Orhan

Reign: 1326 – 1362
Life: 1281–1362

In the early stages of his reign, Orhan focused his energies on conquering most of northwestern Anatolia. The majority of these areas were under Byzantine rule and he won his first battle at Pelekanon against the Byzantine Emperor Andronikos III Palaiologos. Orhan also occupied the lands of the Karasids of Balıkesir and the Ahis of Ankara. A series of civil wars surrounding the ascension of the nine-year-old Byzantine emperor John V Palaiologos greatly benefited Orhan. A major earthquake devastated Gallipoli (modern Gelibolu) two years later, after which Orhan's son, Süleyman Pasha, occupied the town, giving the Ottomans a strong bridgehead into mainland Europe. According to Muslim scholar Ibn Battuta, Orhan was "the greatest of the Turcoman kings and the richest in wealth, lands, and military forces".

During Orhan's reign, Edward III of England ruled England, Afonso IV of Portugal ruled Portugal, and Ashikaga Takauji ruled Japan (Shogunate).

Further reading: Osman's Dream: The History of the Ottoman Empire 1300–1923 by Caroline Finkel

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