to 1326.

J.C. 1300, means these people, without any defire of glory Heg. 700, or love of their country, have been able to exe

to 726.

State of

Afia when

made his

first ap

pearance.

cute aftonishing acts of courage, enflave the remains of the Roman empire, and all the country that these last poffeffed in the Eaft in their greateft profperity.

For a whole century the known parts of the Othman world had been harraffed with amazing emigrations: the nations were, as one may fay, precipitated on one another. The beft part of Afia continued in the poffeffion of the descendants of Zengiskhan. Houlagou, one of them, who was tributary to his brother Magou the great khan of the Tartars, poffeffed all Perfia; he had put to death the laft of the caliphs, and deftroyed this title, or at leaft this power, for ever. The Greek empire, reduced to the city of Conftantinople and to fome parts of Thrace, of Macedonia, of Theffaly, and of Bithynia, was not recovered from the crufades, the fchifin, the ufurpation of the Latins, and from fo many inteftine and foreign wars, after which the ancient mafters were at length remounted on their fhattered throne. The kingdom of the Selgieucids of fubjugated Iconia, like all the other poffeffions of the Turks, had ended with Mazoud II. its laft master in fine, the empire of Mahomet, cemented by fo much blood and fo many victories, had yielded to forces more fanguinary. If there were still remaining fome petty Mahometan fo

vereigns

to 1326.

vereigns in a corner of Afia, they were thofe J.C. 1300, that the conquering moguls had difdained to Heg. 700, notice.

tɔ 726.

Origin of

of Otto

In effect, after the diffolution of the kingdom of Iconia, fome fervants of the laft fultans fought the houfe their fafety in inacceffible mountains. As foon man. as the vanquishers were retired, these new emirs came to dispute with the Greeks fome ancient poffeffions which were laid wafte. The hiftorians moft to be credited count five of thefe emirs or captains, who, after having appropriated to themselves in common all the flat country of Afia minor, divided it between them, in order to conquer, each on his borders, the ftrong cities and the maritime towns which the Greeks yet poffeffed.

Othman, the fon of Trogrul, who had ufefully ferved the laft fultan of Iconia, was one of the bravest; Bithynia,* which extends along the borders of the Black fea as far as the Propontis, had formed his government under the laft fultans of Iconia, and became his lot after their overthrow. Thofe, who, after the Ottoman writers, are defirous of giving their empire, more extenfive poffeffions at the beginning, make this emir a powerful prince, who had received from thefe

B 2

*The Ottoman emperors look on a small village of Bithynia, called Soguta, as the cradle of their house, because Trogrul and his fon Othman were born there. They have granted it feveral privileges, which it ftill enjoys.

to 726.

J.C. 1300, thefe fultans of Iconia the inveftiture of a very to 1326. Heg. 700, large poffeffion between Iconia and the Greek empire; but there was then no other power in Afia than the Moguls who had ravaged it. We fhall judge how much the territory which Othman governed ought to be confounded with that of the Greeks, by the first military exploit related of him after he became fovereign.

Othman punishes

The governors, or Greek princes, jealous of the trea- Othman, whom they already confidered as a dan

chery of

bours, and

poffeffions.

two neigh- gerous neighbour, refolved to get rid of him by feizes their treachery. One of them, who was poffeffor of the castle of Jariffar, invited Othman to the wedding of his daughter, as well as all the neighbouring feigniors, Turks or Greeks. The Turkifh emir, though admonished of this entertainment's being intended to be fatal to him, refolved to accept the invitation. He requested the governor of the caftle of Belejiki, the intended fonin-law and accomplice of the treacherous governor, of Jariffar, to receive into his fort his. (Othman's) wives and most valuable effects, under pretext, that being at war with another neighbour, he feared left this enemy fhould come, during the entertainment, to pillage Carachifar, the place of his refidence. The governor of Belejiki eagerly received this propofal. Othman' fent to this traitor's forty young warriors, difguifed like women, and covered with long veils, with torches and arms inclofed in cafes. The

festival

Heg. 700,

to 726.

festival was to be held in a plain near the castle J.C. 1300, to 1326. of Belejiki. Othman repaired thither the day appointed with but few attendants, after having en-ambushed a hundred of his braveft foldiers in a wood near the place of entertainment. The guests were no fooner affembled, than flames and abundance of smoke were feen iffue from the caftle, which Othman's pretended wives had fet on fire.

The governor and his father-in-law, who ran to extinguish it, were vigorously charged by the hundred men in ambuscade, and cut in pieces with all thofe of their party. Othman had time the fame day to take the castle of Belejiki, as likewife that of Jariffar, which belonged to the father of the bride. It is faid, that he gave this bride to his fon Orcan, who had shared with him. the peril and glory of his conqueft. The young captive entered the bed of the murderer of her father and lover, and was mother to the emperor Amurath I.

lays the

of his em

The commencement of the Ottoman empire othman is fixed about the year 700 of the hegira, 1300 foundation of Jefus Chrift. Its founder knew how to em- pire. ploy advantageoufly the means of extending it. The Mahometan empire had flourished by enthufiafim and the fevereft difcipline; Othman followed the fame maxims in the little country. where he began to be feared. He called himself the envoy of God to render Iflamifm triumphant, weakened by Zengifkhan and his fucceffors.

Othman

J.C. 1300, Othman gave the Idolaters and Greeks the choice.

to 1326.

to 726.

Heg. 700, of embracing the Muffulman religion, or of paying him a tribute. At the head of fome foldiers, excited by the hope of booty, or of martyrdom, hé conquered Iconia from the Tartars, who had poffeffed it fince the death of the last sultan, and, by degrees, almost all Bithynia from the Greeks, The diffention which was broken out between the two Andronicufes, grand-father and grandfon, whilst they reigned together at Conftantinople, deprived them of the means of oppofing a progrefs which already threatened the downfall of this once mighty empire. Moreover, the mutual averfion of the Greek and Latin Christians turned to the advantage of their common enemies.

Othman reduces a

After several conquefts, Othman attempted that of Burfa, the capital of Bithynia, renowned for its baths, one of the strongest places of which the Greek emperors remained poffeffed. His firft efforts were unsuccessful. After a rather long fiege, he found himfelf obliged to retire, leaving only fome troops in ambush, to molest the commerce, and hinder the garrifon from leaving it it was then that he made choice of Jengishari, a town in the vicinity of Bursa, for his place of refidence.

His valour and policy foon procured him more great num. fplendid fucceffes. A fwarm of Tartars having Tartars. fpread over all the provinces of the Turkish e

ber of