Ertuğrul or Ertuğrul Ghazi (; died )
was a 13th-century
uch bey
An ''uç bey'' or ''uch bey'' () was the title given to semi-autonomous warrior chieftains during the Sultanate of Rum and the Rise of the Ottoman Empire. As leaders of ''akinji'' warrior bands, they played a leading role during the conquests of th ...
(marcher-lord), who was the father of
Osman I
Osman I or Osman Ghazi (; or ''Osman Gazi''; died 1323/4) was the eponymous founder of the Ottoman Empire (first known as a bey, beylik or emirate). While initially a small Turkoman (ethnonym), Turkoman principality during Osman's lifetime, h ...
.
Little is known about Ertuğrul's life. According to
Ottoman tradition, he was the son of
Suleyman Shah
Suleyman Shah (; ) was, according to Ottoman tradition, the son of Kaya Alp and the father of Ertuğrul, who was the father of Osman I, the founder of the Ottoman Empire. Early Ottoman genealogies disputed this lineage, and either Suleyman Shah ...
, the leader of the
Kayı tribe Kayı can refer to:
* Kayı (tribe)
* Kayı, Çorum
* Kayı, İdil
* Kayı, Ilgaz
* Kayı, Kemer
* Kayı, Mecitözü
* Kayı, Oğuzlar
{{dis ...
(a claim which has come under criticism from many historians) of the
Oghuz Turks
The Oghuz Turks ( Middle Turkic: , ) were a western Turkic people who spoke the Oghuz branch of the Turkic language family. In the 8th century, they formed a tribal confederation conventionally named the Oghuz Yabgu State in Central Asia ...
(then known as
Turkomans), which fled from western
Central Asia
Central Asia is a region of Asia consisting of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The countries as a group are also colloquially referred to as the "-stans" as all have names ending with the Persian language, Pers ...
to
Anatolia
Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...
to escape the
Mongol conquests
The Mongol invasions and conquests took place during the 13th and 14th centuries, creating history's largest contiguous empire, the Mongol Empire (1206–1368), which by 1260 covered large parts of Eurasia. Historians regard the Mongol devastati ...
; but according to contemporary numinastic evidence, he was the son of
Gündüz Alp
Gündüz Alp was the likely father of Ertuğrul (13th century) and grandfather of Osman I, the founder of the Ottoman Dynasty. According to some sources, the name of one of the sons of Ertuğrul was also Gündüz Alp, and thus the brother of Osma ...
.
According to the legend, after the death of his father, Ertuğrul and his followers entered the service of the
Sultanate of Rum
The Sultanate of Rum was a culturally Turco-Persian Sunni Muslim state, established over conquered Byzantine territories and peoples (Rum) of Anatolia by the Seljuk Turks following their entry into Anatolia after the Battle of Manzikert in 1071. ...
, for which he was rewarded with dominion over the town of
Söğüt
Söğüt (, ) is a town in Bilecik Province, Turkey. It is the seat of Söğüt District.[� ...]
on the frontier with the
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived History of the Roman Empire, the events that caused the ...
.
This set off the chain of events that would ultimately lead to the
founding of the Ottoman Empire.
Biography
Nothing is known with certainty about Ertuğrul's life, other than that he was the father of Osman; historians are thus forced to rely upon stories written about him by the Ottomans more than a century later, which are of questionable accuracy.
[
* ]
According to the sources written 100–150 years after the establishment of the Ottoman state, Ertuğrul's lineage is traced to
Noah
Noah (; , also Noach) appears as the last of the Antediluvian Patriarchs (Bible), patriarchs in the traditions of Abrahamic religions. His story appears in the Hebrew Bible (Book of Genesis, chapters 5–9), the Quran and Baháʼí literature, ...
, through
Oghuz Khagan
Oghuz Khagan or Oghuz Khan (; ; ) is a legendary khan of the Turkic people and an eponymous ancestor of Oghuz Turks. Some Turkic cultures use the legend of Oghuz Khan to describe their ethnic and tribal origins. The various versions of the narra ...
.
Ottoman historian and ambassador to the
Qara Qoyunlu
The Qara Qoyunlu or Kara Koyunlu (, ; ), also known as the Black Sheep Turkomans, were a culturally Persianate, Muslim Turkoman "Kara Koyunlu, also spelled Qara Qoyunlu, Turkish Karakoyunlular, English Black Sheep, Turkmen tribal federation tha ...
,
Şükrullah
Şükrullah was a 15th-century Ottoman historian and diplomat. states that Ertuğrul's lineage goes to Gökalp, a son of Oghuz Khagan. The author states that the information was shown during a court of
Jahan Shah
Muzaffar al-Din Jahan Shah ibn Yusuf (; ; 1397 in Khoy or 1405 in Mardin – 30 October or 11 November 1467 near Bingöl) or Abu al-Muzaffar Jahan Shah was the leader of the Qara Qoyunlu Oghuz Turkic tribal confederacy in Azerbaijan (Iran), Azer ...
, from a book written in
Mongolian script
The traditional Mongolian script, also known as the Hudum Mongol bichig, was the first Mongolian alphabet, writing system created specifically for the Mongolian language, and was the most widespread until the introduction of Cyrillic script, Cy ...
. Since historians like Şükrullah did not have any information about the lineage of the Oghuzes, they attributed Kayı Khan to Gök Alp (it should be "Khan" instead of "Alp") and not to Gün Khan. However, it is also possible that the Ottoman dynasty was a member of the Kayı tribe.
An undated coin, from the time of Osman, with the text "Minted by Osman son of Ertuğrul", suggests that Ertuğrul was a historical figure.
Another coin reads "Osman bin Ertuğrul bin Gündüz Alp",
though Ertuğrul is traditionally considered the son of Suleyman Shah.

In
Enveri's ''Düsturname'' (1465) and
Karamani Mehmet Pasha
Karamani Mehmet Pasha (died 4 May 1481) was an Ottoman statesman who served as Grand Vizier from 1477 to 1481.
Early years
Karamani was born in Konya and was a descendant of Rumi. He traveled to Constantinople (present day Istanbul) to study ...
's chronicle (before 1481), Gündüz Alp is Ertugrul's father. After
Aşıkpaşazade
Dervish Ahmed (; "Ahmed the Dervish; 1400–1484), better known by his pen name Âşıki or his family name Aşıkpaşazade, was an Ottoman historian and a prominent representative of the early Ottoman historiography. He was a descendant (the g ...
's chronicle ''Tevārīḫ-i Āl-i ʿOsmān'' (15th century), the Suleyman Shah version became the official one.
According to many Turkish sources, Ertuğrul had three brothers named;
Sungur-tekin, Gündoğdu and
Dündar.
After the death of their father, Ertuğrul with his mother
Hayme Hatun
Hayme Hatun, also known as Hayma Ana. (Mother Hayma), was the grandmother of Osman I, who was the founder of the Ottoman Empire. She was the mother of Ertuğrul Gazi, Gündoğdu, who were the leaders of the Kayı clan of the Oghuz Turks. She ...
,
Dündar and his followers from the Kayı tribe migrated west into Anatolia and entered the
Seljuk Sultanate of Rum
The Sultanate of Rum was a culturally Turco-Persian Sunni Muslim state, established over conquered Byzantine territories and peoples ( Rum) of Anatolia by the Seljuk Turks following their entry into Anatolia after the Battle of Manzikert in 1071 ...
, leaving his two brothers who took their clans towards the east. In this way, the Kayı tribe was
divided into two parts.
According to these later traditions, Ertuğrul was chief of his Kayı tribe.
As a result of his assistance to the Seljuks against the Byzantines, Ertuğrul was granted lands in
Karaca Dağ
Karaca Dağ is a shield volcano located in southeastern Turkey, near Diyarbakır.
It was also known as "Mount Masia", Which in turn was used to give the title of an iris found on the mountain, as '' Iris masia''.
Water Resources
* The strea ...
, a mountainous area between
Diyarbakır
Diyarbakır is the largest Kurdish-majority city in Turkey. It is the administrative center of Diyarbakır Province.
Situated around a high plateau by the banks of the Tigris river on which stands the historic Diyarbakır Fortress, it is ...
and
Urfa
Urfa, officially called Şanlıurfa (), is a city in southeastern Turkey and the capital of Şanlıurfa Province. The city was known as Edessa from Hellenistic period, Hellenistic times and into Christian times. Urfa is situated on a plain abo ...
, by
Kayqubad I
'Alā' ad-Dīn Kay-qubād ibn-e Kay-xusraw (; , 1190–1237), also known as Kayqubad I, was the Seljuq Turkish Sultan of Rûm who reigned from 1220 to 1237. He expanded the borders of the sultanate at the expense of his neighbors, particula ...
, the Seljuk Sultan of Rum. One account indicates that the Seljuk leader's rationale for granting Ertuğrul land was for Ertuğrul to repel any hostile incursion from the Byzantines or other adversary. Later, he received the village of
Söğüt
Söğüt (, ) is a town in Bilecik Province, Turkey. It is the seat of Söğüt District.[� ...]
which he conquered together with the surrounding lands. That village, where he later died, became the Ottoman capital under his son, Osman I.
Osman's mother has been referred to as
Halime Hatun
Halime Hatun (, "''the patient/gentle one''") was, according to Ottoman folklore, the wife of Ertuğrul (13th century) and the mother of Osman I.
Biography
Her origins are unknown. She is variously referred to as "Hayme Ana" in later legends, ...
in later myths, and there is a grave outside the Ertuğrul Gâzi Tomb which bears the name, but it is disputed.
According to many sources, he had two other sons in addition to Osman I:
Saru-Batu (Savci) Bey and
Gündüz Bey
Gündüz or Gunduz is a masculine given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include:
Given name
* Gündüz Aktan (1941–2008), Turkish diplomat and politician
*Gunduz Caginalp (died 2021), American mathematician of Turkish descent
* ...
.
Like his son, Osman, and their descendants, Ertuğrul is often referred to as a ''
Ghazi'', a heroic champion fighter for the cause of
Islam
Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
.
Legacy
A tomb and mosque dedicated to Ertuğrul is said to have been built by Osman I at Söğüt, but due to several rebuildings nothing certain can be said about the origin of these structures. The current mausoleum was built by Sultan
Abdul Hamid II
Abdulhamid II or Abdul Hamid II (; ; 21 September 184210 February 1918) was the 34th sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1876 to 1909, and the last sultan to exert effective control over the fracturing state. He oversaw a Decline and modernizati ...
(r. 1876–1909) in the late 19th century. The town of Söğüt celebrates an annual festival to the memory of the early Osmans.
In 1826,
Ertuğrul Cavalry Regiment
Ertuğrul or Ertuğrul Ghazi (; died ) was a 13th-century uch bey (marcher-lord), who was the father of Osman I. Little is known about Ertuğrul's life. According to Ottoman tradition, he was the son of Suleyman Shah, the leader of the Kayı tr ...
of the
Ottoman Army
The Military of the Ottoman Empire () was the armed forces of the Ottoman Empire. It was founded in 1299 and dissolved in 1922.
Army
The Military of the Ottoman Empire can be divided in five main periods. The foundation era covers the years ...
was named in his honor.
The
Ottoman frigate ''Ertuğrul'', launched in 1863, was named after him. Abdul Hamid II also had a yacht with the same name. The
Ertuğrul Tekke Mosque
The Ertuğrul Tekke Mosque () is an Ottoman imperial mosque located in Yıldız, Beşiktaş, Yıldız neighbourhood, Serencebey rise of Beşiktaş district in Istanbul, Turkey. A late Ottoman Empire, Ottoman period mosque, it is constructed as a ...
(late 19th century) in
Istanbul
Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
, Turkey and the
Ertuğrul Gazi Mosque in
Ashgabat
Ashgabat (Turkmen language, Turkmen: ''Aşgabat'') is the capital city, capital and largest city of Turkmenistan. It lies between the Karakum Desert and the Kopet Dag, Kopetdag mountain range in Central Asia, approximately 50 km (30 ...
,
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest and the Caspian Sea to the west. Ash ...
(completed in 1998), are also named in his honor. The mosque in Turkmenistan was established by the
Turkish government
The Government of Turkey () is the national government of Turkey. It is governed as a unitary state under a presidential representative democracy and a constitutional republic within a pluriform multi-party system. The term government can me ...
as a symbol of the link between
Turkey and Turkmenistan.
Ertuğrul is one of several statues that surround the
Independence Monument in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. The statues depict people praised in the ''
Ruhnama
The ''Ruhnama'', or ''Rukhnama'', translated into English as ''Book of the Soul'' or ''Book of the Spirit'', is a two volume work written by Saparmurat Niyazov, the president of Turkmenistan from 1990 to 2006. It is a book about the philosophi ...
'', a spiritual guide written by Turkmenistan president
Saparmurat Niyazov
Saparmurat Atayevich Niyazov (19 February 1940 – 21 December 2006) was a Turkmenistani politician who led Turkmenistan from 1985 until his death in 2006. He was the Secretary (title), first secretary of the Communist Party of Turkmenist ...
. The Ertuğrul statue has also been depicted on a 2001
commemorative coin
A commemorative coin is a coin issued to commemorate some particular event or issue with a distinct design with reference to the occasion on which they were issued. Some coins of this category serve as collector's items only, while most commemora ...
.
Two statues of Ertuğrul on horseback were placed by a private cooperative housing society in
Lahore
Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...
, Pakistan, in 2020. They were inspired by ''
Diriliş: Ertuğrul'', a 2014 TV series. A bust of Ertuğrul was erected in
Ordu
Ordu () or Altınordu is a port city on the Black Sea coast of Turkey and the capital of Ordu Province. The city forms the urban part of the Altınordu, Ordu, Altınordu district, with a population of 235,096 in 2023.
Name
Kotyora, the origina ...
, Turkey, in 2020. However the bust was removed by local authorities after it was pointed out that it resembled the actor from the TV series.
File:Ertugrul Tekke Mosque, Istanbul 01.jpg, Ertuğrul Tekke Mosque
The Ertuğrul Tekke Mosque () is an Ottoman imperial mosque located in Yıldız, Beşiktaş, Yıldız neighbourhood, Serencebey rise of Beşiktaş district in Istanbul, Turkey. A late Ottoman Empire, Ottoman period mosque, it is constructed as a ...
, in Istanbul, Turkey
File:Ertugrulsuvarialayi zonaro.jpg, The Ertuğrul cavalry regiment, 1901 painting by Fausto Zonaro
File:Azadi Mosque (5730562789).jpg, Ertuğrul Gazi Mosque, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
File:Independence Monument (27506800337).jpg, Independence Monument in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. Ertuğrul statue on the right
In fiction
Ertugrul has been portrayed in the Turkish television series ' (1988), adapted from a novel by the same name, ''
Diriliş: Ertuğrul'' (2014–2019)
and the sequel ''
Kuruluş: Osman'' (2019).
See also
*
Ottoman family tree
This is a male family tree for all the Ottoman Sultans and their mothers.
Family tree
See also
* Ottoman Empire
** Ottoman dynasty
** Ottoman histo ...
*
Söğüt Ertuğrul Gazi Museum
*
Karacahisar Castle
*
Ertuğrul Osman, "the Last Ottoman"
Notes
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ertugrul Gazi
1280s deaths
13th-century people from the Ottoman Empire
13th-century monarchs in Asia
Ottoman dynasty
Warriors
Year of birth unknown