Junayd of Aydın

Like all the rulers of the region, Christian and Muslim alike, Junayd was also an active participant in the civil war between Bayezid's sons İsa, Süleyman, Musa and Mehmed, in which he changed his allegiance several times.

His persistent attempts to exploit the conflict to broaden his power and independence forced Süleyman to send him as provincial governor of Ohrid in Rumeli in 1410.

After Süleyman's overthrow and death in 1411 at the hands of his brother Musa, Junayd returned to Anatolia and seized Smyrna, but had to recognize the suzerainty of Mehmed.

[6] Doukas calls him "Juneid, the son of Kara-subashi" (subashi being a gubernatorial title rather than a proper name) and reports that the latter was "a brave man, illustrious in warfare", who had served for many years as governor of Smyrna under Bayezid I and therefore gained the respect and loyalty of the Smyrnaeans.

[8] The Turkish historian Himmet Akın suggests that Junayd's father was the same individual as Ibrahim Bahadur, a son of Mehmed Bey and lord of Bodemya.

[2] The Greek Ottomanist Elisabeth Zachariadou challenges this identification, since no source records a relationship between Ibrahim Fatih and Bodemya, whereas he is strongly identified with the region of Smyrna, where he established a number of pious foundations (vakf).

In the account of Doukas, for example, he is immediately introduced leading an army from Smyrna to eject the Aydınids from Ayasoluk,[14] an event which modern historians date to 1405 (see next section for details).

Neighboring lands, including the Christian states in the region (the Byzantine Empire, Wallachia, and Serbia) became involved in the conflict to preserve their borders against the threat of renewed Ottoman expansionism.

İsa initially held the advantage, as he controlled the original core of the Ottoman state, Bithynia (including Bursa), while Mehmed ruled the peripheral and recently conquered Rûm Eyalet.

Sometime between March and early May 1403, Mehmed had defeated his brother at the Battle of Ulubad and seized Bursa, forcing İsa to seek refuge in the Byzantine capital, Constantinople.

[20] In spring 1405, Junayd assembled a force of "more than five hundred troops", including many Smyrnaeans, with which he captured Ayasoluk and evicted the Aydınid brothers, Isa and Umur from their principality.

A report from the Venetian colony of Crete suggests that, in early summer 1405, Mehmed allied himself with the rulers of Aydın (Umur) and Menteshe, and that Junayd sided with Süleyman in opposing them.

Having thus extended his control over the Aydınid domains, when they returned to Ayasoluk, Junayd killed Umur (winter 1405 or spring 1406) and assumed rule of the principality.

[25] Having declared himself independent from Süleyman, Junayd began preparing for the reaction of the Ottoman prince, by going in person to Konya and Kütahya to forge a common front with the beys of Karaman and Germiyan.

Both sides hesitated to attack each other, but Junayd's spies informed him that the other rulers planned to seize him and deliver him to Süleyman so they could negotiate favourable terms.

[16] Taking advantage of the resulting confusion, Junayd left his post and returned to Smyrna, where he regained much of his former domains and decapitated the governor appointed by Süleyman.

Mehmed allowed him to keep his territories but required that the minting of coins and the Friday prayer, the khutbah – the traditional attributes of sovereignty in the Islamic world[36] – be henceforth carried out in his name.

[38] When Mehmed arrived before Smyrna, he was met by a large number of local rulers – according to Doukas, "the governors of Old and New Phocaea, Germiyan and upper Phrygia, Menteshe of Caria, the lords of Mytilene and Chios in their triremes, and the grand master of Rhodes".

Doukas states they did this for two reasons: "Mehmed's goodness and gentle nature and superior military strength" on the one hand, and because of Junayd's "cunningness and rapacity, on the other".

After a siege of ten days from land and sea, Junayd's mother, wife and children presented themselves and made their obeisance, surrendering the city.

With soldiers provided by the Wallachian ruler Mircea I (r. 1386–1418– ), Mustafa and Junayd entered Thrace and tried to raise the local Ottoman forces in revolt.

As a result, the Byzantines released both Mustafa and Junayd from captivity, seeing in this a chance to establish not only a friendly Ottoman regime, but also to regain lost territories in northern Greece, the Black Sea coast, and Gallipoli.

After Mustafa swore solemn oaths to obey the Emperor and hand over the desired lands, a Byzantine fleet under Demetrios Leontares brought them to Gallipoli on 15 August 1421.

Murad's men "were unable to resist Juneid because the man was courageous and more experienced in warfare than any Turk of his time", according to Doukas, and were defeated and forced to flee back to the city.

[43][45] Unlike his previous attempt, Mustafa was soon joined by many of the marcher-lords that dominated Rumeli, including Turahan Bey, the sons of Evrenos, and the Gümlüoğlu family.

The two armies met at Sazlıdere, near Edirne, but the troops of Bayezid defected en masse to Mustafa after he showed them the scars he had received at the Battle of Ankara.

Although he protested vehemently, Leontares had no choice but to gather his men and depart for Constantinople, while Mustafa organized his fleet and strengthened the defences of the harbour.

In exchange for ferrying Murad's army across to Europe, Manuel demanded that he surrender Gallipoli and hand over his two younger brothers as hostages – similar to what Mehmed and Süleyman had agreed to.

Murad moved with his troops from Bursa to confront them at Lopadion (Ulubad), where his men tore down the bridge over the Nilüfer River, blocking Mustafa's advance.

[2] In 1425, Junayd went by ship to seek the aid of the bey of Karaman, but the latter, suspicious on account of his past experiences with him, provided a force of only 500 men and money.