-
- Declaration of Turkish as the
Only Official Language of Turkey by Mehmed Bey I
- (13th May 1277)
- Karamanoğlu Mehmed
Bey I had promulgated his important firman in Konya in the name of Seljuk dynasty and this
firman was about: “the prohibition of the usage of any languages apart from Turkish in
the divan, dervish convents, meetings, councils and public squares from that date on”.
- Therefore, the dominion of Arabian and especially Farsi language that had been used in
the official state affairs was undermined. Osmanogullari principality could only attain
the absolute domination of Turkish language in the century XVI. The firman of Mehmed Bey
was one of the significant events in the history of Turkish culture. This date has been
commemorated as the “Feast of Language” in Karaman and all over Turkey on the 13th May
in every year.
- Principal Characters of Karamanogullari
Principality
-
- The founder of the state was Nûre Sûfî Bey
who established dominion in Eregli. He was buried in the place of Degirmenlik bear Sinanli
connected to Mut. His son, Kerîmeddin Karaman Bey had replaced him and he had given his
name to the dynasty. He had moved the capital city to Ermenek. Karaman Bey was married
with the daughter of Sultan Kilic Arslan III. We have been familiar with 6 brothers of
him: Kemâleddin Bey, Oguz Han Bey, Timur Han Bey, Hayreddin Bey, Zeynelhac Bey and Bunsuz
Bey. The last two of them were killed in Konya in the year of 1261.
- Karaman Bey had left 8 sons. Şemseddin
Mehmed, Güneri, Bedreddin Mahmud, Kasım, Zekeriya, Tanu, Halil and Ali beys. In the
place of Karaman Bey, Mehmed Bey I replaced him. Then his brothers, Güneri and Mahmud
beys replaced him and these brothers were replaced by Mehmed Bey's son, Yahsi Han Bey.
Mehmed, Zekeriya and Tanu Beys were killed as martyrs in the year of 1283. Mahmud
Bey had also died in a battle as martyr. Yahsı Han Bey had dominated in Konya for 4
years, and he was replaced by his cousins, Bedreddin I. Ibrahim and Alâeddin Halil Mirza
Beys who were the sons of his paternal uncle, Mahmud Bey. Halil Mirza Bey was the chief
commander of the state between the years of 1312-1333. When he died, he was again replaced
by İbrahim Bey I, and then, İbrahim Bey's elder son, Fahreddin Ahmed Bey, then, his
middle son, Şemseddin Bey. When Semseddin Bey was killed, Hacı Sûfî Burhâneddin Musa
Bey who was one of the sons of Mahmud Bey was enthroned. Musa Bey, had moved the capital
city to Mut and he had reigned for 5 years; he was the bey of Ermenek before his
enthronement. His younger brother and Mahmud Bey’s younger son was Isa Bey.
- Pursuant to Musa Bey, Seyfeddin Suleyman Bey
who was the younger son of Ibrahim Bey replaced him. While his paternal uncle, Musa Bey
had reigned in Mut, Suleyman Bey had been the bey of the principality in Karaman for 5
years. He was taken prisoner by Eretna State on the date of 11th January 1350. When he was
killed, he was replaced by Alaeddin Ali Bey I that was the elder son of Halil Mirza Bey.
The other sons of Halil Mirza Bey were Seyfeddin Süleyman who died in the year of 1370,
Dâvûd, İshak and Hızır Beys. We have been familiar with Sheikh Hasan Bey who was the
son of Süleyman Bey, and Gıyâseddin and Emîr Shah Beys who were the sons of Ishak Bey.
-
- Alâeddin Ali Bey had reigned for a sultanate
period of 41 years. He was contemporary with Orhan Ghazi, Murad I and Yıldırım Bâyezid.
He was married with Nefise Sultan who was the daughter of Murad I and the sister of Yıldırım.
He was taken prisoner and then killed by Yıldırım Bâyezid who was his brother-in-law.
He had been the bey of Konya before his enthronement.
- Alâeddin Ali Bey was replaced by his son,
Nâsıreddin (Gıyâseddin) II. Mehmed Bey and his mother was Nefise Sultan. He was the
maternal grandson of Murad I and his uncle of the second degree. He had lived with his
maternal uncle, Yıldırım in Bua for 3 years since the year of 1399 until August 1402.
In these years, the Ottoman State had abolished the Karaman principality. The first bey
governorship of Mehmed II was between the years of 1398-1399. He became bey again in the
year of 1402. He left the throne to his brother, Alaeddin Ali Bey in the year of 1418, but
he returned to the throne in the following year. He was Mehmed II who penetrated into
Bursa in the year of 1411. He had met and negotiated with his maternal uncle’s son,
Celebi Sultan Mehmed in the savanna of Maliye near Kirsehri in the year of 1406. The
Mameluke State captured Konya and Karaman in the year of 1418, and Mehmed II was taken
prisoner by them. The last interval of his sultanate period for 1 year was resulting from
this captivity.
- Alaeddin Ali Bey II had also resided in Bursa
between the years of 1398-1402; he was the bey of Nigde before his enthronement. He had
gone to Cairo in 1418, and had wanted to establish alliance with the Mameluke State
against the Ottomans. He was the son-in-law of Mehmed I. His sister was married with Yildırım
Sultan Bayezid. Therefore, Yıldırım was both his sister’s husband and maternal uncle.
His other brother was Husameddin Mahmud Bey.
- Alaeddin Ali Bey was replaced by Ibrahim Bey II who
was the 2nd son of Mehmed II. Mustafa Bey who was the elder son of Mehmed II had been the
crown prince for 17 years. He was taken prisoner by the Ottomans in the year of 1414 and
killed in 1418. The other brothers of Ibrahim II were Isa, Alaeddin Ali, Mirza and Karaman
Bey who had died in Edirne at the end of the year of 1471. Mirza Bey’s son was Haci
Hamza Bey. Hazi Hamza Bey’s son, Mustafa Bey had wanted to ascend the throne of his
ancestors in the year of 1501, but he was killed. Isa Bey had claimed for sovereignty for
3 years between the years of 1423 and 1426. He had been in Cairo in 1426 and he had been
in the service of Ottoman State and become the bey of country in the year of 1430. Then,
he was killed in the year of 1437. He was the son-in-law of Celebi Sultan Mehmed. Celebi
Sultan Mehmed was the paternal uncles of the second degree pertaining to Ibrahim Bey II
and his brothers. Like his brother Isa Bey, Ibrahim Bey II was the son-in-law of Celebi
Sultan Mehmed. All these familiar and intimate relative relationship did not prevent the
competition and even the hostility between Ottomans-Karamanli principalities. The daughter
of Mehmed II was married with Ibrahim Bey II. Ibrahim Bey who had dominated for 40 years
died in Konya Kavalasi (Kavele/Gavele). In the year of 1437, Sultan Murad I who was his
brother-in-law came to Konya.
to be continued
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