| Yakub I | |
|---|---|
| Bey ofGermiyan | |
| Reign | c. 1300 – c. 1340 |
| Successor | Mehmed Chakhshadan |
| Died | c. 1340 |
| Issue | |
| Dynasty | Germiyan |
| Father | Karim al-Din Ali Shir |
| Religion | Islam |
Yakub I (diedc. 1340) was the founder of thebeylik ofGermiyan, located in westernAnatolia aroundKütahya. Although Germiyan revolted againstMesud II (r. 1284–97, 1303–8), theSultan of Rum, Yakub accepted vassalage underKayqubad III (r. 1298–1302). The Sultanate of Rum disintegrated shortly after. At that point, Yakub's realm extended as far east asAnkara and incorporated various towns taken from theByzantine Empire and theCatalan Company. Yakub was the suzerain of many of his neighbors, and his reign was described as economically prosperous by contemporary historians. He was succeeded by his sonMehmed, nicknamedChakhshadan.
During the 11th century, much ofWest Asia was subject toSeljuk rule. A branch of theSeljuk dynasty formed theSultanate of Rum, an Islamic state inAnatolia, which saw its height from the late 12th century to 1237.[2] The Germiyan first appeared in 1239 underKaykhusraw II's rule of the Sultanate of Rum. Muzaffar al-Din, Yakub I's paternal grandfather,[3] was tasked with subduingBaba Ishak's rebellion in the area aroundMalatya.[4] Kaykhusraw II faced a major defeat by theMongol Empire at theBattle of Köse Dağ in 1243, which resulted in the vassalization of Rum, which was forced to pay a major annual tax. With thedivision of the Mongol Empire, Anatolia came under the influence of theIlkhanate, which was founded byHulegu Khan (r. 1256–65). During the chaos caused by the Anatolian campaign of theMamluk SultanBaibars ofEgypt in 1277, Ala al-Din Siyavush, commonly known asJimri, who was a pretender to the Seljuk legacy, revolted against the Mongols.[2] Husam al-Din, a member of the Germiyanids,[b] fought against Jimri andMehmed ofKaraman in western Anatolia.[4] Although Jimri and Mehmed were eliminated, the Karamanids' presence in Anatolia persisted, signaling further division in the region, which was symptomatic of the downfall of the Seljuks.[2]
The Germiyan attempted to declare independence from the Sultanate of Rum whenMesud II became thesultan following the execution of his father,Kaykhusraw III, by the Mongols in 1283. The conflict between the Germiyanids and the Seljuks went dormant upon Mesud II's death, and Yakub agreed to become a vassal of the new ruler,Kayqubad III. At that time, Yakub's realm extended as east asAnkara. His domain includedDenizli andKarahisar, according toNicephorus Gregoras, andTripolis on the Meander, according toGeorge Pachymeres.[4]
Contemporary historianal-Umari described Yakub as the most powerful Turkishemir, being the suzerain of many of his neighbors, with theByzantine Empire paying him 100,000 pieces of gold each year.[4] Al-Umari further relayed the observations of travelers Haydar al-Uryan and Balaban, that Yakub's domains included about 700 settlements. He possessed 40,000 cavalry and was able to raise 200,000 troops in times of war, although historian Varlık considers this number exaggerated.[5]
Yakub eventually conquered the regions ofSimav andKula, which were later regained by theCatalan Company. Similarly,Philadelphia (later known as Alaşehir), which he had earlier taken over, was lost to the Catalans in the spring of 1304, but the town started paying himjizya by 1314.[4] Yakub had hostile relations with theOttoman state, and provoked theTatars of theChavdar [tr] tribe nearKaracahisar to attack them in 1313. After having eliminated theHamidid andEshrefid begs in 1325,Timurtash, the Ilkhanid governor of Anatolia, attempted to enact authority over the rulers of western Anatolia and seize the territory of Germiyan, Philadephila, Denizli, and Menteshe. Yakub's son-in-law, who was the lord ofAfyonkarahisar, fled toKütahya fromEretna, who was an officer under Timurtash tasked to capture the city. When Yakub was about to engage in a battle with Eretna, the latter was called back by Timurtash in 1327.[5]
The region under Yakub was economically prosperous[4] and saw an increase in literary and scientific patronage.[6]Rumi's grandsonUlu Arif Chelebi visited the region by 1312 and maintained spiritual authority over Yakub.[5]
Yakub struck a single type of coin late into his reign.[7] An unnamed coin minted in 1307 mentioning the titleKhan-i Germiyan is identified with Yakub I. In the inscriptions of the castle ofSandıklı, which were later moved to a nearby fountain, he was referred to asSultan al-Germiyaniyya Chelebi al-Azam azzamallahu kadrehu. Yakub owned awaqf (charitable endowment) for themevlevihane (congregational place for theMevlevi Order) of Karahisar. According toİsmail Hakkı Uzunçarşılı, he possibly owned anotherwaqf at thezawiya of the village of Hacim nearUşak, which dates to 1321. However, there the owner's father was recorded as Mehmed.[1]
Yakub is known to have exchanged letters with theMamluk Sultanate in 1340; these are the latest known records of his life, and his exact year of death is unknown.[5] According to the 17th-century travelerEvliya Çelebi, who wrote three centuries after Yakub's death, he was buried at the hill of Hıdırlık near Kütahya.[6]Mehmed, nicknamedChakhshadan, was the son and successor of Yakub.[5]
Yakub's father was Karim al-Din Ali Shir, who was the son of Muzaffar al-Din Ali Shir and grandson of Ali Shir. Yakub had a brother known as Husam al-Din, and a sister, who was known to have had a son, Badr al-Din Murad. Yakub had two daughters.[3] In addition to Mehmed, Yakub had another son named Musa according to a deed from 1363.[5]
