Orhan Gazi

Orhan Gazi (Turkish: Orhan Gazi) was the second ruler of the Ottoman beylik in western Anatolia. He succeeded his father Osman I around 1324 and ruled until his death around 1362. His reign is considered the period in which the beylik transformed from a confederation of tribes within tribal borders into a state with a capital city, a tax administration, and a standing army.

His reign is remembered for three major developments: the conquest of major Byzantine cities in northwestern Anatolia, the establishment of administrative institutions and education, and the first Ottoman crossing into Europe at the Gallipoli Peninsula. These steps laid the foundation for the expansion that his son Murad I and his successors would undertake.

Conquest of Byzantine cities

Bursa (Prusa), which had been besieged for a long time, fell to the Ottomans early in his rule and became the capital of the state. Subsequently, Nicaea (İznik) and Nicomedia (İzmit) were conquered. The method of conquest was not rapid assault; it relied on long sieges, control of supply routes, and the declining power of Byzantium, which was engaged in internal conflicts.

Relations with Byzantium and the crossing into Europe

Orhan maintained relations with Byzantium that were not always hostile. He provided military support to John VI Kantakouzenos during his struggle for the throne, and he is said to have married Theodora, the daughter of Kantakouzenos. The military service in Europe gave Ottoman forces the opportunity to learn the territory of Thrace. Around the mid-fourteenth century, under the command of his son Süleyman Paşa, Çimpe and then Gallipoli were conquered, which became the permanent base from which the Ottomans held eastern Europe.

Administration and institutions

During his reign, it is said that the first Ottoman currency was minted bearing his name, a symbol of political sovereignty. A standing military force was also organized—the sipahi cavalry and müsellem infantry—replacing reliance solely on tribal levies. A madrasah (higher Islamic school) was founded in Nicaea, and mosques, palaces (imaret, public kitchens), and markets were built in the newly conquered cities. The waqf system (endowment in Islamic law) was used to finance these institutions.