The Karasids or Karasid dynasty ( Ottoman قرا صي; Modern Turkish ''Karesioğulları'', ''Karesioğulları Beyliği''), also known as the Principality of Karasi and Beylik of Karasi (''Karasi Beyliği'' or ''Karesi Beyliği'' ), was an

Anatolian beylik Anatolian beyliks ( tr, Anadolu beylikleri, Ottoman Turkish: ''Tavâif-i mülûk'', ''Beylik'' ) were small principalities (or petty kingdoms) in Anatolia governed by beys, the first of which were founded at the end of the 11th century. A secon ...

in the area of classical Mysia (modern Balıkesir and Çanakkale provinces) from ca. 1297–1360. It was centered in Balıkesir and Bergama, and was one of the frontier principalities established by

Oghuz Turks The Oghuz or Ghuzz Turks (Middle Turkic languages, Middle Turkic: ٱغُز, ''Oγuz'', ota, اوغوز, Oġuz) were a western Turkic people that spoke the Oghuz languages, Oghuz branch of the Turkic languages, Turkic language family. In th ...

after the decline of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum. They became a naval power in the Aegean and the Dardanelles.

History

The Byzantines tried to incite beyliks like Karasids against the

Ottomans The Ottoman Turks ( tr, Osmanlı Türkleri), were the Turkic founding and sociopolitically the most dominant ethnic group of the Ottoman Empire ( 1299/1302–1922). Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks remains scarce, ...

. However, routes of conquest and other objectives of beyliks such as Karasids did not initially conflict with the Ottomans. The political situation clearly favored the Ottomans. Karasids were the first beylik to be taken over by the neighboring Ottoman dynasty, who were later to found the Ottoman Empire. The acquisition of Karasi allowed the Ottomans to begin the conquest of European lands in

Rumelia Rumelia ( ota, روم ايلى, Rum İli; tr, Rumeli; el, Ρωμυλία), etymologically "Land of the Names of the Greeks#Romans (Ῥωμαῖοι), Romans", at the time meaning Eastern Orthodox Christians and more specifically Christians f ...

across the Dardanelles. The province (''sanjak'', later ''vilayet'') of Balıkesir was called the sub-province (''sanjak'', later ''vilayet'') of Karasi until the early years of the

Republic of Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

, after which it was renamed after its central town Balıkesir.

References

* Clifford E. Bosworth, ''The New Islamic Dynasties'', 1996. ''s.v.'' The Qarasï (Karasï) Oghullarï"
p. 219
* ''The

Encyclopaedia of Islam The ''Encyclopaedia of Islam'' (''EI'') is an encyclopaedia of the academic discipline of Islamic studies published by Brill. It is considered to be the standard reference work in the field of Islamic studies. The first edition was published in ...

'', Second Edition, ''s.v.'' "Ḳarasi̊
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Notes

Anatolian beyliks History of Balıkesir History of Balıkesir Province History of Bursa Province History of Çanakkale Province History of İzmir Province History of Manisa Province States and territories established in 1286 Sunni dynasties {{Çanakkale-geo-stub

History

See also

References

Notes