Dulkadirogullari Principality     

 

         It had been one of the Great Anatolian Principalities.

 

         Dulkadirogullari principality had been considered as a powerful and long-lasting principality among the Turkmen Mameluke states in Egypt. His founder was Dulkadiroglu Ahmed Karaca Bey. They had sometime been submissive to Mameluke State, and sometimes to Ottomans. However, they had mostly collaborated with the Ottomans and established relative relationship with the Ottoman palace.

 

         Their capital city was Elbistan and they had established dominion in the provinces of Maras, Kayseri, Elazıg, Ayıntap, Malatya, and Adıyaman. They had been annexed to the lands of the Ottoman State in the year of 1522.

 

          Dulkadirli people are from the Bozok branch of Oguz people. Zeyneddin Karaca Bey who had been their first chief had captured Elbistan from Eretna Bey and had obtained the firman of regency from Melik el-Nasir Muhammed who was the Mameluke Sultan. Then, he established Dulkadirli Principality.

 

          Karaca Bey had sometimes obeyed and submitted to the Mameluke sultans and sometimes he got separated from them and threatened the city of Aleppo. Furthermore, he had had successful fights with Sis Armenians. Karaca Bey had also captured several places within the environs of Aleppo. Depending on these successes and victories, Karaca Bey declared his reign under the title of  “Melik üz-Zâhir” (1348). Furthermore, he had not surrendered Bay-Buga, the governor of Aleppo who had rebelled against the Mameluke State to the sultan, and this situation led to his annihilation.

 

         Pursuant to Karaca Bey, his sons, Halil Bey and Mehmet bey were appointed to the governorship by the Mameluke State.

 

        When Timur captured and destroyed Elbistan, Malatya and Besni , Mehmed Bey had to submit and obey to the dominion of him. Mehmed Bey had had good relations with Celebi Mehmed Sultan. On the contrary to this, he had permanently fought with Ramazanogullari and Karamanogullari principalities. The Mameluke State had given him the city of Kayseri in return to these services of him.

 

         Pursuant to Mehmed, his son, Suleymân Bey replaced him since the year of 1442. Suleyman Bey gave her daughters for marriage to the Ottomans and Mameluke dynasties, and thus, he had established relative relationship with these principalities. He continued his friendship with these states and maintained the existence of Dulkadirli Principality. Then, the Ottoman and Mameluke States had sometimes intervened in the affairs of the principality, and had appointed their nominates as Dulkadirli Beys. Alaaddin Devle Bozkurt Bey (1479-1515) had provided the support of Ottoman State and ascended the throne of the principality.

 

         However, when he opposed to the Ottoman State, he was killed with his four sons. Ali Bey was appointed to replace him. Ali Bey had provided significant services in the course of the military expedition of Sultan Selim I to Egypt and during the rebellion of Canberdi Gazali who was the governor of Damascus. However, he was killed upon envious Ferhat Pasha’s mischief-making to the sultan.

to be continued