Orhan Bey was born in Söğüt in 1281. He served as a principality between 1326 until 1359. He got 16,000 km² of the state from his father, Osman Gazi, and gave it to his son, Murad I, as 95,000 km².
The infancy and boyhood of Orhan Bey, the longest-lived Ottoman son, remain unknown. It is not known how he grew up, how he was educated, or even whether he was literate. The earliest mention of his name in Ottoman history occurred in 1298, due to his marriage to Nilüfer Hatun (Holofira, daughter of Yarhisar Tekfuru). He conquered Köprühisar in 1300 and was awarded the title of Karacahisar chieftaincy. Osman Bey appointed his son as commander of the little principality’s army with the status of emir-i kebir (beylerbeyi) and he participated in every military activity of his father from then on.
The initial phase of Orhan Bey’s principality was occupied with conquests in Anatolia. During his principality, like all other Anatolian princes, he viewed the Ilkhanids stationed in Iran as his subjects and continued to pay annual taxes. against the other side, the Ottoman Principality acquired more strength with the invasions and conquests against Byzantine areas.
Orhan Bey captured Mudanya in 1321 and pushed his principality to the shore of the Marmara Sea. He had a mosque named after him erected at Gebze in 1323. Until 1321 and 1326, Ottoman principality units were dispatched to the principality borders under the orders of Gazi commanders; Konur Alp raided around the Western Black Sea region, Akça Koca raided around Izmit, Abdurrahman Gazi raided around Yalova (Yalakabad) and conquered Yalova, Akyazı, Mudurnu, Pazaryeri (Ermenipazarı), Sapanca (Ayangölü), Kandıra and Samandra.
In order to achieve peace in the war for suzerainty in the Karesi Principality, he first took the strongholds of Ulubad, Karacabey (Mihaliç) and Kırmatı in 1342.
Afterwards, he embarked on the Karesi Expedition in 1345 with a considerable military force. Thus, the enormous areas belonging to the Karesi Principality and the cities of Balıkesir, Manyas, Edincik and Erdek fell under the dominion of Orhan Gazi.
TRANSITION TO RUMELIA
Orhan Gazi, VI, who succeeded to the imperial throne following an internal uprising. He started to support Byzantium because to the intimate contacts developed with Yannis Kantakouzenos. In 1344, the governor in Thessaloniki, Yannis Apocausus, could not manage the situation and a faction nicknamed “zealot fanatics” (Thessalonian Zealots) took over the administration again. Serbian King IV. Stefan Dushan moved against Byzantium again and attacked the Serres citadel, hoping to capture all of Macedonia.
For this reason, in the early months of 1345, VI. Yannis Kantakuzenos initiated negotiations to build intimate connections with Orhan Bey. In order to develop rapport, Kantekuzanos learnt a little Turkish; The two kings built close personal relationships with one other, and during their personal encounters with Orhan Bey, he introduced his three lovely daughters to Orhan Bey. They consented to marry their second daughter, Teodora, to Orhan Bey.
In 1352, Yannis Kantakouzenos had a falling out with his co-emperor, Yannis V Palaiologos, and Yannis V assaulted Matthaios, who was reigning in Edirne, with the support of the Serbs and took over the governance of the city. On the other hand, VI. Yannis Kantakouzenos appealed for military help from his son-in-law Orhan Gazi. Thereupon, Orhan Gazi led a huge Ottoman regiment headed by his son Süleyman Pasha. Yannis sent him to be under his direction. The Byzantine army reinforced by this Ottoman contingent was defeated by Byzantine Emperor VI. He marched to Edirne under the command of Yannis and saved this city. A few months later, the same Ottoman corps beat a joint Serbian-Bulgarian army on the banks of the frozen Evros River.
INNOVATIONS AND REGULATIONS
In the field of government,
Orhan Bey transformed the Ottoman Principality a state owing to new laws and regulations. The first appointment of a vizier was made during this time. The first kadı and subaşı appointments were created during this time. Judges were despatched to the sanjaks. The Council Organization was founded. Foundation system and judicial structure were developed.
In the realm of military duty
the first permanent Ottoman army was founded as Yaya and Müsellem. The first naval works were carried out and the Ottoman Empire gained strength.
In the field of Trade and Economy
, Orhan Gazi published the first İhtisab Code of 21 articles, the earliest commercial code of the Ottomans, in Bursa, after the first Bac code issued by his father Osman Gazi in Eskişehir about 699/1300.
This small law, which contains the core of some of the articles included in the subsequent Ihtisab laws, includes, for the first time, some criteria for determining the operating and production standards of wine sellers, tinsmiths and bathhouse operators, as well as the articles determining the Bac amounts to be paid by the merchants and shops in Bursa. has been given. In the general framework of the law, the price of 2 silver coins determined by Osman Gazi in the Bac Law was preserved; The existence of measurement units such as “kilinder” and “lidre” (libre) in that period and the classes of tradesmen in Bursa during the time of Orhan Bey have also been revealed as important historical data.
HOW DID ORHAN GAZI DIE?
In his latter years, Orhan Gazi entrusted the governance of the Ottoman Empire to his son, Prince Murat, and spent his life in Bursa.
There is debate among historians concerning the reason and year of death. Âşıkpaşazâde, a historian of his day, reports that Orhan Bey died in the same year as Süleyman Bey, in 1358. Some historians state that he died in 1360 at the age of 79, and others date his death in 1362.