Who Was Ertugrul?
“The problem of Ottoman origins has preoccupied students of history, but because of both the absence of contemporary source materials and conflicting accounts written subsequent to the events there seems to be no basis for a definitive statement.”
- History of the Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey. Cambridge University Press. (p. 13)
Ertugrul Bey & The Ottoman State
Spanning almost six (6) centuries, and based out of a small principality in the town of Söğüt on the western border of the Anatolian Seljuk Sultanate to a world state spanning (vast portions of) three (3) continents (Asia, Africa & Europe) at its peak; this my fellow readers is the House of Osman or more popularly known as the Ottomans (other names for the Ottomans include “Devlet-i ʿAlīye-yi ʿOsmānīye” or “The Supreme Ottoman State”; “Osmanlı İmparatorluğu” or “Ottoman Empire” and “Osmanli Devleti” or “The Ottoman State”).
Without the Turkish TV series Diriliş: Ertuğrul/Resurrection: Ertuğrul, I suspect the vast majority of us would have known very little if not anything about the Kayi Tribe, Ertuğrul Bey himself and by extension, the Ottomans. The Ottoman state was founded by Ertugrul’s son, Osman I (Osman Gazi) in 1298/1299 AD, but Ertugrul’s work and the efforts he made formed the very foundation of the future Ottoman state.
Unfortunately when it comes to the origins of the Ottoman dynasty; Ertuğrul Ghazi and even his son Osman Ghazi, we either know very little or find it difficult to distinguish between fact and fiction due to the fact that most of the information recorded from that time period wasn’t documented until a century or more after.
But this fact shouldn’t dampen one’s enthusiasm for the Ottomans or Ertuğrul Gazi and neither should it cast doubts about the Ottoman Empire (some academics are not a fan of the term “empire” in relation to the Ottomans) and its legacy. The origins of the Ottoman state however obscure is not a reason to question the validity of their leadership as we are able to make certain conclusions about Ertuğrul and his son Osman Bey regardless of the lack of information surrounding them both.
Their legacy and the sort of impact that the Ottomans consequently had on the world speaks for itself. Moreover, the negative ramifications of the culmination of the Ottoman Caliphate couldn’t be more evident, particularly in Muslim majority lands previously administered by the Ottomans.
Brief Biography of Ertuğrul
Ertugrul Bey was said to be born to Suleyman Shah (or Gunduz Alp according to many other reports), leader of the Kayi Tribe of Oghuz Turks, who fled from western Central Asia to Anatolia to escape the Mongol conquests. His mother was said to be Hayme Hatun (Hayme Ana/Haymana) and he had three other brothers: Gundogdu Bey (Gündoğdu Bey), Sungurtekin Bey and Dundar Bey (Dündar Bey).
He got married to Halime Hatun whose origins are also very obscure; it is said she was the daughter of a powerful Turkmen bey whereas in Dirilis Ertugrul/Resurrection Ertugrul, she is shown to be a Seljuk princess and niece of the Sultan (of the Seljuq Sultanate of Rum), Sultan Alâeddin Keykûbad/Kayqubad I/Alā ad-Dīn Kayqubād bin Kaykāvūs (some incorrectly spell his name in Google, etc as “Sultan Aladdin” 😄) , and she is commonly referred to as Halime Sultan (indicating her royal background); whether or not this is historically accurate is not entirely clear.
In addition, there is a difference of opinion as to how many children Ertugrul actually had; some reports say three (3) whilst others say four (4). They were said to be Gunduz Bey (he was said to be named after his grandfather Gunduz Alp if you accept that opinion), Savci Bey, Saru Batu (some reports combine the names of Saru Batu and Savci Bey making it one name - Saru Batu Savci Bey - hence the difference of opinion), and lastly Osman (who went on to found the Ottoman state).
Like his son Osman and their descendants, Ertugrul Bey was lauded with the title Gazi — Ertugrul Gazi/Ertugrul Ghazi — denoting his military prowess and success on the battlefield for the sake of Islam.
Ertugrul Ghazi, The Kayi Tribe & The Anatolian Seljuk Sultanate
As mentioned prior, the information surrounding Ertugrul Bey & the Kayi Tribe is not known with certainty. For one who hasn’t read or studied Ertugrul Bey & the Ottomans, particularly prior to watching the TV series Dirilis Ertugrul, this would come as a big surprise but it’s not all gloom and doom.
According to the information we have, after the death of his father, Ertuğrul and his followers entered officially into the service of the Anatolian Seljuk Sultanate, for which Ertugrul and the Kayi Tribe were rewarded with dominion over the town of Söğüt on the frontier with the Byzantine Empire/Eastern Roman Empire.
The Kayi Tribe or simply Kayis were part of a wider tribal Turkic federation who migrated from the steppes of Central Asia to escape the Mongol/Chingisid invasion. They eventually settled in modern-day Anatolia and were loyal to the Anatolian Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm.
With this dominion of lands and the fact that they defended the Western frontier of the Anatolian Seljuk State which neighboured the Eastern Roman Byzantine Empire, it thereby established them as a sort of independent member-state of the Seljuks.
When the Seljuk Empire began to disintegrate, independent Turkic Beyliks (principalities) began to emerge and this set off the chain of events that would ultimately lead to the founding of the Ottoman state by Osman Gazi; the Ottoman Sultanate was hence born out of the Anatolian Beyliks, which was born out of the decline of the Seljuk Empire of Rum.
Historical Mentions, Early Ottoman Coins & Ertugrul Gazi
Despite the uncertainty surrounding Ertugrul’s life, one thing that is known with certainty was that he was a historical figure and he was indeed the father of Osman Bey.
The renowned Sufi mystic Ibn al-Arabi definitely heard of and wrote about Ertugrul but whether he actually met him, there is a difference of opinion on this. The famous Anatolian scholar and future father-in-law of Ertugrul’s son Osman, Shaykh Edebali, met with Ertugrul Gazi on a number of occasions.
In addition, there are early Ottoman coins which mention the name Ertugrul Bey. The first coin, apparently minted during the time of Osman, has engraved "Minted by Osman son of Ertuğrul.”
Another coin reads "Osman bin Ertuğrul bin Gündüz Alp" not only cementing the idea of Osman’s relationship to Ertugrul but simultaneously giving more credence to the theory that Ertugrul’s father was actually called Gazi Gunduz Alp/Gazi Gündüz Alp rather than, as presented in Dirilis Ertugrul and in general Turkish history, as Suleyman Shah/Süleyman Şah.
Legacy
Ertugrul Gazi’s name brings about a certain mystique around it and even though we know very little of him, his legacy is clear in Ottoman and present-day Turkish/Turkic history.
As mentioned above, Ertugrul’s tomb is in Söğüt in modern-day Turkey but in addition to that there is also a mosque/masjid there dedicated to him, both of which were said to be built by Osman I. However, due to several re-buildings, it is not certain if these present structures retain anything from their original structures. The current mausoleum was built by the then Ottoman Sultan-Caliph Abdülhamid II in the late nineteenth century.
In addition, annually, the town of Söğüt celebrates a festival in memory of Ertugrul and the early Ottomans.
Another mosque/masjid was built in his honour and memory in 1998, and can be found in the city of Ashgabat in Turkmenistan.
Moreover, the Ottoman Navy launched a frigate warship in 1863 in memory of Ertugrul. (Unfortunately, the Ertuğrul frigate sunk in a tragedy in 1890 after its return voyage from a goodwill visit to Japan).
Lastly, in 2001, his memory was honoured via a Turkmen coin (coin from the country of Turkmenistan); the coin is no longer circulating.
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