|
The Anatolian Turkish Beylik of Germiyan with its capital in Kütahya was one of the prominent frontier principalities established by Oghuz Turkish clans after the decline of Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm.
For a brief period in the second half of the 14th century, Germiyan
Dynasty was second only to Karamanoğlu Dynasty in its rising power. But
they were later taken over by the neighboring Osmanoğlu dynasty, who
were to found the Ottoman Empire later.
Germiyans played a crucial role in settling Turkish populations along
the coastal regions of the Aegean Sea, the founders of the Beyliks of
Aydınoğlu, Saruhan, İnançoğlu and Menteşe having started out as
Germiyan commanders.
The beylik was probably established by members of the Afshar clan of
Oghuz Turks. Because of various factors arising from the Mongol
invasion, their branch of the clan had left the regions of Fars and
Kirman, and headed west into Anatolia, having remained for a time
around Malatya, and then moving to the Kütahya area, where their beylik
was formed rather rapidly.
They rebelled against the central power in 1283, upon the execution of
the sultan Kaykhusraw III by the Mongols, and placing of Mesud II on
the Seljuk throne. The struggle between combined Mongol-Seljuk forces
based in Konya and the rebel forces of Germiyan continued until 1290.
An agreement could only be reached in 1299, upon which the Germiyan
Dynasty also entered into possession of Ankara. When the Ilkhanid
governor Emir Çoban took over Anatolia in 1314, they declared
allegiance and concentrated on raids towards the regions to their west.
Their western offshoots that were the Beyliks of Menteşe, Aydınoğlu,
İnançoğlu, Saruhan and Karesi were all subject to the Germiyan in the
early periods of their foundation, while the Beyliks of Sâhib Ata and
Hamidoğlu to the south had to rely on them for protection against
attacks from the Karamanoğlu. As for the northern regions of Anatolia,
Byzantine sources record Umur Bey, a commander and son-in-law to the
Germiyan family, to be the possessor of Paphlagonia, where Candaroğlu
dynasty was to rule only after Germiyan power weakened.
Their strong political entity was eventually surrounded by newer states
established by their own former commanders, leaving the Germiyan no
outlet to the coastline or to Byzantine territory. Their powerful
Karamanoğlu neighbors exerting constant pressure from the east,
Germiyan gradually fell under the rising influence of the Ottomans.
The actual Turkish province of Kütahya was called the sub-province
(sanjak) and later province (vilayet) of Germiyan until the early years
of the Republic of Turkey, when which it was re-named after its central
town.
The founding dynasty of the beylik produced descendants who illustrated
themselves either under the Ottoman Empire or in present-day Turkey, a
notable one among these being the 19th century grand vizier Abdurrahman
Nureddin Pasha.
|
