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Orhan Gazi was a very brilliant soldier. His most important achievement was the invasion of Bursa on 6^th April 1326. Orhan Gazi appointed Alaeddin Ali Bey as vizier whom captured the Province of Orhaneli, came to Bursa and besieged the city. Bursa was taken under control without an important skirmish. Afterwards, the centre of the state was transfered to Bursa from Bilecik.

On the other hand the famous commanders like Akcakoca, Karamursel and Abdurrahman Gazi took the castles of Kandra, Aydos, and Semendre. Thus, the territories of the Ottoman state were extended through Bosphorus and the Black Sea. Orhan Gazi spent his life in battle fields and won many victories, he organised a new troop called “Yaya”(infant ry), in 1328.

The Ottomans captured the castles in Kocaeli Peninsula and came to the Bosphorus. Byzantine Emperor Andronikos III organised an army to take back the castles and to protect Iznik that was under siege. Orhan Gazi left some of his forces in Iznik and advanced through the Byzantine Army. Two armies came across in Palekonon (Maltepe) the region that named this battle. The Ottoman Army had defeated the Byzantine army (1329).

After this important victory Orhan Gazi returned to Iznik to continue to blocade the city. The commander of Iznik had lost his hope from the Byzantine Empire and claimed that he would have conditionally surrendered. Orhan Gazi had accepted the Commander’s conditions and commanded his soldiers to be kind to the people of Iznik. Thus, one of the most important cities of the Christian World was annexed to the Turkish sovereignty (1330).

Orhan Gazi continued his campaigns and he invaded Tarakli in 1331, Goynuk, Mudurnu, and Gemlik in 1333. Orhan Gazi conquered the important trading centre Izmit and its province (Koyunhisar, Hereke, Yalova, Armutlu ) in 1337. He gave the administration of the region to his son Suleyman Pasha.

In 1342 the castles of Kirmasti, Mihalic and Ulubat (Balıkesir province) were conquered. With these conquests, the Ottomans had been neighbours with the Principality of Karesiogulları. Orhan Gazi conquered the Karesiogulları by benefiting from their throne struggles (1345). Famous commanders as Haci Ilbey and Evrenus Gazi from Karesiogulları joined the Ottoman Army moreover the navy of the principality was captured as well. The Marmara Islands, Uskudar and Kadikoy (Istanbul province) were conquered (1352). In 1354, the principality of Gerede was invaded and Ankara was conquered for the first time

Orhan Gazi was born in 1281. His father was Osman Gazi and his mother was Mal Sultana, the daughter of Omer, who was a respected person in the Kayi Clan. Orhan Gazi was tall, had a blonde beard and blue eyes. He was a benign, forgiving, religious and fair ruler. He admired the theologians. He had strong and patient character. He spent most of his time with his people or by visiting them. He had won the admire of his people in a short time.

Orhan Gazi became the leader of Kayi Clan after the death of Osman Gazi, in 1326. He had married to Teodora, the daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Yoannis Kontakuzinas XI, in 1346. His second wife was Holofira the daughter of the Byzantine Prince of Yarhisar. Holofira eloped with Orhan by leaving her marriage ceremony with the Prince of Bilecik. After she was married to Orhan Gazi she was converted to Islam and her name was changed as Nilufer Hatun. She gave birth to Murad, who had been the third sultan of the Ottomans.

His sons : SuleymanPasha, Murad, Ibrahim, Halil, Kasim.
His daughters : Fatma Hatun.

	Father	: Osman Gazi
	Mother	: Mal Sultana
	Date of Birth	: 1281
	Date of Death	: 1360
	Reign	: 1326 - 1359
	Territories	: 95.000 km2
ORHAN GAZI (ORCHAN GHAZI) 1326 - 1359

Osman Gazi began his first military and political actions on the Byzantine lands. When he became the leader of Kayi Clan in 1281, firstly, he unified the Turkmen clans.

The first war in the Ottoman history was the Armenian-Beli War, in Hamzabey Village 10 km far from Inegol, Bursa (1284). In this battle the nephew of Osman Gazi, Baykoca had died. The first conquest in the Ottoman history, was the Castle of Kulaca in 1285.

The Seljuk Sultan Alaeddin Keykubat III gave Eskisehir city and Inonu region to Osman Gazi. Osman Gazi battled against the Prince of Inegol in 1291 and invaded Karacahisar. He marched through Sakarya. His uncle Dundar Bey was executed because of his connection with the Byzantine Empire.

While Osman Gazi’s political and social progress was continuing, the Ilhans exiled Alauddin Keykubat. The end of the Seljuk Sultanate 1299 is considered as the first year of the Ottoman Sovereign. In the same year the capital was transfered to Bilecik (in some sources 27^th July 1301 is accepted as the first year of the Ottomans. In this year the Ottoman Forces defeated the Byzantine army in the War of Befeus and won their independence).

The Castle of Yenisehir was captured in 1300 and the capital moved from Bilecik to Yenisehir the year after.

Osman Gazi divided the lands between his sons, his brother and his arm men, adaquate to the Turkish tradition. He gave Eskisehir to his brother Gunduz, Karacahisar to his son Orhan Gazi, Yarhisar to Hasan Alp, Inegol to Turgut Alp . These were all the Ottoman frontiers. Osman Gazi divided all these strategical areas between his best commanders as he was planing to extand his territories. Commanders as Abdurrahman Gazi, Akcakoca, Samsa Cavus, Konuralp, Aykutalp are the important names in the policy of extension.

Ottomans defeated the Byzantine Army in Koyunhisar in 1302. In 1303, Iznik was invaded and Marmaracik Castle was conquered. The Ottomans were advancing in Anatolia. In the end of Dinboz War in 1306, Kestel, Kete and Ulubat castles were captured and the first military treaty in the Ottoman history was signed. In 1308, Karahisar was conquered and one of important commerce and social centres of the region, Iznik was besieged.

Osman Gazi was a political genius and he began to pressure on the Byzantine Empire by dominating the trade roads. Many Byzantine people even some princes converted to Islam in this period. Kose Mihal the prince of Harmankaya was one of them, he joined the Ottoman Army with his men and castle. He invaded Lefke, Meceke and Akhisar.

In 1315, Bursa was besieged. In 1317, Osman invaded Karatekin, Ebesuyu, Tuzpazarı, Kapucuk and Keresteci castles. In the same year he took Akcakoca and Kocaeli regions.

After 1320, because of age and illness Osman Gazi gave attorney to his son Orhan Gazi. The Ottoman Army under the command of Orhan Gazi invaded Mudanya and Gemlik (1321), Akyazi and Ayankoy (1323), Karamursel and Karacabey (1324), and Orhaneli (1325). Osman Gazi inherited 4800 km2 land and he left 16000 km2 land to his son.

Osman Gazi was establishing new institutions for the Islamisation of the all Ottoman regions. He was a law maker and his laws were mostly based on the Seljuk laws. The first tax was collected in his time. A special kind of tax called “Bac” was impose on the whole sale goods sold in the bazaars. Bac has not been collected from the goods such as a few chickens or a few kilos of oil , sold by the peasants. The Timar system which was in common use by the Selcuks was carried on in Osman Gazi’s time as well. The Sipahis (cavalrymen) were collecting the Timar from the villages they were responsible of and they bought horses, weapons, armours and the other necessary goods for the wars.

The father of the Ottoman Empire Osman Gazi was born in 1258 in the town of Sogut. His father was Ertugrul Gazi and his mother was Hayme Sultan. Osman Gazi was a tall man with a round face, dark complexion, hazel eyes, and thick eyebrows. His shoulders were fairly large and the upper part of his body was longer than the other parts. He used to wear a Horasan crown in the style of Cagatay, which was made of red broad cloth. Osman Gazi was a brilliant leader. He was fair, brave and gracious. He helped the poor. Sometimes he gave his own cloths to the poor. Every mid-day, he gave a lavish meal to all people in his house. Osman Gazi was just 23 when he succeeded the leadership of the Kayi Clan in Sogut, in 1281. He was a very brilliant rider and a fencer. He married to Mal Sultana who was the daughter of famous Omer bey. Mal Sultan gave birth to Orhan who succeeded the throne. Osman Gazi appreciated the opinions of Edebali (the famous Ahi Sheik) and he respected him. He often went to Edebali’s house where a dervish group meets in Eskisehir Sultanonu and been his guest. One night, when he was a guest in Sheik Edebali’s dergah, he had a dream. As the sun shined, he went to Edebali and told him: “My Sheik, I saw you in my dream. A moon appeared in your breast. It rose, rose and then descended into my breast. From my novel there sprang a tree. It grew up and turned green. It branched out and got complicated. The shadow of its branches covered the whole world. What does my dream mean ?” After a little silence, Seyh told him : “ I have got good news Osman! God gave you sovereignty and to your son. All the world will be under the protection of your son and my daughter will be the wife to you.” After this unusual event, the Sheik gave his daughter Bala Sultana to Osman and Alaeddin was born from this marriage. The founder of Ottoman empire- risen from Anatolia and reigned for 600 years, over three continents- Osman Gazi, died of gout, in Bursa in 1326. When he died, he left an horse armor, a pair of high boots, a few sun jacks, a sword, a lance, a tirkes, a few horses, three herds of sheep, salt and spoon containers. His sons : Pazarli, Coban, Hamit, Orhan, Ala-ed-din, Ali, Melik, Savci His daughters : Fatma Sultan.

	Father	: Ertugrul Gazi
	Mother	: Hayme Hatun
	Date of Birth	: Sogut, 1258
	Date of Death	: Bursa, 1326
	Reign	: 1281 - 1326
	Territories	: 16.000 km2
OSMAN GAZI (OTHMAN GHAZI) 1281 - 1326