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Candaroğlu Beylik (sometimes referred to as Candar, Candaroğulları or İsfendiyaroğulları in Turkish) is an Anatolian Turkish Beylik that ruled principally in the regions corresponding to present-day Kastamonu and Sinop provinces of Turkey, also covering parts of Zonguldak, Samsun and Çankırı provinces, between 1292 - 1461, in the Black Sea region of modern day Turkey.
The region is also known in western literature as Paphlagonia, a name used for the same geographic area during the Roman period.
The founder of the beylik is Temür Yaman Candar (also known as Demir
Yaman Candar); the beylik collapsed in 1461 when the Ottoman sultan
Mehmed II, whose mother is supposedly linked to the Candaroğlu dynasty,
annexed the region.
The flag of Candar may confuse many with what is now known as the Star
of David. In medieval times however, this was not solely a Jewish
symbol, but also an Islamic one known as the "Seal of Solomon" and was
extremely popular amongst the Turkish Beyliks of Anatolia. Another
state known to use the seal on their flag was the Beylik of Karaman.
Following the incorporation of the principality in the Ottoman Empire,
the ruling dynasty has been offered various important functions within
the Ottoman administration, which they maintained until its collapse in
1922. Ayşe Sultan, who was the last identified descendent of the
Candaroğlu dynasty having benefited from the status offered by the
Ottoman Empire to the dynasty, died 1981 in Ankara.
History
The Seljuk Sultan Masud II gave Kastamonu to Temür Yaman Candar, a
commander from the sultan's candar corps, in thanks for rescuing him
from Mongol captivity. This province, however, was already under the
control of the Çobanoğulları. Following Temür's death, his son Süleyman
I conquered the province and annexed Safranbolu and Sinop, formerly
ruled by the descendants of Mu‘in al-Din Suleyman. Süleyman then
appointed his son İbrahim I as governor to Sinop and a second son Ali
to Safranbolu. Süleyman reigned under the authority of the Ilkhanate,
the Mongols of Persia, until the death of the ruler Abu Sa'id.
Following the death of Süleyman I, his sons Ibrahim I and Ali fought
for the throne. In 1339 Ibrahim was victorious and took over the rule
of Kastamonu. Upon his death, his cousin Adil replaced him (1346 -
1361). When Adil died, his son Kötürüm Bayezid became bey. Bayezid
fought twice with Kadi Burhan al-Din, the ruler of the Sivas region,
and in 1383 lost Kastamonu to one of his own sons, Süleyman II, who
received military support from the Ottoman sultan Murad I. Bayezid left
for Sinop, and thus the Candaroğlu Beylik was divided. After Bayezid's
death in 1385, his son İsfendiyar succeeded him.
Based in Kastamonu, Süleyman II remained faithful to Murad I, his
supporter in his revolt against his father, and participated in Ottoman
campaigns in Europe in 1386 and 1389. Murad's successor, the aggressive
Beyazid I launched an assault in 1391 on Kastamonu as part of an effort
to control the Anatolian beyliks.Süleyman II was killed and Candaroğlu
rule in Kastamonu ended.
Meanwhile, fearing conflict with the powerful Ottomans, İsfendiyar
requested immunity from Beyazid in return for being subject to Ottoman
reign. Beyazid granted İsfendiyar an autonomy. Following the sultan's
defeat by the Mongols in 1402, İsfendiyar recognized the authority of
the Mongol khan Timur, who confirmed him in the traditional Candaroğlu
lands of Kastamonu, Kalecik, Tosya, and Çankırı.
After Timur left Anatolia, during the Ottoman Interregnum, İsfendiyar
stood close to all the four sons of Beyazid avoiding any conflict. When
one of his sons, Kasım claimed control over Çankırı and Tosya, and
declared the annexation of these areas to the Ottoman empire, the
Candaroğlu dominion was divided once more. But İsfendiyar revolted
against the new sultan Murad II, only to be defeated, and retreated to
Sinop (1423). İsfendiyar died in 1439, to be succeeded by his son
İbrahim II, who upon his death was replaced by İsmail in 1443.
After his conquest of Constantinople in 1453, the Ottoman sultan Mehmed
II turned to Anatolia to unite the Anatolian beyliks/principalities
under his rule. In 1461, joining forces with İsmail's brother Ahmed
(the Red), he captured Sinop and ended the official reign of the
Candaroğlu dynasty, although he appointed Ahmed as the governor of
Kastamonu and Sinop, only to revoke Ahmed's appointment the same year.
Various other members of the Candaroglu dynasty were offered important
functions throughout the history of the Ottoman Empire, until its
collapse during the First World War. Descendents of the Candaroglu
dynasty live today as Citizens of the Turkish Republic mostly in
Istanbul and in Europe, using various family names. Ayshe Sultan, who
was the last identified descendent of the Candaroglu dynasty having
benefited from the status offered by the Ottoman Empire to the dynasty,
died 1981 in Ankara.
Culture and economy
The Candaroğlu beylik was located at a very important region in the
northeast of Anatolia. They were quite significant in their area with
their high population (420,000 in 1332) and political influence,
existing along other beyliks and states in their era. Having reigned
for about 170 years, Candaroğlu were quite advanced in architecture,
cultural and social life and welfare. Also, many books in Turkish were
written during their reign by court scientists and writers, including
poems, books on medicine, chemistry, social sciences, and translations
from Arabic and Persian.
Many architectural structures have remained from the Candaroğlu era in
the region, including hammams, caravanserais, numerous mosques, inns,
religious schools (madrassas)and libraries.
The 14th century Persian geographer al-Omari notes that the seat of the
beylik, Kastamonu was one of the most prominent provinces in that
region, as well as Sinop being one of the most important ports in the
Black Sea, maintaining a crucial trade route between other ports, the
Genoese who owned a warehouse at the port, and the inner provinces. The
nearby province Sivas was then inhabited by many Genoese merchants,
transporting the goods that would arrive from the east and the south to
their ports in Trabzon, Samsun and Sinop. Venetian archives mention
that Candaroğlu had close financial and trade relations with the city
states of Venice and Genoa. Kastamonu was also rich in natural
resources such as iron ore and copper, which were important industrial
raw materials then too.
In their trade with the Genoese, Candaroğlu used copper coins they
minted that had two fish, and the inscription Dârü's-saâde-i Sinop (the
palace of Sinop) engraved on them.
Military
Candaroğlu beylik had a light cavalry corps of 25,000. This vast
military power had often contributed to the Ottoman campaigns in
Roumelia as well as in Anatolia, including the siege of Constantinople.
Being neighbors with the Byzantines, Candaroğlu aided to campaigns and
raids here while preventing them to proceed further towards other
beyliks.
Candaroğlu also possessed a shipyard in Sinop that equipped them with a
strong naval force. The size of this force is unknown, however, it is
known that this force was used in an attack to the Genoese outpost Kefe
(Theodosia today, in Crimea, Ukraine).
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