Osman

Osman (1258-1326), Turkish leader, considered the founder of the Ottoman Empire. The son of Ertogrul (died c. 1281), a chieftain in the service of the Seljuk sultan of Rum, Osman made himself ruler of a small state centred upon Sögüt, in north-western Anatolia. In around 1299 Osman declared the principality’s independence from the Seljuks. However, he adapted the Seljuk laws, including the timar system for raising taxes and supplies for the military.

Osman looked to expand his territories in the ghazi tradition, capturing the towns of Eskişehir, Bilecik, Yarhisar, and Yenişehir from the Byzantine Empire. From this base, Osman was able to besiege Nicaea and Bursa, the latter of which finally fell after 11 years, just before he died. Having quadrupled the size of his territories, Osman was succeeded by his son Orhan. His descendants extended their rule throughout Asia Minor and the Balkans and eventually over the whole eastern Mediterranean. Othman and Ottoman are variant spellings of Osman.