This is part II of a double update; be sure to scroll up if you haven't read the previous chapter.
The Crown of the Sultan - 1507-1527
Malik Ilyas II stood before his troops as they mustered in the hills of Larissa. He raised his hand, and a hush fell over the assembled forces. He paused, then smiled softly.
"The time has come," he shouted, "for us to lay our claim to these lands. The Greek rulers have attempted to conquer us too many times. Now we show them that we, not they, shall rule here. I know that I am no great mind, nor a great speaker. All I know is that I lead great men, and those that stand before us in the coming days will know that as you strike them down."
As the soldiers raised their voices in a cheer, Ilyas placed his helmet on his head, drew his sword and pointed it to the north.
"We ride!"
The Byzantine leaders were utterly unprepared for the coming war. A massive Saruhanli army struck north, driving for Thrace while allied forces (both vassal Epirus and liberated Morea) moved to secure the southern reaches of Byzantine territory. While a token Greek army shipped across the Bosphorus, there was little that could be done. Hungarian armies attempted to aid the Byzantines, but did not organize sufficiently and were taken down one by one.
Thrace was taken, and a demand laid forth: surrender Edirne. This was accepted, and the Byzantine Empire was cleaved in twain.
Please kindly ignore the slight out-of-order conquest of Burgas and Bulgaria.
Upon taking Edirne, territories held by the rapidly-fragmenting Golden Horde were laid open, and the opportunity was taken to conquer them. They may someday be gifted to the Bulgarians (who follow the ways of Allah) but that remains to be seen.
As the war came to a close, the heir came of age. He was feted with great joy and anticipation, as the Chief's advisors all expected great things from him. Ilyas II saw that his son was bright, charismatic, and led his men with great skill. The people looked upon the younger Ilyas with great hope, and after a days-long discussion with him, Ilyas II realized that his son had great ideas on how to rule the land of the Saruhanoglu: as a Sultan rather than a mere chief, taking his rule as God's Will, putting an end to the destructive tribal feuds that had preceded his own rise to power.
Upon realizing his son's plan for Saruhan, he gladly accompanied him to Smyrna where the palace started by his forefathers had finally been completed. He gifted his sword to his son, and laid a finely crafted crown upon his head. His last words as leader, shouted to an exultant people: "I leave you now in capable hands; all kneel and pay homage to the first Sultan of Saruhan, Ilyas III! God is great!" He was the final member of the throng to kneel before his son, Sultan Ilyas III of Saruhan.
The sword handed down from father to son would become the traditional badge of office for the Saruhanli Sultans, becoming known simply as the
Sword of Ilyas.
In reality, I had to wait fifteen freaking years for Ilyas II to die to allow me to reform the government, but this narrative is much nicer, I think.
Ilyas III's first act as Sultan was to declare that the war upon the Byzantines would begin again.
Much like the previous war, this fight went swiftly: Thrace was overrun again, and the other two provinces were split between Saruhan and the Moreans. The Byzantines were (briefly) reduced to a single province, their flame nearly being extinguished from the world. Unfortunately... the revolt in Corfu would lead to that island becoming Byzantine territory. This would prove to be inconvenient in the future, as it would prevent simple Annexation of Thrace by Saruhanoglu forces until a proper navy was built.
Their usefulness coming to an end, the minor nations in central Greece were summarily conquered, their lands coming under the yoke of Saruhan.
As the Sultanate grew to encompass both Turkey and Greece, Ilyas III made three proclamations. The first was that the nation would follow the example set by western nations: education and cultural practices would be imported, partially to help assimilation of the Greeks, but also to ensure that the burgeoning empire did not fall behind technologically.
Second, the Sultan established a system of nobility, partially to reward his lieutenants that helped him and his father in the wars against Greece, but also to further incorporate formerly powerful Greeks into the nation's power structure. In this way, he hoped to limit the resentment felt by the conquered, while proving to the Greek people that their needs would be looked after as well.
Finally, he declared that a grand army would be raised from both Turkey and Greece, an army worthy of his Sultanate. The glory of this army, he wrote, would serve to equal that of the Mamluks, and enable them to take back what they had lost on Anatolia, and to free all Turkish lands from Egyptian rule.
As the first quarter of the 16th century drew to a close, Saruhan once again looked to the future with hope. Their holdings in the West were secure, and they were poised to take control of all Greek lands. In the east, once the Grand Army was assembled, a fierce fight would no doubt occur. Sultan Ilyas III would look forward to such a war, perhaps securing his place in history not only as Saruhan's first Sultan but possibly its greatest.