Ottoman Family Members Martyred on the Battlefield

Abstract

One of the main issues commented on the Classical Age of the Ottoman Empire is the Ottoman (Osman's) male family members' rivalry for the throne, and also the chaotic situation of the country. Especially the issue of "fratricide" as a result of throne rivalry has been taking more interest in this context and the subject is highligted more. However, due to the lack of trained professional administerers, members of the Ottoman family have made significant contributions to the foundation of the Empire by undertaking military and administrative tasks. Their notable contributions both as the army commander and the administerer in the captured lands are reflected in detail on the archival documents. In this study, Ottoman family members, who were martyred on a battlefield showing significant efficacy in order to contribute to the Ottoman conquests, are studied. On the evidence of the depth study of the sources, the members of Ottoman family, especially in the first hundred years, involved in many wars as army commanders and seven of them lost their lives on battlefield. Due to the martyrdom of family members during warfare, the sanctity attributed to their graves, which were considered a shrine, is quite remarkable.