Osman's Dream

[Kurdistani]

The Rise of the Turks​

A Turkish Horseman​

After the collapse of the Byzantine Army in 1071 at Malazgirt, the victorious Turkic horsemen that had left the plains of central Asia and conquered Iran poured into the old heartland of the Hellenic Eastern Roman Empire beginning a process that would radically change the demographic makeup of the region. Over the next few centuries, Greco-Christian Anatolia was gradually transformed into a stronghold of Turkish Muhammadianism.
These centuries were not without setbacks, the Rum Seljuk Empire that had been establish in central Anatolia and rotated its capital between the cities of Konya, Kayseri and Sivas, was devastated by the Mongol invasions of the 13th century and their Muslim successors, the İlkhanids. However, the collapse of the Rum Seljuks and the influx of Mongols into the pastoral lands of Anatolia precipitated a new movement of Turks. Fleeing overcrowding, the Turkish tribes pushed further west. This new migration created a crucible for the rise of new leaders, the ‘Beys’.
In the beginning it was the Karamanids of Konya that attempted to reassert themselves as the new power of the region. However, they were not alone. The Aydınoğlulari rose to fame as pirates that were the scourge of Christendom. There was the Germiyan dynasty, descendents of Kurdish Yezdi and Turcoman warriors transported to from the homes in northern Iraq to north western Anatolia by the Selcuks to defend the frontier against the Byzantine Empire. There were the Candaroğları, hardy Turcoman warriors that took refuge in the mountains of the Black Sea to maintain their liberty vis-a-vis the Mongols. However, the greatest of all were the Osmanlılar, the Ottomans, the warriors who traversed the straits and laid claim to the territories of Europe. It was a dream that led Osman Gazi, the leader of a small band of Turks, to create first a Beylik – a Beylik that was transformed by his decedents into the terror of Europe.

Osman Gazi ​

 

[Kurdistani]

The Early Ottomans

The Battle of Kosovo 1389​

The Ottomans were able to exploit their position on the borderlands between the Byzantine Empire and the more powerful Beyliks to find new avenues for expansion. Slowly, Osman and then his son Orhan Gazi managed to take advantage of the discontent amongst the Christian peasants at outrageous Roman taxes and chronic insecurity to build up a coalition of horsemen and farmers, both Christian and Muslim. First they took the city of Bursa which became their capital and there was erected a Mosque in which the Hutba was read in the name of the Ottomans. The Emperor’s armies that were sent against the early Ottomans failed to drive the Ottomans out of Bithinya. However, Constantinople was weak – the emperors that warred over the right to rule their ever decreasing domain soon had recourse to hire Turkish mercenaries. It was in the service pretenders to the Eastern Roman throne that the Turkish armies first set foot in Rumelia. It was in the name of these unworthy fools that they first fought and died. However, when payment failed to arrived, those warriors that had fought for booty and glory switched their loyalty to the Ottomans!
Over the next century, Europe was opened up to the Turkish horsemen, and it in background were the Ottomans, first amongst Gazi gradually expanding their control over the Turkish raiders, building the nucleus of a state.

It was Murat I that first understood the possible that the Ottoman domains could truly aspire to Imperial greatness. He relentlessly campaigned against the both the Christians of Europe and those Beyliks of Anatolia that grew envious of the power and prestige of the House of Osman. However, he lost his life on the fields of Kosovo in 1389. With his death Beyazid Yilderim (the lightning bolt) assumed the throne. The Beys of Anatolia believing the Ottomans to be weak struck. However, a terrible revenge was exacted upon them. Beyazid defeated the traitorous Beys and declared himself of sovereign of all Anatolia. However, a new power was rising in the east....

 

[Eber]

Very interesting start! I'm looking forward in reading more.

 

[Kurdistani]

Dark Days - The Timurid invasion, the Serbian War and Beyazid I​

From the east came Timurlane – a descendent of the Mongols – who desired to recreated the Empire Cengiz Khan. Many of those Beys that had been dispossessed by the Ottomans fled to Timurs side and encouraged the great leader to campaign against the hated Bazyaid. The rulers of Karaman, Aydin and Dulkadirlar all campaigned against Beyazid. However, although Beyazid was defeated at the hand of Timurid and Dulkadirid forces at Sivas in 1400, the Ottomans were able to regroup and make peace with their enemies. However, this peace was not without cost. While the fortress of Konya was recaptured by the Ottomans, Antalya was left under the control of a Timurid governor. Moreover, the city of Sivas was ceded to the Dulkadirids.

Meanwhile, the princes of Europe scenting blood attacked. Uprisings amongst the aristocrats of Bulgaria led to an invasion by Serbia. However, the second Battle of Kosovo in 1403 saw the Serbian armies vanquished.

By 1412 Beyazid had secured his position both in Anatolia and the Balkans.
The loss of Sivas was offset by the victory over the Serbs and the extension Ottoman rule over the Kosovo.

 

[Kurdistani]

The Fall of Constantinople - 1414 ​

Despite his advanced age, throughout the winter of 1413, Beyazid made preparations for his final campaign. During the Serbian War, the Byzantine Emperor, who had previously been a vassal of the Ottomans, had taken advantage of the confusion in Anatolia and attacked Ottoman forces. While Bayzaid was still away on campaign in Anatolia, the armies of Roman marched from their citadel on the Golden Horn and besieged the garrison at the Ottoman capital in Edirne. When Beyazid returned in Anatolia in 1402 he found his capital in the hands of Byzantine forces. He quickly retook the city and dispatched Özdemir Paşa with force raised from amongst Muslim Anatolian peasants and Bulgarian converts to attack Constantinople. While Beyazid was campaigning Serbia, Özdemir seized control of the ‘Boğaz’ (the straits)constructing the new forts of Anadolu Hisarı and Rumeli Hisarı and cutting off the trade route to the city.

Rumeli Hisarı

Anadolu Hisarı​

As a result, the Byzantine Emperor was forced to recognise the sovereignty of the Peloponnesian princes in return for a lifting of the siege.

Sultan Beyazid I​

However, Beyazid never forgot the slight and once in a more secure position made preparations for the conquest of ‘the city of men’s desires.’
In spring 1414 Beyazid launched his final campaign. Özdemir was dispatched to Serbia with a force of Turkic Gazi and Christian levies. Meanwhile, Beyazid marched on Constantinople itself. The city that had been weakened by centuries of decline and infighting was ripe for the taking. The forces assembled at Rumeli and Anadolu Hisarı and marched on the city. The Byzantine forces were in no state to resist and on September 2nd 1414 the Eastern Roman Empire was overthrown. Two month later, Özdemir put Belgrade to the sword ending the independence of the Serbian princes.
After his Constantinople campaign, Beyazid retreated to Edirne and esonded himself in his new ‘Zafariyya’ complex constructed after his victory at Kosovo. From there he directed his court chronicler Hamid Efendi Babaoğlu to compose the epic ‘Beyazidname’ in Persian, a text which recounted the campaigns of the Sultan. Beyazid I died in February 1416, not on the battle field but amongst his Harem.

 

[volcanopele]

Interesting start! Very nicely illustrated as well.

Your discussion of some of the background history made me think about how it might be interesting to play as one of the other Turkish fiefdoms in Anatolia in the game. For example, in my France game, Karaman kinda rose and fell over the span of 30 years in the early 15th Century. Certainly with the high revolt risk in the Ottoman Empire during the period in IN, you can take advantage of the Ottomans' weakness.

 

[Kurdistani]

volcanopele I guess it would be a good game - But it would be harder than the Ottomans - The revolt risk at the start of the games is just insane - Its really hard - no wonder the OE always sucks if you start in 1399!

 

[Kurdistani]

Abdulmecid I

With Beyazid’s death, herald were sent to his son Abdulmecid who had been serving as the governor of Denizli in Central Anatolia. The old Sultan had sent his son to the Empire’s heartland so that he would be acquainted with his religious and cultural heritage.

When the new Sultan arrived in Edirne there was much rejoicing. Indeed, it is said that young Abdulmecid wooed the court who had been expecting a rough Anatolia prince and not a well smoothed gentleman.

The Empire that Abdulmecid inherited had been forged in the fires of the Timurid invasion and stretch to Serbia and the Danube in the West and Ankara in the East. It encompassed the great city of Constantinople. But the true heart of the Empire was the city of the Gazi; Edirne.

However, the unity of the new empire was still fragile. The legacy of War had stretched the state’s resources to the limit. Furthermore, the beginning of Abdulmecid’s rule was marked by a series of uprising amongst both the Turcoman tribes of Anatolia and the Christian Raayah of the Balkans.

 

[Mike von Bek]

The idea of imperial massagers being sent for the heir fills me with childish glee "We are here... to massage!"

More seriously, Abdulmecid has some very nice stats. That should help. Will you be focusing on Europe? Or more the Mid-East and bringing those truculent Mamlukes to hand?

Now that you have the City of the Worlds Desire, surely you must go south to Mecca! Allah wills it!

 

[Kurdistani]

Mike von Bek

I will be pushing in to Europe - I hope to break the power of a number of my enemies by the mid 1500s in central Europe and then either head to Egypt, Persia or the Steppe - I will see which seems the best when am more securie in Europe and the Eastern Med.

 

[Enewald]

yayyyy, ottos!

I shall follow!

To unite islam or to conquer Europe?

 

[Kurdistani]

The Republic of Moldovia​

As the Turks established and consolidated their rule on the Balkan peninsular, the Christian states along the borders of ‘Dar-ül Islam’ were shaken by major social unrest. One of the key events was proclamation of the Moldovian Republic. The mouth of the Danube had been controlled by the Merchant Princes of Genoa. However, as Genoese power in the Black Sea broke down after the fall of Constantinople, an alliance of local Romanian notables and disenchanted Italian traders as well as freebooters, both Muslim and Christian, over threw the Genoese administration. Under the leadership of local feudal magnate, Andrei Sturdza, the new ‘Republic’ of Moldova briefly became a centre of the renaissance. The Republics capital of Tirgoviste accepted many refugees from Turkish rule. Sturdza strengthened his authority over the merchants and feudalists of Southern Bessarabia and at least on a rhetorical level adopted an aggressive policy towards the Muslims. However, the first victims of the Republic where note the Muslims, but the Wallachian Principality which was absorbed Moldova. After the notables of Wallachia integrated into the Republics senate, Sturdza turned his eyes towards Hungary which was in the throes of a peasant uprising. By 1418 Sturdza had conquered not only Transylvania but had crossed into the Hungarian plain. However, The Moldovan army was decisively defeated at Banat in summer 1420. However, the Hungarian armies were unable to defeat the Romanians on their home territory. Although Sturdza is revered on the Romanian Right today as the farther of Romanian nationalism, it seems that Sturdza was revolted by the parochialism of the Romanian nobility and was an avid Greco-file. The language of the Senate and the state administration was in Greek well into the 16th century.

The Hungarian counter offensive failed in the mountains of Romania​

 

[Kurdistani]

Enewald Not sure yet - Ottos are really hard in IN

 

[Enewald]

Haa, an byzantophile... :rofl:

Poor moldavians...

 

[Kurdistani]

Enewald - hehehe You gotta love those Greeks!

 

[comagoosie]

Is this the same AAR as your last one. Or is it a new one?

It don't matter, I am just curious

 

[Kurdistani]

comagoosie Started afresh - and learned some lessons!

 

[unmerged(87106)]

As a nationalist Greek and Byzantophile reacting to Ottoman strength...

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Seriously, good start



asd

 

[Kurdistani]

Moves in Anatolia​

The Timurid invasion had broken Ottoman domination east of Ankara. One of the most important impacts of the Timurid invasion was socio-economic. What progress that had been made by the Ottomans in Anatolia towards the settlement of the Turcoman nomads in Anatolia was reversed. This was aggravated by the presence of a Timurid governor in Karaman. Even when the Ottoman authorities attempted to assert more control over the Turcomans they found it near impossible. The Timurid governor of Karaman, Ahmed Hanzade, often interceded in favour of the nomads. Indeed the Timurids claimed sovereignty over all Anatolian Nomads. Clearly this was a situation that the Ottomans could not tolerate. In 1423, Abdulamecid was determined to reassert his ower in Anatolia. However, he was still in a weak position. The Timurid although declining, were still a major power in the region. Therefore, Abdulhamid moved diplomatically. In Murad I’s time, all Beys in Anatolia had been forced to pay tribute to the Ottomans. However, the Timurid’s had ended that arrangement. However, with the rise of Ottoman power in the west, Abdulamecid was in a better position to reassert his claim to primacy. Abdulmecid sent gifts and messages to all of the Anatolia Bey are who had rendered submission to his grandfather, Murat, proclaiming himself ‘first amongst the Gazi’. As a result the emir of the Candar travelled to Edirne and rendered submission to the Ottomans.

 

[Enewald]

Hmm... timurs are just waiting... and probably collapsing... o