The Turkish Empire, Its Growth and Decay — John Shaqi
The Turkish Empire, Its Growth and DecayEversley, G. Shaw-Lefevre (George Shaw-Lefevre), Baron
History
The Turkish Empire, Its Growth and Decay
Eversley, G. Shaw-Lefevre (George Shaw-Lefevre), Baron
Turkey -- History
In the interval of ten years between the capture of Nicæa and
Nicomedia, Orchan was further engaged in extending his State
elsewhere in Asia, not towards Angora, in the south, as stated by
some historians, but to the north-west, in the ancient Mysia, by the
conquest of the Emirate of Karasi, which lay immediately to the north
of Sarukhan and with a frontage to the sea opposite to the island of
Mytilene. The Emir of this State died in 1333. His two sons disputed
the succession. The younger one was favoured by the Ottomans, and when
he was put to death by his brother, Orchan sent an army ostensibly to
avenge him. The Emir was driven into exile and his State was promptly
annexed by Orchan. The same fate befell some other petty Emirates
on the southern borders of the Marmora and the Hellespont, rounding
off the boundary of the Ottoman State in the north-west corner of
Anatolia. The population of Karasi and the smaller States was mainly
Turkish, but there must have been many Greeks on the coast who probably
adopted Islam, as had the majority of the Greeks of Brusa and Nicæa.
After these acquisitions, and that of Nicomedia in 1338, there were no
further additions to the Ottoman State in Asia Minor during Orchan’s
reign.
There followed, after the capture of Nicomedia, a few years of peace,
and it may well be that, during this time, Orchan completed the scheme
for the organization of his State and his army. Hitherto, when Othman
and Orchan were involved in disputes with their neighbours, and it was
necessary to use armed force in resistance or attack, an appeal was
made for the voluntary service of all the male members of their petty
State or clan capable of bearing arms; and the appeal was responded to
without question. When the occasion for their service was at an end,
the warriors returned to their homes and to their usual vocations. With
a rapidly expanding territory and with great ambitions for further
conquests, it was evidently thought necessary to constitute a permanent
and well-disciplined force, and Orchan, whether adopting, or not,
the plans of his brother Alaeddin, determined to effect this. On the
one hand, he enrolled a considerable body of infantry for continuous
service. They were subject to strict discipline and were well paid,
and it will be seen that they could be sent beyond the realm to assist
the Greek Emperor or otherwise.[4] On the other hand, a large body
of horsemen was provided, not under continuous service, but under
obligatory service, when occasion arose for calling them out.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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