Suleyman Shah's son Ertuğrul Gazhi is a personage
who had served much to establishment of Ottoman State. Ertuğrul was a stouthearted person
like his father.
When Suleyman Shah was drown in Euphrates, he went to the Surmeli Çukur plateau in
Passinler Plain near Erzurum by passing through Diyarbakir from Urfa with some of the
Kayihan Tribe together with his brother Dündar and stayed there. Pasinler plain is on the
eastern side of Erzurum at about six hours distance, center of which is Hasankale town.
Ertuğrul Gazhi had a Horasan-type quilted turban on his head, an armor knitted of thin
wires, and blue boots on. He had his tirkeş behind and he always handed his scimatar.
Ertuğrul was a tall and hard looking soldiers with broad shoulders. Tuğrul is a bird similar to vulture
with steel bills and claws. It is considered that it is the sultan of hunter birds. Tuğrul
was a totem of Oghuzes Talas tribe. By an addition of (er) to Tuğrul word, the name, Eruğrul,
occurred. Ertuğrul means true-hearted people. Tuğrul is a bird similar to vulture with
its beak and steel claws. It is considered to be the sultan of hunting birds. Tuğrul was
the totem of Talas tribe of Oghuzes. The word Ertuğrul derives from the addition of
prefix (er) to this word. Ertuğrul means right hearted man.
In the Kayıhaniler
Tribe led by Ertuğrul Ghazi, four types of military forces existed. These forces were
Ghazis Regiment, Ahis Regiment, Abdals Regiment and Bacis Regiment. Ghazis were soldiers,
Ahis were the brave men of craftsmen; Abdals were regiments who were members of Alevi
sect, and Bacis were regiments consisting women. Kayihanis Tribe was itinerant in its
form. In addition, there were scholars named Horasan Erenleri in the tribe.
Kayihanis stayed in Sümeliçukur
region for exactly two years. Then they moved from there to Kayseri and then Ankara, and
settled down in Karacadağ. The history written by the Chief Astrologer Dervish Ahmet, Câmiü'd-Devle,
gives the following information about their going to Karacadağı: "When Kayihanis
came to Karacadağ, near Ankara, their leader was "Kayi Alp". This tribe went to
Çağbalik there. Kayi Alp died there. "Sarkuk Alp" took his place. He died in
Karahöyük, in the vicinity of Kirsehir. He was replaced by "Gök Alp". He died
near Şaraphane. Then "Gündüz Alp" took the office and took Kayis to the edge.
Then he died near Sögüt. Ertuğrul became the leader of the tribe. He fought many wars
with Greeks..."
In accordance with
these information, the father of Ertuğrul is not Suleyman Shah but Gunduz Alp. If the
information in Rûhî Tarihi is accurate, it is necessary to accept Ertuğrul Ghazi's
father's name as Gunduz Alp. But the resources note that his father was Suleyman Shah. In
our Syria border, we have the grave of Suleyman Shah. Perhaps Suleyman Shah was one of the
ancestors of Ertuğrul.
Kayis settled down in
Karacadağ plateau in Ankara on 29 October 1231. These territories belonged to Anatolian
Seljukian Sultan Alaeddin Keykubat the 1st. After some time, Ertuğrul sent his son
Sarubali to Sultan Alaeddin.
Sarubali was noted by
some historians as (Savci), (Sariyati), (Saribati). Sultan Alaeddin, promised Sarubali
that "Whenever we fight a war against Mongols and if you help us, I will appoint you
as a border ruler as a reward."
That year Mongol army
was advancing through Sivas. At last, Seljukians and Mongols began to fight near Hafikkale
of Sivas. Ertuğrul, upon having heard this war, went to that region. They watched two
armies warring on the slope of a mountain. One side was about to be defeated, and one side
was about to defeat. Ertuğrul Ghazi, seeing that, said to his soldiers: My stouthearted
men, which side should be support? His brother Dündür, on this question, said: We'd
better support defeating side... We can avail ourselves of their victory spoils... Ertuğrul,
knitting his brows: Helping the defeated one, this befits Turk's dignity. Helping
defeating one makes you gain neither honor nor property...
They immediately
decided to help the defeated ones. Kayi soldiers plunged into the battlefield like an
avalanche. The war re-escalated by moving swords and arrows. The defeating ones turned out
to be defeated in a short time. The first defeated ones were the Seljukians. They turned
out to be victorious in a short time. Mongols escaped miserably.
Sultan Alaeddin was
very pleased with their helps. He recognized Ertugrul Ghazi as the leader of Kayi tribe.
Sultan Alaeddin appointed Ertugrul Ghazi as the border ruler for Byzantine. He gave Söğüt
Town as winter and Domaniç plateau as the summer residence for them. Ertuğrul Ghazi took
Kayi tribe from Karacadağ and went to Sögüt.
Ertuğrul Ghazi waged
war against Byzantium with his swordsmen in the shortest time. He conquered Sultanönü
region and Karacahisar belonging to Byzantium. Many swordsmen in various regions of
Anatolia gathered around Ertuğrul, on hearing those. There were many soldier raiders in
the border now. The most valuable commanders of Ertugrul were: Akçakoca, Konuralp, Turgut
Alp, Saltuk Alp, Aykut Alp, Samsa Çavuş, Hasan Alp, Karamürsel, Akbaş, Kocaoğlan...
These commanders continued their raids through Byzantium all day and night with their
forces. Ertuğrul Ghazi had a dream one night. In his dream, "a spring squirted from
his navel... The water turned into a sea... This sea covered all the world..." He was
said you will have a son; and this son will establish a state and rock the world with his
sultanate.
As a matter of fact,
Ertuğrul's wife, Hayme Ana, gave birth to a son within that year. They named the child as
Otman. This Otman was called "Osman", later on. Other sons of Ertuğrul were
Sarubali and Gunduz Alp. Little Osman, grew up among swordsmen in Sögüt town. One day,
his father took him to Konya when he was five. They went to visit Mevlana that they.
Mevlana was very sad that they. When he saw Ertuğrul and his son with him, he said: I
adopted this little boy as my child just as Sultan Alaeddin adoped Baba İshak as his
father. Mevlana loved Osman and prayer for him.
The following
information is given about Ertuğrul in the history book named Ravzatü'l-Ebrar: Ertuğrul
Ghazi lived in Söğüt. One day he went to walk around in the villages. He stayed as a
guest in a person's house from the scholars of İtburnu village. The owner of the house
showed much honor to Ertuğrul. Ertuğrul saw the book on the shelf when he was to sleep
at night, and asked: What is this book? The owner of the house said: This book is Koran,
sent by God to people to show the right path at the hands of Prophet Mohammed, and left
the room.
Ertuğrul did not go
to bed but joined his hands and stood until the morning before Koran. He went into the bed
only when the sun rose. He had a dream as soon as he slept: In his dream, a saint said to
him: You respected with a pure heart the words of God, that is, Koran, and therefore, your
sons and grandsons are given sultanate. May your generation be beloved. Ertuğrul woke up
with the horror of these words. He told the host about his dream. English historian
Gibbons, who wrote a book named Foundation of Ottoman Empire, wrote considering this event
that Ertuğrul Ghazi was not a Muslim but Shamanist. But this idea is wrong.
Ertugrul Ghazi warred
against Byzantium near the border without interruption. But he gave everywhere he could
occupy by the right of his sword, to Seljukian Sultan.
Ertuğrul Ghazi, with his wars, prepared the land of Ottoman State. He was very old now,
and left his works to his elder son Gündüz Alp. His younger son Osman was fighting wars
against enemies.
At last, like all
mortals Ertuğrul Ghazi died when he was 92. They constructed a good place for him in Söğüt.
Each year, Söğüt people go visit Ertuğrul Ghazi with a ceremony.
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