The Limits of Knowledge about the Identity and Activities of Konur Alp Gazi

Abstract

The lack of contemporary resources related to the early years of the Ottoman Beylicate stands as a significant obstacle on the way of clarifying many issues of the period. It is also a drawback to ground the information on Osman Bey and his comrades given in the chronicles which were written much later from the establishment of the Beylicate. Generally, the studies carried out without paying attention to the issues in the sources and their handling styles have made the historical identity of many people in the first chronicles unquestionable and transformed them into common people. How the information about these people given in chronicles is to be read is a current problematic. The biographical studies about Konur Alp introduced in the chronicles as one of Osman Bey’s closest commanders and raiders, seem to have been formed by transferring and interpreting them as if they were correct without any objections. In fact, as far as research is concerned, it is clear that Konur Alp has not been well defined in the first Ottoman chronicles and weak information should be re-evaluated. This article discusses what is known about Konur Alp’s historical identity and how it should be understood.