Karisid Beylik | |||||||||||
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 Karasid dynasty (light gray) in 1300. | |||||||||||
| Capital | Balıkesir Bergama | ||||||||||
| Religion | Islam | ||||||||||
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TheKarasids orKarasid Beylik (Ottoman Turkish:قرا صـی;Turkish:Karesioğulları Beyliği), also known as thePrincipality of Karasi, was aTurkishAnatolian beylik (principality) in the area of classicalMysia (modernBalıkesir andÇanakkale provinces) from ca. 1297–1345. It was centered inBalıkesir andBergama, and was one of the frontier principalities established byOghuz Turks after the decline of theSeljuk Sultanate of Rum.
They became a naval power in theAegean and theDardanelles.
The epitaphs of members of a certain Karasi family inTokat dated 1415,[1] Kutlu Melek and his son Mustafa Chelebi, tie their ancestry to theDanishmendids, a dynasty that ruled over northeastern Anatolia during the 11–12th centuries.[2] Modern historians such asİsmail Hakkı Uzunçarşılı relayed the connection between the Danishmendids and the Karasids in their works.[3]Claude Cahen held that the homonymy between the central Anatolian family and the dynasty in northwestern Anatolia may not be sufficient evidence for a connection.[4]Clifford Edmund Bosworth described the theory connecting the dynasty to the Danishmendids as "almost certainly legendary".[5]Elizabeth Zachariadou explained that while "Malik Danishmend" is a mythical remote ancestor, the rest of the names mentioned in the epitaphs are echoed in contemporary sources, with Baghdi Bey or Yaghdi Bey being the father of Kalam Shah. Based on a mention ofPagdinis by medieval writerGeorge Pachymeres, Zachariadou stated the reading of "Yaghdi" should be ignored in favor of "Baghdi".[1] The eponymous founding ruler of the dynasty,Karasi Bey (r. early 14th century – 1328) was the son of Kalam Shah.[2]
The names of Karasi and Kalam might have been connected to two towns nearGerma, Kalamos and Akarasos. Zachariadou highlighted Karasi is not a Turkish name and may have been taken from the name of the town he controlled, which was precedented in other Turkish emirates. Karasi was connected to the name "Kara Isa" by some authors, though it was rejected by Uzunçarşılı. The name Kalam might have been Turkish as it was precedented in Byzantine sources as the name of atatas (godfather), who was a Christianized Turk.[6]
Later Ottoman sources referred to Karasi as anöker (vassal) during the first reign ofMesud II (r. 1284–97, 1303–8), theSultan of Rum. Kalam and Karasi Bey are thought to have taken over the region aroundBalıkesir during Mesud's reign and claimed independence at an unknown date.[2] Fifteenth centuryByzantine Greek historianDoukas wrote that they appeared in the region during the rule of theByzantine EmperorAndronikos II (r. 1282–1328).[4] It corresponded to the ancient region ofMysia, excluding the towns ofArtaki,Pegae,Adramytion,Pergamon, andDardanellia.[2] However, Cahen proposes that the state appeared much later as medieval writersRamon Muntaner and George Pachymeres do not mention the Karasids. Cahen disputes historian Mordtmann's connection of theLamisai mentioned by Pachymeres and the Calames (Karasi's father Kalam) ofNicephorus Gregoras.[4]
Following the Byzantine campaign in western Anatolia allied withCatalan Company andAlans between 1302 and 1308, Karasi expanded into Lesser Mysia and reached south bordering theSarukhanids. In 1311, Karasi is also known to have provided support to the Sari Saltuk tribe led byEce Halil who clashed with the Byzantine Empire inThrace. Karasi Bey accepted troops who survived the struggle to take refuge in his realm.[7] Pachymeres reported that the Catalan mercenaries defeated the "Turks" in Germe, east ofPergamos, which Zachariadou suggests were the Karasids.[1]
Karasi is thought to have died before 1328, when his successorDemir Khan reached an agreement with the Byzantines.[8] After Karasi, Demir Khan andYakhshi Khan ruled over two separate emirates. The former was the ruler ofBalıkesir, while the latter controlled the area aroundPergamos. Demir Khan was likely the senioremir as he had the authority to sign a truce with the Byzantines.[9] Demir Khan and Yakhshi Khan are generally accepted to have been brothers.[10] The Byzantine historian and EmperorJohn VI Kantakouzenos (r. 1347–54) described Demir Khan as the son of Yakhshi Khan,[11] which several modern historians align with.[12]
Demir Khan harassed the towns nearCyzicus[13] and raided coastal parts of southernBalkans through his naval forces based in theSea of Marmara.[14] For this matter,Byzantine EmperorAndronikos III (r. 1328–41) met with Demir Khan inPegai in 1328, when they signed a treaty. In 1333, Demir Khan met with theMaghrebi travellerIbn Battuta.[13] Ibn Battuta deemed Demir Khan a "worthless" person like the population of Balıkesir,[15] and mentioned that the former was disliked by his own people.[16] According to historian al-Uryan, the ruler of Pergamos was "Senbogha", who was subordinate to Demir Khan.[17] Some modern historians maintain that Demir Khan had a short reign.[15]
Suleiman Bey was married to the daughter ofJohn Vatatzes. Allied with Suleiman, Vatatzes attacked Thrace in support of the dowager empressAnna of Savoy amidst a civil war against John VI Kantakouzenos. Despite earlier alliance, the Karasid forces later switched sides and killed John Vatatzes, owing to their cordial relations with Kantakouzenos. Suleiman further refused a major bribe offered by Isaac Asan, apanhypersebastos allied with the empress, to incite a Karasid offensive on Kantakouzenos. The Karasids ceased to be mentioned by the Byzantine sources after this point.[18]
Fifteenth-century Ottoman historianAşıkpaşazade detailed the events leading to the Ottoman acquisition of the Karasid domains, providing a conflicting narrative.[18] Ajlan Bey, "son of Karasi", had two sons, one of whom was named Dursun. Following the death of Ajlan, Dursun fled to the Ottoman domains, while his brother stayed behind with their father, but was unpopular among his subjects.[19] Dursun offered the Ottoman SultanOrhan (r. 1323–62) control of Balıkesir, Bergama, and Edremit with the exception of two minor coastal settlements to the west.[18] Orhan thus set west, seizing towns controlled by Christian rulers on the way.[19] The other son escaped Balıkesir, when it fell to the Ottomans, and took refuge in Pergamos. The locals submitted to the Ottoman rule. Aşıkpaşazade dated this event to 1335. Orhan declared his sovereignty over the land by being named inkhutba wa sikka (sermon and coins). The other son surrendered Pergamos and was transported toBursa, where he would die two years later. The Karasid domains were given to Orhan's sonSuleiman astimar.[20] TheChronological List of 1421 dated the Ottoman acquisition to 1348/9. The connection between the Ottoman narrative with the details known from prior sources remains obscure.[18]
Modern historians vary in their attempts to reconcile incongruent accounts of Byzantine and Ottoman sources. According to Elizabeth Zachariadou, Ajlan was the son of Yakhshi Khan, and Ajlan's other son was Suleiman.[21] Konstantin Zhukov aligned with Zachariadou but further suggested either Ajlan or Suleiman could have been the same person as Beylerbey Chelebi, who is attested to on Karasid coins.[22] Historian Zerrin Günal instead identified Yakhshi Khan as Ajlan and his other son as Demir Khan. Claude Cahen mentioned Ajlan was Karasi Bey's nickname, although Aşıkpaşazade specified Ajlan as the "son of Karasi".[7] Uzunçarşılı claimed Demir Khan was attested to as Ajlan due to an error in writing. He additionally identified Dursun as the other brother of Demir Khan (Ajlan).[23] Clive Foss identified Ajlan's other son asHajji Ilbey,[24] who he suggested is the Beylerbey Chelebi, who is honored on Karasid coins and was the successor of Yakhshi.[10]
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TheByzantines tried to incite beyliks like Karasids against theOttomans. However, routes of conquest and other objectives of beyliks such as Karasids did not initially conflict with the Ottomans. The political situation clearly favored the Ottomans.[25]
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