of the Byzantine lords he conquered had already reached the various Byzantine lands bordering the Ottoman beydom. So once again Fatih and the Prince were almost about to strike a deal with the Nicomedian lord.
Apparently news of this development reached the Emperor's ears in Constantinople. He had grown disgusted of his Anatolian lords for so willingly and readily submitting to the Turks without even putting up a fight. Even though his coffers were empty and his political standing less than favourable he decided he had to make a stand against the Turkish onslaught. Lest he wanted to face the possibility of the garrison of Constantinople itself negotiating its surrender to the Turks, any time soon.
Recruits were levied from the poor masses of Eastern Thrace and a number of Slavic mercenaries were summoned for duty outside the walls of Contsantinople as well. The Emperor loaded the mixed force on to the remaining ships of his fleet and ferried them across the Bosphorus strait. The troops landed on the shore roughly 2 kilometres south west of Nicomedia, thus cutting off the Turkish army besieging the city from its retreat route to Iznik.
Orkhan bey was taken by surprise but soon regained his confidence. Having received reports from his scouts of not an Imperial Army threatening his flanks, but of a host of peasants with pitchforks and sharpened sticks, acconpanied by a band of mercenaries.
Following Fatih Evrenuz and young Sueleyman's urges to not lift the siege on behalf of such a minor threat, Orkhan trusted the Greek akinci commander with a sizable light cavalry force while leaving his heavy force in place to keep laying siege to the city.
Fatih and Suleyman led the mobile force exceptionally and before the Byzantine force even managed to consolidate it self on the shore it was already under serious harassment by the Turkish cavalry archers.
Eventually a small battle took place and the Turkish force routed the Byzantines towards the south where they completely disintegrated into groups of stragglers fighting for survival rather than victory.
The news of the Imperial intervention and subsequent defeat reached the defenders of Nicomedia who promptly gave up the defense and surrendered to the forces of Orkhan bey.
Same as before the local lord was allowed to maintain lands surrounding the fort and city of Nicomedia proper, while his sons were taken into service and a beautiful daughter of his was married off to a Turkish young nobleman to whose family Orkhan owed great gratitude. Since the province itself was strategically situated so close to Constantinople, though, direct control of the fort and town had been granted to emir Turgut Selimmedin, father of the young noble to marry the previous lord's daughter.
The city would now serve as a launching base for farther harassment of the Byzantine metropolis. Indeed many a raiding party followed by militant Islamic theologians have crossed the Bosphorus via Izmit to wreak havoc and spread Islam among the Byzantine provinces of Rumelia.
March 14th, 1338 CE:
Orkhan's reputation for swift conquest of Christian lands spreads among the various Turkish principalities of Anatolia. Many a Turkish prince now see that joining the Ottomans might actually be wiser than having to fight against them for supremacy.
The ruler of the neighbouring beylik of Karasi, Haci Bey is old, in his mid 40's and only has a single surviving daughter left as a heir. The future looks bleak for his beylik and so he sends an envoy to the Ottoman capital of Iznik trying to stay ahead of the game while he still can. He requests that his daughter be married to one of Orkhan's sons. In return he would attach his beylik to the Ottoman realm and rule it on behalf of the Ottoman chief until his death. After he has passed the Ottoman bey would be given full authority over the Karasid lands. Orkhan accepts without second thought and invites Haci Bey to Iznik so they can formalize their agreement and seal it in celebration.
Thus, the first rival Turkish bey in Anatolia is brought into the Ottoman fold.
The town of Balikesir is renamed Haciya in honour of its lord and the provincial fortifications are upgraded to a respectable fort.
April 22nd, 1341 CE:
The young prince Murad
An incident takes place, that is to strain relations within the House of Osman for years to come.
Orkhan bey decides that the coming of spring should be celebrated by means of a hunting trip for the bey and his princes. A great chance for the princes and future administrators of his realms to develop strong bonds to each other. Among the most prominent princes to follow are Suleyman, the bey's firstborn, most competent general and intended heir, and Murad. Murad, born in 1326, is the firstborn son of Orkhan's favourite wife, Nilufer(or Helene as she was probably known in Greek). He is openly envious of his elder brother's status and would like a bigger share of his father's inheritance.
Fate has it that both princes prefer falconry as their chosen means of hunting. At some point, the two princes and their followers are found to be tracking the same prey. A small hare that was unlucky enough to be spotted sprinting across an open grassy field. Code of conduct has it that one of the two princes should back down and let his brother launch his falcon against the prey. Either the first one to spot the prey shall have the honour, or if it is too close to call the senior prince is expected to be given precedence.
Suleyman indeed launched his falcon when he came within range expecting his brother to acknowledge his seniority. But Murad launched his as well...
The two predators reached over their target at exactly the same moment but instead of going for the poor rabbit, they ended up fighting each other off. As a result the rabbit had a unique chance to make a run for it. And it did. So at least one animal escaped this incident unscathed. The same couldn't be said for the princes's falcons though. Both had sustained injury from their fight and Suleyman's falcon had even clawed an eye out of Murad's, thus rendering it incapable of hunting.
Needless to say the princes were furious. At first, they shouted heavy insults to each other on horseback. Then they both dismounted and tried to reach for their swords.
If the various royal followers hadn't intervened this would have definitely gone seriously out of hand.
The whole excursion was called off by an accordingly furious Orkhan upon hearing news of his son's quarrel and he demanded to see them both back in Iznik.
Though he didn't pass any substantial punishment on them he severely reprimanded them both in the presence of the whole court and also imposed upon Suleyman to give his brother one of his hawks in replacement of the one that had to be put down.
The princes then tried to avoid each other as much as humanly possible but the incident had taken its toll. Strange and unpleasant dynamics were beginning to form within the House of Ottoman.
Orkhan could not afford to alienate any of his sons.
But if one had to be given precedence over the other that would probably be Suleyman. He was a the eldest. He was a competent leader with a portfolio of recent conquests that had been achieved with surprisingly low cost. He already had forged close ties with various powerful nobles among both the Turks but also the Christian subjects. His close relationship with Fatih Evrenuz in particular was proving to be quite a bonanza.
Murad on the other hand was 10 years younger than Suleyman. He was an active and energetic young man of 15 ready to assume responsibilities. But he hadn't assumed any real ones yet. His biggest asset was arguably his mother. Helene(Nilufer) was Orkhan's favourite wife. A Greek princess of royal blood. She knew how to play a man to her tune, be he Turk, Greek or otherwise...and though Orkhan was no puppet of his wife, or any woman for that matter, he couldn't help but be influenced by her. Also, the recently subjugated Byzantine lords were looking to her for guidance in their new status as Christian nobles in the Ottoman realm. That brought her many times at odds with fatih Evrenuz who was also competing for influence over the Greek lords. And by extension that brought Suleyman and Murad into conflict...
December 9th, 1341 CE:
John Cantacouzenos, a close friend to the late Byzantine Emperor Andronikos III, was regent and protector to the young Emperor John V Palaiologos who was in his late childhood and not yet ready to assume the throne. While he never wished the throne for himself and readily recognised young John V as the sole heir, he was adamant in his role as a regent, and commander of the standing army, until the minor would come of age. His unwillingness to relinquish any authority until then made him enemies with John V's mother Empress Anna of Savoy.
When Cantacouzenos was compelled by family matters to leave Constantinople for his native Morea, the Empress roused several sympathising nobles, the Orthodox Patriarch himself and the Imperial guard and managed to have John V crowned Emperor. She then had her son denounce Cantacouzenos as regent, and order his army disbanded.
The imperial order fell on deaf ears as the army having heard of the news from the capital had already sided by its commander and declared him Emperor among their ranks.
John V under guidance from his mother seeked to hire a sizable force of mercenaries to counter Cantacouzenos' army. The end result was civil war in the Empire.
Now Cantacouzenos had apparently resorted to seeking aid from the Ottomans. Their realm situated on the exposed left flank of Constantinople made them suitable allies against the child Emperor.
So, a strange envoy arrives at the Ottoman capital of Iznik. An old noble from the Byzantine province of Morea has travelled across the Aegean in the midst of winter to seek audience with Orkhan. He appeared before the Ottoman court representing the interests of John Cantacouzenos.
The Byzantine noble requested that the Ottomans provide him with aid in capturing Constantinople and ascending to the throne. In return when Emperor, Cantacouzenos would fully acknowledge the fairly recent conquests of Bursa, Iznik and Izmit and pledge never to bother the Ottomans about those in the future.
Suleyman who was present when the envoy presented his case to Orkhan asked that he be allowed to advice the bey in private before he reaches a final decision. Suleyman argued with his father that it might be a good idea to milk the future Emperor for all they could if they were to pledge their support for him. He had a particular prize in mind.
One of the countless times he found himself riding down the coast of the Bosphorus with his friend and mentor Fatih Evrenuz, he took special notice of a small Byzantine fort situated right across the straits. It was the fort of Tzympe. If they could come to control this precious little fort they would have a most valuable beach head on the coast of Rumelia, Of course the Byzantines knew that as well as the Ottomans and the little fort was exceptionally well-guarded and provisioned.
When the Byzantine noble was summoned back to Orkhan's presence he was presented with the request that in addition to the concessions already proposed by John Cantacouzenos another one be added. The Ottoman bey wished that the small and insignificant fort of Tzympe be granted to him. Because Orkhan knew that wouldn't go down well with the Byzantines, he added that his intention was for the small fort be used as a base of supply for the Ottoman soldiers fighting on Cantacouzenos' side in his struggle for the throne.
The next day the Byzantine lord departed for Morea, to bring the counter proposal to his master.
March 12th, 1342 CE
John Cantacouzenos had already made his mind up to decline the deal the Ottoman's requested of him. He reasoned that his own loyal troops should be adequate in securing him the throne. An ally on the enemy's flank would have been useful but not necessary. And in any case, providing the Turks with a foothold on Rumelia was out of the question.
But then, as fate usually has it, his over-confidence was punished and disaster struck. John Cantacouzenos, who was still in Morea trying to build up his web of alliances before departing to Thrace, to assume command of his army, received terrible news. A force of Bulgarian mercenaries marching south to Constantinople at Empress Anna's request fell upon his unsuspecting army. The loyal soldiers were camped securely within a day's march from Constantinople, just to the east of Adrianople, and were confident that the Empress had nothing to resist them with. The Bulgarian attack came seemingly out of the blue and found the camp in utter disorder. Many were captured, more were slaughtered and by the end of the day John Cantacouzenos hardly had an army anymore.
Immediately he summoned the Byzantine lord he had previously dispatched to Orkhan and provided him with a new mission. Go back and secure the Ottoman's support at any cost!
September 5th, 1342 CE:
A force of Ottoman foot soldiers accompanied by a detachment of akinci are disembarked about 3 miles south of the fort of Tzympe. It is a mixed Greek and Venetian fleet paid for by John Cantacouzenos that has ferried them. Intelligence gathered previously indicates that the garrison in the fort has been severely depleted since the onset of the war between John V Palaiologos and John Cantacouzenos.
The same night the Ottoman soldiers capture one of the patrols emitted from the fort. They use the captives as instruments in a coy to get their unsuspecting companions within the fort to open the gates for them. It works and within the same night the Ottoman force is fully in control of Tzympe.
A further force of at least 23000 soldiers will be provided by Orkhan to aid Cantacouzenos is his rightful quest for the throne, over the course of the 4 year long civil war. Those veterans will get intimate with the country of Rumelia while campaigning on Cantacouzenos' side. Later on when they get discharged from Cantacouzenos' service they will return to their original master and form the core of the Ottoman fighting force.
May 3rd, 1343 CE:
There was a sort of understanding between the Anatolian beyliks. Their realms were to be abodes of peace, while the Christian realms, across the straits in Rumelia, were to be the abodes of war. Though this treaty failed to diminish serious rivalry between the Turkish beys, it at least offered them a direction towards which to channel their aggression. Of course the one beylik that was lucky enough to be situated closest to the Christian lands had a clear advantage over the rest of them.
Orkhan knew it. He always knew it in his guts that the future of the realm lay across the straits. And though he wished to set his son Suleyman loose upon the Christian lands he always feared that if he committed himself to campaigning in Rumelia, the other Turkish beys might unite in an effort to knock him down a couple of notches. He especially dreaded the bey of Aydin's involvement in such a scheme. So, Orkhan made up his mind and informed Suleyman that they must first secure their rear before advancing into Rumelia. With a good portion of the able Ottoman soldiers already campaigning in Thrace, Macedonia and around Constantinople, Orkhan felt exposed in his Anatolian holdings.
The beylik of Aydin has long been a neighbour and rival to the Ottoman realm. But the recent expansion of the Ottoman territory had brought the Aegean coast beylik with its back against the wall. It was no more than 5 years before, that their northern neighbour, the beylik of Karasi, willingly submitted to Ottoman rule. The Karasid lord, once a man the Aydinids could count on for support against the Ottoman expansion, was now firmly under Orkhan bey's control.
There was also another issue that could be manipulated to the Ottoman's favour against Aydin.
Fatih Evrenuz once again proved himself indispensable. Since before his capture at Bursa his family had maintained contact with the Byzantine lords of the lands under Turkish rule. It was those lords that let him know that the Aydinid bey was really heavy handed in their treatment. He had passed laws within his realm that were proving both humiliating and debilitating for his Christian subjects.
A Christian was not allowed to own more than a quarter the amount of land the poorest Turk owned. The taxation on the other hand that Christian land owners had to pay on their yearly harvest was almost twice that paid by a Turk. The Christians have been banned from riding or owning horses. Last but not least the bey had instituted a law that required all Christians to willingly hand over their eldest daughter to whatever noble Turk wished to marry her, without raising an objection. Even worse the Aydinid bey had made a couple provisions to his laws that made it impossible for his non-Turkish subjects to convert to Islam. And as the icing on the top, he had demanded that the local christian clergy pay a tax to an “Office of Religious Matters” he had created. In essence it was a devious scheme to have the christian clergy payi for the provision of the muslim.
Fatih Evrenuz was disgusted at the news he kept receiving from his contacts in Aydin. Not so much so because the people wronged were Christian or Greek. He didn't pay much attention to these distinctions, and he had converted to Islam himself anyway. But it sickened him that a ruler could treat his subjects like that with no repercussions whatsoever. The various visitors he was getting from Aydin had grown all too more frequent lately. And they all had something in common. They were seriously distressed.
Then, out of the blue, he felt a stroke of brilliance overtake him. He had a million ducat idea.
May 4th, 1343 CE:
Fatih rode hard all night to get from Bursa to Iznik as soon as possible. He still had to run to Orkhan's royal estate on the other side of town. He wanted to pay Suleyman's family a visit in his estate, since he was away on campaign in Rumelia, but the urgency of the matter at hand prevented him from doing so.
The bey lived in what must have been a Nicaean lord's villa. Though his wives and servants had decorated the structure with silken ribbons and Central Asian tapestries in all the wonderful colours of the spectrum, the sturdy Roman architecture of the building still shone from beneath. What was more impressive than the house itself, though, was the huge tent that was always set up on the front yard. It rivaled the house in size and it was every bit as colourfully decorated.
Fatih dismounted his horse and ran for the tent.
Inside the tent, the bey and his ghazis were startled by the sudden entrance of Fatih al-Yunani(the Greek) as Evrenuz was widely known among the Turkish Ottoman nobles. They were all reclined on huge soft pillows and sitting in a circle with the bey at it's head. The room was fragrant with the smell of sweet opium and hashish which they must have been smoking all day long today. Yet, Fatih knew they were already discussing serious matters and that they would pay him undivided attention no matter how high they were.
He took a couple of drags from a silver opium pipe that was offered to him and let the smoke soak his brain. That immediately took all the strain of the hard riding out of his muscles and also set his head straight. He was now ready to present his case.
He told everybody present that he had spent the last few months involving himself with the matter of the Christian subjects of the beylik of Aydin and informed them that he had reached the conclusion that it was their duty as devout muslims to do something about it. Those Christians he argued were no longer enemies and did not deserve the treatment they were receiving from their bey. According to the Quranic law, he said, all those that submit to Islamic rule are considered enemies no longer. The Aydinid Christians had clearly submitted to Islamic rule. They wished not to remove their bey's authority from him but to be treated as required. And then added a personal remark, saying that if he was good enough to serve his most honourable Turkish lord then so should the Aydinid christians. He ended by saying that he could no longer bear to receive the pleas of his people and relatives without being able to do something about it.
Even the ghazis, muslim warriors of significant scholarly expertise on matters of Islamic law, could not object to that, but as the most prominent among them noted, if they intervened against a fellow Turkish ruler on behalf of his Christian subjects, they would both upset the status quo in Anatolia and set a bad precedent. The ghazi made a valid point but Orkhan who listened silently so far was also concerned with the matter of Aydin. The Aydinid bey was less than friendly and now that the Ottoman armies were engaged overseas he could prove to be a substantial threat. Orkhan expressed equal respect for both the ghazi noble and Fatih. And though, the ghazi's concerns were his ,too, this cat finally had to come out of the bag. Orkhan had plans for the Christian lands and those plans could not come into fruition until the beyliks in his backyard either submit and join him, or pledge to become some sort of dependant clients.
He rose of his pillows to his feet. He was severely intoxicated and the sudden loss of blood pressure as he stood up, got to his head. His mind, though, was clear as ever. He spoke in a thundering voice...
“The Aydinid bey is a thorn on my side. Is a thorn on OUR side. Sure we can sit here idly smoking and arguing that it is not out place to involve ourselves in our Turkish brother's business. But truth be told, it now has become our business! My most noble brothers. A door is opening to us towards Rumelia and the Christian lands farther ahead. Only one Turk can claim these lands! Only ONE Turk can have these lands! And I pledge you, here, today, in the presence of Allah, that this Turk is going to be ME! Now, if the Aydinid bey is stupid enough to not be able to adhere by his obligations as a devout muslim lord that is his own problem. But I...Being the god-fearing man that I am cannot stand this. And I trust you cant either my loyal ghazis. So, it all comes down to this. What do we do? I'll tell you what!” He took a couple of steps to the middle of the circle and stood there. He took in a huge breath.
“The ghazis will contact their fellows from the other beyliks, even those from Aydin, if they're found to be sympathetic to our cause. You will inform them that Orkhan bey intents to do something about it. You will bring them to our banner. It would be wise to not only secure the others' consent before we go on with this, their warriors will also come in handy now that most of our forces are fighting overseas. Additionally, it'll give me a bit of legitimacy when I extend my own rule to Aydin afterwards. We'll go in with the pretext of removing this less-than-devout leader, and take over in the turmoil. Agreed?” If the ghazis had any objection they definitely wouldn't let it show. Though, they could theoretically state their opposition to the toppling of a fellow muslim, Turkish, Anatolian leader, they knew that their best chance of spreading their faith and acquiring Christian lands lay with Orkhan and his line. The Aydin was proving himself a reckless fool anyway and provided Orkhan with pretext. They could not object. Then finally the prominent ghazi spoke a few words that sealed the deal. “Allah's will be done!”
Fatih was ecstatic. He had been present to many such gatherings before and he always admired how simple but effective Turkish administration and decision-making was. And in this one he was instrumental. After they concluded they all kept intoxicating themselves for a few more hours till one by one all the ghazis retired.
Fatih was about to retire for Suleyman's estate where he intented on spending the night when Orkhan waved him to stop.
“I think you'd better spend the night here. I want a word with you.” that reminded Fatih of the night they met almost 20 years ago.
“Though, you know I prize your participation, you have troubled yourself enough with the Aydin matter. Your place is by son's side in Rumelia and not here. I believe you would be indispensable in dealing with those Rhomans.
On top of that, you need to realize that a Greek and formerly Christian lord among us campaigning against a Turkish lord might not be what the other Ghazis have in mind. Is that understood, Fatih?”
Though fatih would have liked to be there to announce to the Aydinids, personally, that their yoke has been removed, he was glad he had at least achieved his goal of initiating action. He also agreed with Orkhan that various intersting possibilities were emerging in the Rumelian front. So he saw no reason to present any objections to Orkhan's directions.
“Of course, my bey. I will sent for a courier to request that Suleyman meets me at Tzympe. I shall, myself, depart for Tzympe as soon as the sun rises tomorrow.”
Seeing as this is my first attempt at a timeline, regarding a story I had going in my head for quite a while, I would like to ask for the dear readers' patience and understanding. On a side note, I could also use some advice with maps as I haven't used any yet and I would like to.
I hope, but am not entirely confident, that my English is up to the task.
The story will, hopefully, take us from the fall of Bursa to the young Ottoman beylik, then still known as the tribe of Sogut, all the way to the modern times. This might sound a bit too ambitious, while retaining a semblance of plausibility but I have high hopes to it. By the end hopefully I will have created an Ottoman(well, sort of) Empire that will be very different to the one we know from OTL.
Any sort of criticism, no matter how harsh, is welcome.
Strap in and enjoy the ride! Or read the first couple of paragraphs, and leave this thread disgusted not to ever return...
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The House of Evrenuz
October 26th, 1326 CE:
Just outside the walls of Prusa:
The almost full moon shone down upon Photios Vrennos as he rode through the darkness towards the two distant lights. If he was right, those lights were his companions' torches, lit up for him to spot the crossroad in the pitch dark. If he wasn't right they could be a pair of stray Turkish scouts who wandered too far ahead of their main force, now less than 4 hours' march to the southeast. Knowing how the Turks march, they'd probably be here in two.
As he closed in on the lights he reduced his speed down to a slow gallop and took his horse off the dirt track on the grassy field to the side. The track was riddled with stones and they made a noise that immediately gave away his position as his horse's hooves struck against them. He wasn't yet convinced those were his own men holding the torch lights and he decided to be cautious with his approach.
Yet, there was no need for that. Apparently the men had already spotted him. They were waving their torches, signalling at him it was them, his troop of light cavalrymen. They all served under Photios' command in the provincial garrison of the city of Prusa. He in turn served under his father's command who was the governor of Prusa. In times past his father would be insubordinate to the vastly powerful Kometas(count) of the Theme of Opsiakon, the single most powerful political entity within the Empire. By now these times were gone. The theme hardly even existed anymore and it was split too many times in the past that nobody really knew who was under whose authority anymore and nobody cared either.
“My lord!” Exclaimed a bearded fat rider among the horsemen, “They're coming for good this time. There's a host of camel riders and soldiers on foot approaching from the east. Judging from the supplies they're carrying with them they probably plan to stay a while.”
“I agree” said Photios while a sigh escaped him. “I've spotted a scouting troop of light cavalry approaching from the southeast, there's just but a couple dozen of them but, without a doubt, another sizable force must be following behind them. There's hardly anything we can do men. Disperse! Ride back to your homes and families and let the townsfolk know a storm is coming!”
“Disperse, my lord?!” There was genuine objection in the fat rider's voice.
“Oh, my bad! I should have known better than to offend the gallantry of valiant warriors such as you! How about this, then? The handful of you can stay here and defend the pass to the last man, while I ride to the keep to plead with my father for a capitulation before any more lives are lost! Or you can choose to obey my initial order.”
“Men! You heard the lord. We ride back into town!” , the fat man's tone changed almost instantly. Then he turned to Photios, “May God keep you safe my lord. You are a good man.”
Photios nodded his head and raised a steady hand at which point his band of riders started riding away towards the dim lights of Prusa.
He then made his way towards his fathers residence and provincial headquarters. He could feel it in his stomach that things were about to change radically for both the Vrennos men. For better or for worse, it was yet to be seen.
At the keep of Prusa:
“I can't believe you're here asking me to relinquish my honour and bow my head to the Turk, while you should be out there fighting them instead! If I were Basileus(Emperor) and you were my strategos(general), I'd have definitely had you beheaded!” Ormon Vrennos, Photios' father and lord and governor of Prusa was nothing short of furious!
“If you were the Emperor, instead of my father, and I was a general, instead of your son, then I'd have defected to the Turks already without even bothering to come here and argue with you!” Photios answered without even raising the tone of his voice, “Now listen to me you old fart. There's nothing we can do with our local forces. And as far as I know, the Emperor, is much too distracted fighting his own brother to mind sending us reinforcements from Constantinople! Additionally, this is no mere raid we're facing. The Sogut bey seems to have brought with him all the necessary means to capture and hold our fine land permanently. To make a long story short, father, we're DOOMED!” he put some emphasis on this last word of his.
“So what do you suggest we do then, oh, fruit of my loins?”
“Way I see it there's two viable options. Either we pack what we can carry, turn tail and run while we still can, then we flee to a life of shame and poverty back in the capital. Or, you rush out to ask for audience with the Turkish bey! You pledge allegiance to him, offer to pay generous tribute, accept harsh terms and only ask in return that he allows you to maintain your lordship over Prusa.”
“Ha! Yes, I'm sure a fine noble Christian lord like me would fit in very nice nice among the Muhameddan steppesmen!”
“From what I hear, father, the bey does not pay much attention to such details. If you should be a loyal and reasonably competent vassal he would treat you same as any other vassal! And I should mention here, that it was you, father, who taught me that religion is but a tool we yield to further our political goals. Maybe if we considered adopting their religion, doors would open for us...doors we would have never been given the chance to open within the frame of the old and tired Empire. Father please try and see the sense in my words. We can turn an otherwise catastrophic defeat into a rather acceptable outcome for our family. As for the local people. They won't have it any worse than they did before.
'
“You've sort it all out in your head! Haven't you, you little traitor?”
“Yes I have actually. I saw all this coming, father, and don't presume me so na?ve as to overlook that you have, too! Only question that remains is what will you do now?”
“Ahh” he let out a long sigh. “Of course I have seen this coming! I didn't make lord and survive this long being one for being short sighted, Photios! You do not presume me to be senile...Still, I am not too proud to admit that I'm too old and too set in the ways of the Imperial court. I 'll probably do more harm than good negotiating such delicate matters with the Turk. So you be a good son and go act as your father's ambassador with the bey. You already know better than I do what you are supposed to aim for and how to handle them. Go, now. Go, and remember...I probably have less than a decade left on this world. Which means that the best deal you strike with the Turk, the richer your imminent inheritance will be”, said the old lord, struggling to keep a smirk from forming on his lips.
“Oh, yes. I needed to be reminded that! Thank you father!”, came the ironic reply from the son.
At the bey's tent:
The main Sogut army had already arrived and were setting up camp, or looting the country side by the time Photios managed to locate someone with authority to take him to the commander's tent.
It was almost dawn now and the swift Turkish night march made sure that the people living on the wrong side of the defensive wall would wake up to a really nasty surprise as the bey allowed the advancing colums of his soldiers to plunder a few of the wealthy agricultural estates on the outskirts of the town, before they fall back in line to storm the walls. So, while everyone around him was preparing to storm his father's keep, Photios, on horseback and escorted by a seemingly Turkish horseman, was being taken to see the bey. He was made to stand by the tent's entrance while his escort went inside to let the bey know there was an envoy there to discuss important matters with him. Then to Photios' surprise instead of the olive skinned, tall and lean escort that went in to announce him, a kind of short and bulky young man with a fairer complexion came out. He wore garments of exquisite textile, bearing the colors he knew only Turkish noblemen wore and on top of these he wore a sizable woolen cap. To his side hang a bend sword with two rather sizable opals embedded in it's ivory handle. Behind him followed the escort who would also act as interpreter between the two men as none of them spoke the other's language. A rag was spread on the ground right in front of the tent and after the short bulky man sat and the tall interpreter took his position standing behind him, he waved at Photios to sit opposite the bey.
Photios, almost lost his nerve for a while “Erm...my noble bey?” he hesitated...
The bulky man let out a short laugh and said something for the interpreter to translate.
“My lord says you would be excused to make such a mistake. He says it is not he who is the bey but his father. Yet his old and ailing father could not join the lords in this expedition so the prince assumed command. His name is Orkhan, son of Osman.” The interpreter's accent indicated that Greek was probably his first language before he learnt how to speak the Turkic language of the invaders.
Then, the prince seemed to ask Photios something and the interpreter translated, “So what is that you wish to discuss with my prince?”
“I have come to offer terms!” Photios immediately regained his composure and answered confidently. “I am also here on behalf of my father. Who is lord of the fort you are about to attack. He is also lord of all the lands between here and the outskirts of Nicomedia to the northeast. My father lord wishes to ask that you cease the hostilities.
Another short laugh escaped the prince as Photios' words were translated to him. “Why would I recall the attack when I see that it's only a few weeks, maybe a month at most, before I am master of your holdings without any terms or pre-conditions?”
“Because this time around you haven't come to sack the riches and run back to your tents. This time around you want to establish your authority over the province and profit from this, adding Prusa to the kingdom you are building my prince! And If I may say, if you want to do that fast and with the least amount of trouble you'd need a man with local knowledge and ample experience to aid you. That's where my father comes in! Not to mention that it's my father alone who can give a final order to the local garrison not to resist you.”, Photios really hoped that the bey didn't know the local garrison was close to non-existant, “And it would serve you well to be done with the conquest as soon as possible. The Emperor in Constantinople might wake up one of those days to realize that Prusa is too valuable to lose. And he still has wealth enough to buy him a mercenary force to bring down on your rear while you are still besieging my father's fort.”
“So I should trust him, your lord of a father, with those lands only that he can go on to sell me off to my enemies next time he's in a tight corner?” Came a cold reply from the bey's mouthpiece...
“Listen, I see your point but it's not that simple my bey. My father has always been a loyal and obedient servant to his Emperor. And all he got in return was nothing at best. Best proof of that, there is no army from Constantinople to face you in battle here today. We were left here to our fates. A fair and wise ruler like you would never treat his most loyal vassals like that. “
Another short laugh from the prince. “You dhimmi are nothing if not sly and cunning! You could talk the Devil into visiting Heaven. I admire and respect this, strangely. It seems to be an effective survival strategy. I shall retire to my tent now and consider what we've talked over for a while. You shall stay here as my guest and you will be summoned when I am ready to announce my decision. As long as you remain here, I will give order for the assault on the fort to be halted. Make yourself comfortable.” translated the tall, lean horseman for his bey and then they both entered the tent. That left Photios sitting alone on the rag contemplating whether he had just saved or forever doomed his father's, and soon to be his, status and holdings!
The assault was halted indeed and the Turks started setting up camp while making sure to cut off all external communications from the fort of Prusa to the outside world. The day passed by and the night came again. Various Sogut noblemen were coming in and out of the prince's tent the whole time. Finally when it was getting really late and everybody else but the prince and the interpreter had retired for the night, Photios was summoned in the tent. He was surprised to see the prince in his undergarments, getting ready to slip into some sort of intricately decorated sleeping suit!!!
“Well, my Greek friend, or should I say opponent, it's too late to reach any important decisions now. My head is spinning from the day's proceedings and I need some rest. I am sure you do, too. As my guest you will lay here on the spare divan and spend the night with me. By morning we shall discuss the matter at hand.“
The bey, now dressed in the fancy sleeping suit, rested his bulky body on the largest divan in the tent. Photios was shown to a smaller, yet adequate, divan where he could rest himself for the night. He noticed that the man who originally escorted him here this morning was nor leaving the tent, neither preparing to. “Well”, Photios thought to himself, “it makes sense that they are not about to let the enemy alone with their prince through the whole night. I should have expected as much!” Not that he was harboring any vile thoughts, anyway.
The prince seemed like a reasonable man. One you'd rather sit down and talk business with rather than stab them in their sleep.
With these thoughts crossing his mind, Photios, felt himself slip away into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Orkhan gazi, prince and soon to be become bey of the tribe of Sogut.
October 28th, 1326 CE:
Capitulation of Prusa. Osman, leading bey of the tribe of Sogut, founder of the House of Osman dispatches his son and successor, Orkhan to capture the wealthy and sizable Byzantine city of Prusa. The bey Orkhan negotiates a bloodless take-over of the city of Prusa and it's surroundings, with its former Byzantine lord Ormon Vrennos. The bey extracts a tribute in women, valuable items like textiles and jewellry from the city's trading stock and many fine studs and a few select mares from the local horse breeding grounds. The lord Vrennos is retained in his position as local governor under the Ottoman overlordship. On a side note, the bey Orkhan, develops a liking towards lord Vrennos' son, Photios Vrennos. The feelings are seemingly mutual and the young man is taken under the bey's protection to join the corps of the akinci. A force of irregular light cavalry recruited among both the Turk and the Christian subjects of the Ottoman realm. This force had steadily evolved from a marauding band of steppesmen into an elite fighting force by the time Photios joined. Sources indicate that the bey even allowed Photios to retain his hereditary right to lorship over Prusa once his father passed away. The outcome of this treaty was considered a great success since Osman initially planned to capture the city and turn it into his fledgling kingdom's new prestigeous capital. The city is however restyled Bursa.
Photios Vrennos, renamed Fatih Evrenuz, clad in the garments and armor of the akinci light cavalry corps
November 8th, 1326 CE:
Osman, only having received news of his son's victory in Bursa a week before, dies an old, exhausted and reasonably satisfied man. The Sogut tribal council unanimously approves the sons of Osman, Orkhan and Alaeddin as the bey's rightful successors to each rule over a part of the realm. But, Alaeddin, respecting his father's will not to have the realm split after his death, renounced all his claims on the title of bey and was satisfied to receive the income of a single settlement, near Bursa. Orkhan following his coronation, declares the beginning of the House of Osman(Ottoman). His first action as bey is to start laying plans for further conquest. At the same time building a new team of royal advisors and generals around him to help him command his realm. What he needed no help at all deciding was the target of his short-term conquests. The lands of the Orthodox Empire now bordering his lands were sufficiently wealthy and the Empire itself was clearly in its death throes. Rich pickings. But the uneasy situation on his rears would have to be adressed, too. For, the other Turkish princes of Anatolia might be calm and compliant for now, but for how long?
June 23rd, 1328 CE:
After a relatively short siege of 4 months the city of Nicaea capitulates to Orkhan's forces. Though again Constantinople was either too distracted or too catatonic to offer any reinforcements, the Nicaean garrison was well provisioned and under sound command. It was estimated that the city could have lasted for at least another 2 years. Instrumental in the early capitulation was Photios Vrennos'(now having adopted the name Fatih Evrenuz) intervention with the Nicaean lord. The lord was an old acquaintance of his father and he recognized Fatih as lord Ormon's son. After they caught up with the news, Fatih convinced the Nicaean lord that he'd be better off negotiating the take over with Orkhan rathen than waiting hidden behind his walls for Orkhan to break through. The city of Nicaea was renamed Iznik. Although, direct control of the city proper, and its fort, were taken from the Byzantine lord, he was given in return the right to extract income from the surrounding lands and all his able bodied sons were taken into service with the akinci. Orkhan made Iznik his new Ottoman capital.
It should be noted that very active throughout the whole operation, was young prince Suleyman, firstborn son of bey Orkhan. He was entrusted to Fatih who was to be his guardian and mentor. Even though Suleyman was roughly 13, he was an excellent rider and seemed to be a promising scout and warrior as well. The two men would grow to be friends as the young prince grew older.
After the terms of surrender are reached, Fatih is invited by a group of nobles to review the group of ladies that were to be given as tribute to the Ottomans. Among the girls he singles out, a young, fine Greek girl, called Anastasia. She is to become his most beloved wife of a least four decades.
Suleyman pasha, Orkhan's eldest son and apparent successor, depicted here at the age of 30
September 1st, 1329 CE:
In the family fort of Bursa, a daughter is born to Fatih Evrenuz and his wife Anastasia(now renamed Guzeler). Her name is to be Acelya. Though both Fatih and Guzeler always call the girl Azalea, by her Greek name, in private. Ormon Evrenuz is present at his granddaughter's birth and prince Suleyman arrives in the fort 4 days later, bringing gifts and expressing his family's wishes that the young girl grow into a healthy and beatiful woman.
March 2nd, 1331 CE:
One of the Byzantine Empire's largest urban centers and the one closest to Constantinople submits to Ottoman rule. It is the city of Nicomedia which is now fashioned Izmit by the Ottoman conquerors.
As with early cases the Ottoman army enveloped the city and was preparing to lay siege to the city while Fatih Evrenuz was dispatched along with prince Suleyman to attempt at negotiating the city's bloodless surrender. The reputation of Orkhan's respectable treatment of the Byzantine lords he conquered had already reached the various Byzantine lands bordering the Ottoman beydom. So once again Fatih and the Prince were almost about to strike a deal with the Nicomedian lord.
Apparently news of this development reached the Emperor's ears in Constantinople. He had grown disgusted of his Anatolian lords for so willingly and readily submitting to the Turks without even putting up a fight. Even though his coffers were empty and his political standing less than favourable he decided he had to make a stand against the Turkish onslaught. Lest he wanted to face the possibility of the garrison of Constantinople itself negotiating its surrender to the Turks, any time soon.
Recruits were levied from the poor masses of Eastern Thrace and a number of Slavic mercenaries were summoned for duty outside the walls of Contsantinople as well. The Emperor loaded the mixed force on to the remaining ships of his fleet and ferried them across the Bosphorus strait. The troops landed on the shore roughly 2 kilometres south west of Nicomedia, thus cutting off the Turkish army besieging the city from its retreat route to Iznik.
Orkhan bey was taken by surprise but soon regained his confidence. Having received reports from his scouts of not an Imperial Army threatening his flanks, but of a host of peasants with pitchforks and sharpened sticks, acconpanied by a band of mercenaries.
Following Fatih Evrenuz and young Sueleyman's urges to not lift the siege on behalf of such a minor threat, Orkhan trusted the Greek akinci commander with a sizable light cavalry force while leaving his heavy force in place to keep laying siege to the city.
Fatih and Suleyman led the mobile force exceptionally and before the Byzantine force even managed to consolidate it self on the shore it was already under serious harassment by the Turkish cavalry archers.
Eventually a small battle took place and the Turkish force routed the Byzantines towards the south where they completely disintegrated into groups of stragglers fighting for survival rather than victory.
The news of the Imperial intervention and subsequent defeat reached the defenders of Nicomedia who promptly gave up the defense and surrendered to the forces of Orkhan bey.
Same as before the local lord was allowed to maintain lands surrounding the fort and city of Nicomedia proper, while his sons were taken into service and a beautiful daughter of his was married off to a Turkish young nobleman to whose family Orkhan owed great gratitude. Since the province itself was strategically situated so close to Constantinople, though, direct control of the fort and town had been granted to emir Turgut Selimmedin, father of the young noble to marry the previous lord's daughter.
The city would now serve as a launching base for farther harassment of the Byzantine metropolis. Indeed many a raiding party followed by militant Islamic theologians have crossed the Bosphorus via Izmit to wreak havoc and spread Islam among the Byzantine provinces of Rumelia.
March 14th, 1338 CE:
Orkhan's reputation for swift conquest of Christian lands spreads among the various Turkish principalities of Anatolia. Many a Turkish prince now see that joining the Ottomans might actually be wiser than having to fight against them for supremacy.
The ruler of the neighbouring beylik of Karasi, Haci Bey is old, in his mid 40's and only has a single surviving daughter left as a heir. The future looks bleak for his beylik and so he sends an envoy to the Ottoman capital of Iznik trying to stay ahead of the game while he still can. He requests that his daughter be married to one of Orkhan's sons. In return he would attach his beylik to the Ottoman realm and rule it on behalf of the Ottoman chief until his death. After he has passed the Ottoman bey would be given full authority over the Karasid lands. Orkhan accepts without second thought and invites Haci Bey to Iznik so they can formalize their agreement and seal it in celebration.
Thus, the first rival Turkish bey in Anatolia is brought into the Ottoman fold.
The town of Balikesir is renamed Haciya in honour of its lord and the provincial fortifications are upgraded to a respectable fort.
April 22nd, 1341 CE:
The young prince Murad
An incident takes place, that is to strain relations within the House of Osman for years to come.
Orkhan bey decides that the coming of spring should be celebrated by means of a hunting trip for the bey and his princes. A great chance for the princes and future administrators of his realms to develop strong bonds to each other. Among the most prominent princes to follow are Suleyman, the bey's firstborn, most competent general and intended heir, and Murad. Murad, born in 1326, is the firstborn son of Orkhan's favourite wife, Nilufer(or Helene as she was probably known in Greek). He is openly envious of his elder brother's status and would like a bigger share of his father's inheritance.
Fate has it that both princes prefer falconry as their chosen means of hunting. At some point, the two princes and their followers are found to be tracking the same prey. A small hare that was unlucky enough to be spotted sprinting across an open grassy field. Code of conduct has it that one of the two princes should back down and let his brother launch his falcon against the prey. Either the first one to spot the prey shall have the honour, or if it is too close to call the senior prince is expected to be given precedence.
Suleyman indeed launched his falcon when he came within range expecting his brother to acknowledge his seniority. But Murad launched his as well...
The two predators reached over their target at exactly the same moment but instead of going for the poor rabbit, they ended up fighting each other off. As a result the rabbit had a unique chance to make a run for it. And it did. So at least one animal escaped this incident unscathed. The same couldn't be said for the princes's falcons though. Both had sustained injury from their fight and Suleyman's falcon had even clawed an eye out of Murad's, thus rendering it incapable of hunting.
Needless to say the princes were furious. At first, they shouted heavy insults to each other on horseback. Then they both dismounted and tried to reach for their swords.
If the various royal followers hadn't intervened this would have definitely gone seriously out of hand.
The whole excursion was called off by an accordingly furious Orkhan upon hearing news of his son's quarrel and he demanded to see them both back in Iznik.
Though he didn't pass any substantial punishment on them he severely reprimanded them both in the presence of the whole court and also imposed upon Suleyman to give his brother one of his hawks in replacement of the one that had to be put down.
The princes then tried to avoid each other as much as humanly possible but the incident had taken its toll. Strange and unpleasant dynamics were beginning to form within the House of Ottoman.
Orkhan could not afford to alienate any of his sons.
But if one had to be given precedence over the other that would probably be Suleyman. He was a the eldest. He was a competent leader with a portfolio of recent conquests that had been achieved with surprisingly low cost. He already had forged close ties with various powerful nobles among both the Turks but also the Christian subjects. His close relationship with Fatih Evrenuz in particular was proving to be quite a bonanza.
Murad on the other hand was 10 years younger than Suleyman. He was an active and energetic young man of 15 ready to assume responsibilities. But he hadn't assumed any real ones yet. His biggest asset was arguably his mother. Helene(Nilufer) was Orkhan's favourite wife. A Greek princess of royal blood. She knew how to play a man to her tune, be he Turk, Greek or otherwise...and though Orkhan was no puppet of his wife, or any woman for that matter, he couldn't help but be influenced by her. Also, the recently subjugated Byzantine lords were looking to her for guidance in their new status as Christian nobles in the Ottoman realm. That brought her many times at odds with fatih Evrenuz who was also competing for influence over the Greek lords. And by extension that brought Suleyman and Murad into conflict...
December 9th, 1341 CE:
John Cantacouzenos, a close friend to the late Byzantine Emperor Andronikos III, was regent and protector to the young Emperor John V Palaiologos who was in his late childhood and not yet ready to assume the throne. While he never wished the throne for himself and readily recognised young John V as the sole heir, he was adamant in his role as a regent, and commander of the standing army, until the minor would come of age. His unwillingness to relinquish any authority until then made him enemies with John V's mother Empress Anna of Savoy.
When Cantacouzenos was compelled by family matters to leave Constantinople for his native Morea, the Empress roused several sympathising nobles, the Orthodox Patriarch himself and the Imperial guard and managed to have John V crowned Emperor. She then had her son denounce Cantacouzenos as regent, and order his army disbanded.
The imperial order fell on deaf ears as the army having heard of the news from the capital had already sided by its commander and declared him Emperor among their ranks.
John V under guidance from his mother seeked to hire a sizable force of mercenaries to counter Cantacouzenos' army. The end result was civil war in the Empire.
Now Cantacouzenos had apparently resorted to seeking aid from the Ottomans. Their realm situated on the exposed left flank of Constantinople made them suitable allies against the child Emperor.
So, a strange envoy arrives at the Ottoman capital of Iznik. An old noble from the Byzantine province of Morea has travelled across the Aegean in the midst of winter to seek audience with Orkhan. He appeared before the Ottoman court representing the interests of John Cantacouzenos.
The Byzantine noble requested that the Ottomans provide him with aid in capturing Constantinople and ascending to the throne. In return when Emperor, Cantacouzenos would fully acknowledge the fairly recent conquests of Bursa, Iznik and Izmit and pledge never to bother the Ottomans about those in the future.
Suleyman who was present when the envoy presented his case to Orkhan asked that he be allowed to advice the bey in private before he reaches a final decision. Suleyman argued with his father that it might be a good idea to milk the future Emperor for all they could if they were to pledge their support for him. He had a particular prize in mind.
One of the countless times he found himself riding down the coast of the Bosphorus with his friend and mentor Fatih Evrenuz, he took special notice of a small Byzantine fort situated right across the straits. It was the fort of Tzympe. If they could come to control this precious little fort they would have a most valuable beach head on the coast of Rumelia, Of course the Byzantines knew that as well as the Ottomans and the little fort was exceptionally well-guarded and provisioned.
When the Byzantine noble was summoned back to Orkhan's presence he was presented with the request that in addition to the concessions already proposed by John Cantacouzenos another one be added. The Ottoman bey wished that the small and insignificant fort of Tzympe be granted to him. Because Orkhan knew that wouldn't go down well with the Byzantines, he added that his intention was for the small fort be used as a base of supply for the Ottoman soldiers fighting on Cantacouzenos' side in his struggle for the throne.
The next day the Byzantine lord departed for Morea, to bring the counter proposal to his master.
March 12th, 1342 CE
John Cantacouzenos had already made his mind up to decline the deal the Ottoman's requested of him. He reasoned that his own loyal troops should be adequate in securing him the throne. An ally on the enemy's flank would have been useful but not necessary. And in any case, providing the Turks with a foothold on Rumelia was out of the question.
But then, as fate usually has it, his over-confidence was punished and disaster struck. John Cantacouzenos, who was still in Morea trying to build up his web of alliances before departing to Thrace, to assume command of his army, received terrible news. A force of Bulgarian mercenaries marching south to Constantinople at Empress Anna's request fell upon his unsuspecting army. The loyal soldiers were camped securely within a day's march from Constantinople, just to the east of Adrianople, and were confident that the Empress had nothing to resist them with. The Bulgarian attack came seemingly out of the blue and found the camp in utter disorder. Many were captured, more were slaughtered and by the end of the day John Cantacouzenos hardly had an army anymore.
Immediately he summoned the Byzantine lord he had previously dispatched to Orkhan and provided him with a new mission. Go back and secure the Ottoman's support at any cost!
September 5th, 1342 CE:
A force of Ottoman foot soldiers accompanied by a detachment of akinci are disembarked about 3 miles south of the fort of Tzympe. It is a mixed Greek and Venetian fleet paid for by John Cantacouzenos that has ferried them. Intelligence gathered previously indicates that the garrison in the fort has been severely depleted since the onset of the war between John V Palaiologos and John Cantacouzenos.
The same night the Ottoman soldiers capture one of the patrols emitted from the fort. They use the captives as instruments in a coy to get their unsuspecting companions within the fort to open the gates for them. It works and within the same night the Ottoman force is fully in control of Tzympe.
A further force of at least 23000 soldiers will be provided by Orkhan to aid Cantacouzenos is his rightful quest for the throne, over the course of the 4 year long civil war. Those veterans will get intimate with the country of Rumelia while campaigning on Cantacouzenos' side. Later on when they get discharged from Cantacouzenos' service they will return to their original master and form the core of the Ottoman fighting force.
May 3rd, 1343 CE:
There was a sort of understanding between the Anatolian beyliks. Their realms were to be abodes of peace, while the Christian realms, across the straits in Rumelia, were to be the abodes of war. Though this treaty failed to diminish serious rivalry between the Turkish beys, it at least offered them a direction towards which to channel their aggression. Of course the one beylik that was lucky enough to be situated closest to the Christian lands had a clear advantage over the rest of them.
Orkhan knew it. He always knew it in his guts that the future of the realm lay across the straits. And though he wished to set his son Suleyman loose upon the Christian lands he always feared that if he committed himself to campaigning in Rumelia, the other Turkish beys might unite in an effort to knock him down a couple of notches. He especially dreaded the bey of Aydin's involvement in such a scheme. So, Orkhan made up his mind and informed Suleyman that they must first secure their rear before advancing into Rumelia. With a good portion of the able Ottoman soldiers already campaigning in Thrace, Macedonia and around Constantinople, Orkhan felt exposed in his Anatolian holdings.
The beylik of Aydin has long been a neighbour and rival to the Ottoman realm. But the recent expansion of the Ottoman territory had brought the Aegean coast beylik with its back against the wall. It was no more than 5 years before, that their northern neighbour, the beylik of Karasi, willingly submitted to Ottoman rule. The Karasid lord, once a man the Aydinids could count on for support against the Ottoman expansion, was now firmly under Orkhan bey's control.
There was also another issue that could be manipulated to the Ottoman's favour against Aydin.
Fatih Evrenuz once again proved himself indispensable. Since before his capture at Bursa his family had maintained contact with the Byzantine lords of the lands under Turkish rule. It was those lords that let him know that the Aydinid bey was really heavy handed in their treatment. He had passed laws within his realm that were proving both humiliating and debilitating for his Christian subjects.
A Christian was not allowed to own more than a quarter the amount of land the poorest Turk owned. The taxation on the other hand that Christian land owners had to pay on their yearly harvest was almost twice that paid by a Turk. The Christians have been banned from riding or owning horses. Last but not least the bey had instituted a law that required all Christians to willingly hand over their eldest daughter to whatever noble Turk wished to marry her, without raising an objection. Even worse the Aydinid bey had made a couple provisions to his laws that made it impossible for his non-Turkish subjects to convert to Islam. And as the icing on the top, he had demanded that the local christian clergy pay a tax to an “Office of Religious Matters” he had created. In essence it was a devious scheme to have the christian clergy payi for the provision of the muslim.
Fatih Evrenuz was disgusted at the news he kept receiving from his contacts in Aydin. Not so much so because the people wronged were Christian or Greek. He didn't pay much attention to these distinctions, and he had converted to Islam himself anyway. But it sickened him that a ruler could treat his subjects like that with no repercussions whatsoever. The various visitors he was getting from Aydin had grown all too more frequent lately. And they all had something in common. They were seriously distressed.
Then, out of the blue, he felt a stroke of brilliance overtake him. He had a million ducat idea.
May 4th, 1343 CE:
Fatih rode hard all night to get from Bursa to Iznik as soon as possible. He still had to run to Orkhan's royal estate on the other side of town. He wanted to pay Suleyman's family a visit in his estate, since he was away on campaign in Rumelia, but the urgency of the matter at hand prevented him from doing so.
The bey lived in what must have been a Nicaean lord's villa. Though his wives and servants had decorated the structure with silken ribbons and Central Asian tapestries in all the wonderful colours of the spectrum, the sturdy Roman architecture of the building still shone from beneath. What was more impressive than the house itself, though, was the huge tent that was always set up on the front yard. It rivaled the house in size and it was every bit as colourfully decorated.
Fatih dismounted his horse and ran for the tent.
Inside the tent, the bey and his ghazis were startled by the sudden entrance of Fatih al-Yunani(the Greek) as Evrenuz was widely known among the Turkish Ottoman nobles. They were all reclined on huge soft pillows and sitting in a circle with the bey at it's head. The room was fragrant with the smell of sweet opium and hashish which they must have been smoking all day long today. Yet, Fatih knew they were already discussing serious matters and that they would pay him undivided attention no matter how high they were.
He took a couple of drags from a silver opium pipe that was offered to him and let the smoke soak his brain. That immediately took all the strain of the hard riding out of his muscles and also set his head straight. He was now ready to present his case.
He told everybody present that he had spent the last few months involving himself with the matter of the Christian subjects of the beylik of Aydin and informed them that he had reached the conclusion that it was their duty as devout muslims to do something about it. Those Christians he argued were no longer enemies and did not deserve the treatment they were receiving from their bey. According to the Quranic law, he said, all those that submit to Islamic rule are considered enemies no longer. The Aydinid Christians had clearly submitted to Islamic rule. They wished not to remove their bey's authority from him but to be treated as required. And then added a personal remark, saying that if he was good enough to serve his most honourable Turkish lord then so should the Aydinid christians. He ended by saying that he could no longer bear to receive the pleas of his people and relatives without being able to do something about it.
Even the ghazis, muslim warriors of significant scholarly expertise on matters of Islamic law, could not object to that, but as the most prominent among them noted, if they intervened against a fellow Turkish ruler on behalf of his Christian subjects, they would both upset the status quo in Anatolia and set a bad precedent. The ghazi made a valid point but Orkhan who listened silently so far was also concerned with the matter of Aydin. The Aydinid bey was less than friendly and now that the Ottoman armies were engaged overseas he could prove to be a substantial threat. Orkhan expressed equal respect for both the ghazi noble and Fatih. And though, the ghazi's concerns were his ,too, this cat finally had to come out of the bag. Orkhan had plans for the Christian lands and those plans could not come into fruition until the beyliks in his backyard either submit and join him, or pledge to become some sort of dependant clients.
He rose of his pillows to his feet. He was severely intoxicated and the sudden loss of blood pressure as he stood up, got to his head. His mind, though, was clear as ever. He spoke in a thundering voice...
“The Aydinid bey is a thorn on my side. Is a thorn on OUR side. Sure we can sit here idly smoking and arguing that it is not out place to involve ourselves in our Turkish brother's business. But truth be told, it now has become our business! My most noble brothers. A door is opening to us towards Rumelia and the Christian lands farther ahead. Only one Turk can claim these lands! Only ONE Turk can have these lands! And I pledge you, here, today, in the presence of Allah, that this Turk is going to be ME! Now, if the Aydinid bey is stupid enough to not be able to adhere by his obligations as a devout muslim lord that is his own problem. But I...Being the god-fearing man that I am cannot stand this. And I trust you cant either my loyal ghazis. So, it all comes down to this. What do we do? I'll tell you what!” He took a couple of steps to the middle of the circle and stood there. He took in a huge breath.
“The ghazis will contact their fellows from the other beyliks, even those from Aydin, if they're found to be sympathetic to our cause. You will inform them that Orkhan bey intents to do something about it. You will bring them to our banner. It would be wise to not only secure the others' consent before we go on with this, their warriors will also come in handy now that most of our forces are fighting overseas. Additionally, it'll give me a bit of legitimacy when I extend my own rule to Aydin afterwards. We'll go in with the pretext of removing this less-than-devout leader, and take over in the turmoil. Agreed?” If the ghazis had any objection they definitely wouldn't let it show. Though, they could theoretically state their opposition to the toppling of a fellow muslim, Turkish, Anatolian leader, they knew that their best chance of spreading their faith and acquiring Christian lands lay with Orkhan and his line. The Aydin was proving himself a reckless fool anyway and provided Orkhan with pretext. They could not object. Then finally the prominent ghazi spoke a few words that sealed the deal. “Allah's will be done!”
Fatih was ecstatic. He had been present to many such gatherings before and he always admired how simple but effective Turkish administration and decision-making was. And in this one he was instrumental. After they concluded they all kept intoxicating themselves for a few more hours till one by one all the ghazis retired.
Fatih was about to retire for Suleyman's estate where he intented on spending the night when Orkhan waved him to stop.
“I think you'd better spend the night here. I want a word with you.” that reminded Fatih of the night they met almost 20 years ago.
“Though, you know I prize your participation, you have troubled yourself enough with the Aydin matter. Your place is by son's side in Rumelia and not here. I believe you would be indispensable in dealing with those Rhomans.
On top of that, you need to realize that a Greek and formerly Christian lord among us campaigning against a Turkish lord might not be what the other Ghazis have in mind. Is that understood, Fatih?”
Though fatih would have liked to be there to announce to the Aydinids, personally, that their yoke has been removed, he was glad he had at least achieved his goal of initiating action. He also agreed with Orkhan that various intersting possibilities were emerging in the Rumelian front. So he saw no reason to present any objections to Orkhan's directions.
“Of course, my bey. I will sent for a courier to request that Suleyman meets me at Tzympe. I shall, myself, depart for Tzympe as soon as the sun rises tomorrow.”