Diriliş: Ertuğrul - Part 1: The Kayi Tribe
"We can state that both Osman Bey, who founded the Ottoman state that was named after him, and his father Ertuğrul Ghazi, were the heads of a tribe related to the Kayis, no matter how small it was."
Ottoman Misperceptions and Truths by Ahmet Akgündüz and Said Öztürk (Pg 34)
N.B : This article is quite extensive, and contains historical facts and discusses events that may end up as potential spoilers for watchers of Diriliş: Ertuğrul and Kuruluş: Osman.
The Popularity of Diriliş: Ertuğrul/Resurrection: Ertugrul
Diriliş: Ertuğrul/Resurrection: Ertuğrul’s popularity is evident when people who have never even watched the show have either heard of it or have family members and friends encouraging them to do so. And this popularity, particularly amongst Muslims, is no surprise considering that a TV show is showing Islam and Muslims in a positive light.
It has resonated with people all over the world and not just Muslims. It would be of no surprise either if actual academics and historians who are able discern what is true and what isn’t, themselves also enjoy the show or shows like it (so let’s get to the crux of the matter).
The Historical Accuracy of Dirilis Ertugrul/Resurrection Ertugrul
Like most historical TV shows, Dirilis Ertugrul/Resurrection Ertugrul doesn’t claim to be historically accurate but rather based on historical events. Though having said that, not much is actually known about Ertuğrul (with certainty) so even if creators of the show (Mehmet Bozdag et al) wanted to be 100% historically accurate, there isn’t anything really to base historical accuracy on (apparently one narrative mentions that we have about 7 pages of history in total from a variety of sources though Professor Ahmet Şimşirgil has produced a series of works in Turkish on the Ottomans, Kayi Tribe and Ertugrul).
We know he was the father of Osman I who founded the Devlet-iʿAlīye-iʿOsmānīye (literally "The Sublime Ottoman State") but most of the information surrounding both Ertugrul and Osman come a century or more after Osman’s death and with some of the accounts recorded being of a conflicting nature, the historical veracity of much of what is recorded has been cast in doubt.
In spite of all of that, not only are many of the characters in the show indeed based on real people in history (even if the information surrounding some of them is at times insufficient/unclear) but the historical chronology and context in which the show was set also seems to be very accurate.
Insha’Allah (God-willing) in this blog post (Part 1) we will be taking a look at the Kayi Tribe with further blog posts intended on the Anatolian Seljuqs, Mongols, etc so as to avoid making this too long.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Kayi Tribe & Its Origins
The Kayi Tribe (Kayı boyu/Kayi Obasi) is considered to be one of the 24 Oghuz Turkic Tribes that descend from the legendary and almost mythical figure Oghuz Khan/Oghuz Khagan. The symbol of the Kayi Tribe is said to mean "able and mighty.”
They were said to have been one of the first Turkic tribes to migrate west, leaving the Steppes of Central Asia for Anatolia/Asia Minor (Asian portion of modern Turkey).
The name “Kayi” is said to be still present in the names of tribal structures of modern Turkic peoples with around a total of twenty-seven (27) villages today bearing the name “kayi” in Anatolia.
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Who was Suleyman Shah (Süleyman Şah)?
Suleyman Shah/Süleyman Şah was said to have been the Bey (leader) of the Kayi Tribe from 1214 to 1236 AD, when he passed away at the age of 58 due to drowning in the Euphrates River. This is also somewhat dramatised in Diriliş: Ertuğrul.
He was said to be the wife of Hayme Ana and father of Ertuğrul Bey, Gündoğdu Bey, Sungur Tekin Bey and Dündar Bey. But this is being contested with evidence in the form of early Ottoman coins pointing towards the name of ‘Gündüz Alp’ rather than ‘Süleyman Şah’ being the father of Ertugrul and his brothers.
Who was Hayme Ana?
Hayme Ana was the spouse of Suleyman Shah/Gunduz Alp; the mother of Ertugrul Gazi and his brothers and the grandmother of Osman Gazi. She was also known by other names including Hayme Hatun, Haymana, Hayme Sultan, Ayva Ana and Ayvana.
Like many others, information surrounding Hayme Hatun is unknown including information surrounding her birth, death and origins. We know that she most likely belonged to a Turkmen family; in Resurrection Ertugrul, she is presented as being initally from the Dodurga Tribe of Oghuz Turks (but through marriage became a part of the Kayi Tribe).
The entrance to the tomb of Hayme Ana in a village near Domaniç in modern-day Turkey also suggests that a Gündüz Alp rather than Süleyman Şah was the father of Ertuğrul and his brothers. As seen in the picture below, it reads: “Hayme Ana. Wife of Gündüz Alp. Mother of Ertuğrul Gazi. Grandmother of Osman Gazi.”
Who was Ertugrul Bey (Ertuğrul Gazi)?
Ertuğrul Bey was the father of Osman Bey who founded what came to be known as the House of Osman (the Ottomans). He was younger than his two older siblings: Gundogdu Bey (Gündoğdu Bey) and Sungurtekin Bey, and they were all older than their youngest sibling: Dundar Bey (Dündar Bey).
Ertuğrul was said to have been born in 1188 in the city of Ahlat and passed away in Söğüt in 1281 making him around 93 years of age when he died. The narrative goes that with a small part of the Kayi tribe, Ertuğrul Ghazi with only 400 tents, went west with his younger brother Dündar Bey, and eventually settled in Söğüt on the (western) frontier of Anatolian Seljuk State which neighboured the Eastern Roman Byzantine Empire.
The last years of Ertugrul Gazi’s life were said to be spent quietly in his tribe due to old age and he had thereby transferred his responsibilities to his sons particularly Osman. His burial place along with his family and various alps (including those of Osman) are in Sogut, in the Bilecik Province of modern Turkey, in a mausoleum (re)developed by Sultan Abdul Hamid II in the late nineteenth century. Some of the graves are also honorary graves like those of Osman, Turgut Alp and Abdurrahman Gazi (see below).
To find out more on Ertugrul Bey, read my previous blog post here.
Who were Gündoğdu Bey & Sungurtekin Bey?
The narrative in relation to Gündoğdu Bey and Sungurtekin Bey is that they didn’t support Ertuğrul’s decision to go west towards the Eastern Roman/Byzantine borders, and this is dramatised in Season 2 of Diriliş: Ertuğrul.
We know next to little of them both. In comparison to their brothers, we have no idea of when they were possibly born and died and nor is it speculated; we also don't know where they are buried, and nor is it clear if they indeed married/to whom did they marry.
Both were said to have lived pretty unremarkable and quiet lives with apparently only verbal accounts being told about them by people through the generations.
Who was Dundar Bey (Dündar Bey)?
Whilst Gundogdu Bey & Sungurtekin Bey didn’t agree with Ertugrul Bey’s decision to migrate, it was Dundar Bey as mentioned earlier, who joined his brother on his journey west.
There are also no accounts about if and when he got married and if he had children. This isn’t to rule it out but like with many others we just don’t know.
Whilst it is widely acknowledged that Dundar Bey was indeed a brave and renown warrior who was loyal to his tribe and to Ertugrul Gazi throughout his entire life, and fought many battles alongside his older brother, he is also regarded as a divisive and weak figure from a leadership perspective.
Who was Halime Hatun?
Halime Hatun is the purported wife of Ertugrul Bey and mother to his sons. Her origins are also very obscure with not even information surrounding possible dates of birth and death; some historians like Heath W. Lowry have gone as far as saying that the mother of Ertugrul’s children is unknown.
One narrative is that she was the daughter of a powerful Turkmen Bey whereas in Resurrection Ertugrul, she is shown to be a Seljuk princess and niece of the Sultan (of the Seljuq Sultanate of Rum), Sultan Alâeddin Keykûbad/Kayqubad I/Alā ad-Dīn Kayqubād bin Kaykāvūs, and she is commonly referred to as Halime Sultan (indicating her royal background); whether or not either of these positions is historically accurate is not entirely clear.
There is also a grave site for Halime Hatun located in the garden of the mausoleum of Ertugrul Gazi in Sogut (as seen below), though it is difficult to verify if this is her actual burial place.
Who was Gunduz Bey (Gündüz Bey)?
Gündüz Bey was the oldest son of Ertuğrul Bey and he was said to be named after his grandfather Gündüz Alp (if you accept that Ertuğrul’s father was NOT Süleyman Şah).
Gündüz Bey was said to be born between 1229 and 1230 putting him in his mid 20s when Osman was said to be born.
Moreover, he was an active participant in many battle against the Byzantines and played an important role in the formation of the Ottoman state.
Along with being in Diriliş: Ertuğrul - both as a young child and a young adult - Gündüz is also a character in the new TV series: Kuruluş: Osman.
Who was Savci Bey (Savcı Bey)?
There is actually difference of opinion as to how many children Ertugrul and his wife actually had; some reports say three (3) whilst others say four (4) including Gündüz and Osman.
The difference arises with two names: Savci Bey and Saru Batu with some reports combining the names of Saru Batu and Savci Bey making it one name - Saru Batu Savci Bey - hence the difference of opinion.
This isn’t reflected in Dirilis Ertugrul though, and neither is the name Saru Batu ever mentioned as being part of Savci’s full name so this like many other things of the early Ottomans will probably remain a mystery.
His character in Dirilis: Ertugrul is played by two actors including a child actor, and he is also depicted in Kurulus Osman.
Who was Osman Gazi?
We’ve mentioned Osman/Osman I/Osman Gazi quite a bit so far. The youngest and most prominent of all of Ertugrul’s children, and the founder of the Ottoman State (Osmanli Devleti).
Osman Bey’s date of birth is not known with certainty with historians speculating on the exact date.
It is said that when he was born, his father Ertugrul Bey was said to be in his 70s whilst his mother was said to be just a few years younger; she was said to be at an age that she shouldn’t be typically be able to give birth, and so it has been mentioned that he was called “a miracle baby.”
His character is represented in both Dirilis: Ertugrul and Kurulus: Osman by two actors showcasing him both as a child and as an adult respectively, prior to his ascent as the Bey of the Kayi Tribe (he is also seen as a baby in Dirilis Ertugrul).
Insha’Allah (God-willing), I plan on doing another blog post specifically on Osman Gazi and there I will touch on him in a little more depth.
Who was Turgut Alp?
Turgut Alp was one of the closest allies and a blood brother of Ertugrul Bey and went on to serve three (3) generations of Kayis; that includes not just Ertugrul and his son, Osman I, but Osman’s son and Ertugrul’s grandson, Orhan I.
Like many others, there are no real reports about his origins, his family, private life, etc. His name though does appear in folk narrations, in the early Ottoman accounts as well as some Byzantine sources.
After the death of Ertugrul Gazi, he was said to have served Osman Gazi and was involved in all of his conquests. After the death of Osman Gazi, he became Orhan Gazi's most trusted advisor and even despite his age, joined him during further conquests.
In the year 1299 AD, Turgut Alp was sent by Osman Gazi to conquer Inegöl; a city which he eventually governed for 36 years and where his tomb currently lies.
He was said to have lived till the age of 125 years old, when he died in battle with his famous axe in hand, during the conquest of the Atranos Castle (Orhaneli Kalesi).
Who was Abdurrahman Gazi (Abdurrahman Alp)?
Like Turgut Alp, Abdurrahman Alp (later to be known as Abdurrahman Gazi) also served the trio of Ertugrul Gazi, Osman Gazi and Orhan Gazi.
Like many others, his origins, etc are unknown but he was integral in the many conquests and victories of Orhan I and a key component in the early stages of the Ottoman Empire (Osmanlı İmparatorluğu) under both Osman and Orhan.
In fact, his most famous victory is the conquest of the Aydos Castle (Aydos Kalesi) in Sultanbeyli.
Along with Akça Koca and Konur Alp (both of whom also have graves at the Ertugrul Gazi Turbesi), Abdurrrahman Gazi was ordered by Sultan Orhan Gazi to conquer the Castle of Aydos.
The character of Abdurrahman Alp is represented in Dirilis: Ertugrul and thereafter in Kurulus: Osman as Abdurrahman Gazi, both by the same actor.
Who was Bamsi Alp (Bamsi Beyrek)?
Bamsi Beyrek was a legendary hero whose life has been described in the most famous of stories of Oghuz Turks titled “The Book of Dede Korkut” by the famous Oghuz Turkish folk narrator Dede Korkut.
In Diriliş: Ertuğrul, he is presented as one of the Alps of Ertuğrul Bey but this was done in memory and honour of him as the two never actually met. Bamsi was said to be a fierce warrior, very funny by nature, and a good-hearted and good-natured man. These attributes definitely come across in Diriliş Ertuğrul.
Though some of the stories about Bamsi Beyrek maybe quite far-fetched, it is believed that he was a real person.
Notable mentions
Characters presented in the series like Kurdoglu (shown to be blood brother of Suleyman Shah), Doğan Alp/Dogan Alp (shown to be an alp of Ertugrul), Selcan Hatun (shown to be wife of Gundogdu Bey), Gökçe Hatun/Gokce (shown to be younger sister of Selcan), Aykiz Hatun (shown to be wife of Turgut Alp) and Deli Demir (shown to be father of Aykiz) either seem to be fictional characters or based on people from various points in history.
Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find any reliable information that shows if they are indeed fictional or based on actual historical figures.
In regards to Selcan Hatun, she is also a character in the new series Kurulus: Osman. Other characters who later became part of the Kayi Tribe in Dirilis: Ertugrul like Artuk Bey and Samsa Alp (Samsa Çavuş) will be touched on in my follow up blog post/Part 2 and where I also will touch on the other tribes like the Dodurga & Cavdar tribes (Part 2 is now completed. Click here).
I will also touch on the Anatolian Seljuks and characters like Sultan Alaeddin Kaykubad I and Emir Saadettin Kopek in Part 3 (Part 3 is now completed. Click here), as well as the Ayyubids of Aleppo and characters like Emir El-Aziz in Part 4 (Part 4 is now completed. Click here).
And Allah knows best.
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Jazak’Allah Khayr.
