The Founding of the Ottoman State
How Was the Ottoman Empire Founded?
The Ottoman Empire is one of the greatest empires that ruled the world. The founder of the Ottoman state, which became the terror of the world for 6 centuries, is Osman Gazi. Osman Gazi is the son of Ertuğrul Gazi and Halime Sultan. Ertuğrul Gazi was a frontier bey who advanced westward from Aleppo and always remained loyal to the Seljuks. Throughout his life, Ertuğrul Gazi conquered places such as Söğüt, Domaniç, and Karaca Hisar. After the death of Ertuğrul Gazi in 1281, his youngest son Osman Gazi succeeded him. Osman Gazi entered into a struggle with his uncle Dündar Bey and his elder brother Gündüz Alp to become the new Bey of the tribe. Despite being the youngest sibling, he managed to become Bey due to his more proactive and stronger nature. After Osman Gazi became Bey, he shot and killed his uncle Dündar Bey due to his uncle's constant interference in his affairs and his cowardly stance against the enemy. A few years after Osman Bey took charge of the tribe, he was ambushed by the Byzantine Tekfur while controlling the region with his Alps. Osman Bey's nephew was also killed during this battle. However, Osman Gazi managed to prevail. The lands inherited by Osman Bey from his father were 4800 km2. By 1326, Osman Gazi had increased these borders by 4 times, making it 16,000 km2. The Kayı tribe, led by Osman Gazi, originates from Gün Han, the son of Oğuz Han. This is one of the factors that made the Kayıs popular in the region.
When Was the Ottoman Empire Founded?
There are 2 different views on when the Ottoman Empire was founded. According to the first view, Osman Gazi had the khutbah recited in his name in the castle he conquered in 1299 and declared the new principality. According to the other view, Osman Gazi founded the state after the Battle of Koyun Hisar against the Byzantines in 1302. Historians like Halil İnalcık state that the state was founded in 1302. However, it is recorded as 1299 in official records. You can look at the relevant pages and companies on the internet pages to get information on this subject and ask your questions; you can examine it in detail from here.
