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
Anatolian Seljuk Sultanate.
For a brief period in the second half of the 14th century, Germiyan Dynasty was second only to KaramanoÄŸlu Dynasty in its rising power. But they were later taken over by the neighboring
OsmanoÄŸlu 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
MenteÅŸe 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
Anatolian Seljuk Sultanate 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
MenteÅŸe,
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
HamidoÄŸlu to the south had to rely on them for protection against attacks from the
KaramanoÄŸlu. 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
CandaroÄŸlu 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 KaramanoÄŸlu 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.
References
★
(limited preview) The Origins of the Ottoman Empire ISBN 0791408191, Mehmet Fuat Köprülü (translated by Gary Leiser, , , State University of New York Press, 1992,