Alaeddin Ali of Karaman (aka Damat Ali Bey) was a

bey Bey ( ota, بك, beğ, script=Arab, tr, bey, az, bəy, tk, beg, uz, бек, kz, би/бек, tt-Cyrl, бәк, translit=bäk, cjs, пий/пек, sq, beu/bej, sh, beg, fa, بیگ, beyg/, tg, бек, ar, بك, bak, gr, μπέης) is ...

of Karaman Beylik, a Turkish principality in

Anatolia Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The ...

in the 14th century. Like most other Karaman beys, Ali Bey was a rival of the rising

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

, and the two principalities engaged in chronic wars against one another.

Early life

His father was Halil Bey. After his brother

Süleyman Suleyman or Süleyman is a variant of Suleiman (the Arabic name ). It means "man of peace". Notable people with the name include: Suleyman *Suleyman I of Rûm or Suleiman ibn Qutulmish (d. 1086), founder of an independent Seljuq Turkish state i ...

ascended to throne he was appointed as the governor of

Ermenek Ermenek is a town and district of Karaman Province in the Mediterranean region of Turkey. As ancient Germanicopolis (in Isauria; has namesakes), a former bishopric, it remains a Latin Catholic titular see. The district forms the core of the plat ...

. However, after his brother was assassinated in

Karaman Karaman, historically known as Laranda (Greek: Λάρανδα), is a city in south central Turkey, located in Central Anatolia, north of the Taurus Mountains, about south of Konya. It is the capital district of the Karaman Province. According t ...

, he succeeded his brother in 1361. He had family ties to the Ottoman dynasty, for he married

Nefise Hatun Nefise Melek Sultan Hatun ( ota, نفیسہ خاتون) was an Ottoman Empire, Ottoman princess, the daughter of Sultan Murad I of the Ottoman Empire. She was the wife of Prince Alaattin Ali of Karaman, Alaeddin Ali Bey of Karaman, the ruler of K ...

, Murat I's daughter.

War with the neighbours

In the 14th century Anatolia was in turmoil. In addition to Karaman beylik there were many other Anatolian beyliks. Ali invaded the territories of neighbouring beyliks; Hamidoğlu,

Eretna Ala al-Din Eretna (or Eretne, also Artanā) was a Mongol officer of Uyghur origin in the service of Timurtash, the Ilkhanid governor of Anatolia. He later became the last Mongol governor of Anatolia himself and forged his own principality and dy ...

and

Germiyan The Germiyanids ( tr, Germiyanoğulları Beyliği or ''Germiyan Beyliği'') was a prominent Anatolian beylik established by the Oghuz Turkish tribes (probably the Afshar tribe) after the decline of Sultanate of Rûm. However, while the be ...

. He even tried to raid Kadi Burhanettin's dominions, but without success.Prof. Yaşar Yüce-Prof. Ali Sevim: ''Türkiye tarihi'' Cilt I, AKDTYKTTK Yayınları, İstanbul, 1991 pp 247-248

First war against the Ottoman Empire

Ottoman Sultan Murat was engaged in

Rumeli Rumelia ( ota, روم ايلى, Rum İli; tr, Rumeli; el, Ρωμυλία), etymologically "Land of the Romans", at the time meaning Eastern Orthodox Christians and more specifically Christians from the Byzantine rite, was the name of a histo ...

(European section of the empire) and Ali saw his chance to capture Beysehir, an Ottoman fort in 1386. Murat returned to Anatolia and defeated Ali's forces in a location named ''Frenkyazısı'', near

Konya Konya () is a major city in central Turkey, on the southwestern edge of the Central Anatolian Plateau, and is the capital of Konya Province. During antiquity and into Seljuk times it was known as Iconium (), although the Seljuks also called it ...

, the capital. According to Professor

Halil İnalcık Halil İnalcık (7 September 1916 – 25 July 2016) was a Turkish historian. His highly influential research centered on social and economic approaches to the Ottoman Empire. His academic career started at Ankara University, where he completed h ...

, the importance of this battle was that it showed the superiority of regular army ( janissaries) over tribal forces.Halil İnalcık: ''Kuruluş Dönemi Osmanlı Sultanları'',İSAM, İstanbul, p.99 After Nefise's mediation however, Murat agreed to withdraw on the condition that Beyşehir be handed to Ottomans.

Second war against the Ottoman Empire

After Murat I was killed in the battle of Kosovo in 1389, Ali invaded Ottoman territory for the second time. But in 1390, Beyazıt I, the new sultan, returned to Anatolia and after defeating minor beyliks he began preparing for final assault to Karaman beylik. Two other monarchs in Anatolia, Kadı Burhanettin and Süleyman of Candar however, afraid of the rising Ottoman power, formed an alliance against Ottomans. Ottomans once again agreed to lift the siege with the similar conditions as of 1386.

Relations with Timur

In 1394 the Turco Mongol commander

Timur Timur ; chg, ''Aqsaq Temür'', 'Timur the Lame') or as ''Sahib-i-Qiran'' ( 'Lord of the Auspicious Conjunction'), his epithet. ( chg, ''Temür'', 'Iron'; 9 April 133617–19 February 1405), later Timūr Gurkānī ( chg, ''Temür Kü ...

from the present day

Uzbekistan Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked co ...

, sought alliances in Anatolia and Ali readily accepted the offer. By this alliance, he planned to gain a valuable shelter against the Ottoman Empire and Kadı Burhanettin two powers he most feared. But Timur didn't appear in Anatolia till 1402 and his shelter wasn't effective as Ali expected. Although he tried to raid Burhanettin's territory, Burhanettin struck back.

Third war against the Ottoman Empire and death

While Beyazıt was engaged in

Wallachia Wallachia or Walachia (; ro, Țara Românească, lit=The Romanian Land' or 'The Romanian Country, ; archaic: ', Romanian Cyrillic alphabet: ) is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and s ...

(southern

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...

) Ali invaded Ottoman territory once more. This time the target was

Ankara Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, maki ...

. He arrested Timurtaş Pasha, the beylerbey of Anatolia. In 1398 Beyazıt once again returned to Anatolia, disregarding Ali's peace calls, he captured Konya and had Ali executed.

After death

All Karaman territory was annexed by the Ottomans and two of his sons

Mehmet II Mehmed II ( ota, محمد ثانى, translit=Meḥmed-i s̱ānī; tr, II. Mehmed, ; 30 March 14323 May 1481), commonly known as Mehmed the Conqueror ( ota, ابو الفتح, Ebū'l-fetḥ, lit=the Father of Conquest, links=no; tr, Fâtih Su ...

and Bengi Ali were jailed. However, few years later following the defeat of Beyazıt by Timur in the

battle of Ankara The Battle of Ankara or Angora was fought on 20 July 1402 at the Çubuk plain near Ankara, between the forces of the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I and the Emir of the Timurid Empire, Timur. The battle was a major victory for Timur, and it led to the ...

the beylik was restored.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alaattin Ali of Karaman Karamanids 1398 deaths 14th-century monarchs in the Middle East Year of birth unknown Executed Turkish people Ethnic Afshar people