The First Seven Sultans of the Ottoman Dynasty [pp. 42-64]

OF THE OTTOMAN DYNASTY.
ediless ruin, destroyed rather by Christian than Moslem hands.
This state of Byzantine demoralization must always be kept in
mind, when one looks at the rapid rise of the Ottoman power.
During this same period, the 13th century, another empire was
crumbling to pieces. It must be remembered that the Ottoman
is not the only Turkish power that has existed.
About the middle of the 11th century, the Seljukian Turks
under Toghlrul Bey, crossed the Euphrates, took possession of
Bagdad, and extinguished the Caliphate. This Seljukian dynasty,
under Alp-Arslan and MIolek-Shah, acquired in 150 years (half
of the 11th and whole of the 12th century) a power and glory
which seemed destined to control all western Asia. Bat in the
13th century, this dynasty extinguished itself. Instead of killing off all the extra heirs to the throne, which became the policy
and safety of the Ottomans, it divided up its rich inheritance
among its numerous heirs, who fell into fierce and bloody disputes with each other. Instead of a unit the great empire had
become ten fractions, and these fragments were dclashing in pieces
against each other.
The whole Oriental world, then, at thie close of the 13th century, was waiting for a master. The Greek Empire was too far
gone to seize the occasion and rise to power. The court was
occupied with its fading splendors, its bitter, factious and bloody
rivalries. Its provincial governors, as destitute of patriotism as
of Christianity, would often contract allliances with 3Iohammedan neighbors against a Christian rival.
The Seljukian Empire of the Turks, and the Byzantine Empire
of the Greeks, alike needed and awaited a reconstruction. Here
we have one of the lessons of history that nations fall from internal decay and disease, and accomplish their own ruin before
the foreign enemy appears.
The vigorous arm that was to commence the work of building
a mighty empire from the fragments of these falling powers,
was that of Osman, the son of a Turkish chieftain, Eitoylghrul.
His name, Osman or Othman, has given to the empire and race
the names Ottoman and Osmanlee. fie was born at Soegud,
an obscure village in Bithynia, on the river Sokarias, in the year
1258. His father was a wild shepherd chieftain, whose wealth
consisted in horses, flocks and herds, and trenchant scimitars.
The foreign luxuries he enjoyed were obtained by the sale of
1874.]
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