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Bayazid I |
His son, Bayazid I (1389-1402), who had fought
in the front ranks, succeeded to the throne that very night. Murad's
mortal remains were brought back to Bursa and interred in a splendid
mosque.
Tribes such as the Menteske and Hamid Oghoullari seized the opportunity
to declare war on the Ottoman Empire but Bayazid the Yilderim (Lightning)
quickly moved against them and put an end to their challenge. Beysheheer
was ceeded to the Empire and peace was declared.
Sultan Bayazid Khan now besieged Istanbul, an
action which led to a new Crusade. At the Battle of Nighbolou the
Crusaders were utterly defeated and the siege of Istanbul continued.
The Anatolian Castle was built and Bayazid, leaving the siege in
the hands of the Vezir Ali Pasha, passed on to Anatolia and annexed
Koniah. Burhanuddin and Malatia were also conquered.
While Bayazid was away, a fleet under the command of Boucicant raised
the siege of Istanbul and regained the castles. Bayazid renewed
the siege in 1400 but the invasion of Anatolia by Timour caused
him to lift it again.
In
Anatolia Bayazid took Cappadocian Kayseri, Tokat and Sivas (1392/93).
He secured Ankara, and incorporated into the Empire the province
of Kastamonu as well as the cities of Amasya (the Amilous of antiquity),
Konya and Sam sun on the Black Sea.
He secured the eastern borders of the country. After his first campaign
he returned to the Balkans, where he clashed with the Hungarians
under King Sigismund. The Hungarian army, which was quite a strong
one, was reinforced by a division of French knights. According to
tradition the Hungarians were decimated at Nicopolis on 25th September
1396 because the French knights were too quick to summon to the
attack, shouting "May the Heavens fall if we do not spit all
Turks on our lances!" Bayazid is supposed to have answered
this challenge coolly:
"Quiet, boasters, I shall soon be feeding
my horses oats on the high altar of St Peter's!" Tens of thousands
of Hungarian prisoners were decapitated on the battlefield. News
of Bayazid's overwhelming victory spread all over Asia Minor, carried
by couriers who were accompanied by long trains of prisoners.
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