Işa I

**Işa I** (Yoman Language: اسحاق بیگ; b. 1216-29 August 1278) called also by the ambassadors as **Ishak Bey** or **King Ishak**. Was the thrid sultan of the yoman empire. Son of Orhan I and Hasma Hatun. He was the first sultan to murdered his brother systematically, fully respectting the law of fratricide and because of the executions he started getting called **Işa the Terrible,** being called so for the first time in 1266. Işa is also called "**the red**", due to his brutal nature.

He moved the harem to Bakvaär province in the Turfeş Palace due a fire that burned the harem of the Yşrin Palace and he established the hierarchy of the harem and started the tradition of one-mother-one-son.

## Early life

Işa born in 1216, his mother was Hasma Hatun a woman offered to his father by Mülah i-Sahdaş Bey in 1206 when Orhan was 14 years old.

Işa grew up in Yşrin Palace along with his brothers and sisters being educated in history, literature, writing and poetry and trained. According to sources, he had the same master as his brothers Halil and Murad Bey, Lala Üluloglu Mehmed.

### Years as Sanjak-bey of Bakvaär

He was appointed Sanjak-bey of Bakvaär in 1229 or 1230. His mother, Hasma accompanied him.

Işa's harem consisted of three principal and seven minor concubines, fully following the Aizirian tradition. However, after Işa's first marriage, Hürrem Hatun became the chief consort, taking the title away from one of the three consorts.

In 1239 he married Hürrem Hatun, daughter of Hanzade of Hai Empire, Işa was 23 years old while Hürrem 13. Their marriage had already been signed 46 years earlier by Işa's grandfather and Hürrem's great-great-grandmother, Empress Dowager Lady Sadka.

During the 1230s Işa accompanied his father, Orhan, and his brothers in campaigns against the coastal populations. In 1239/1240 they finally bought the Mermedians. After that he participated in the conquests of the fortress of Mirşili and the castle of Hüsnüşah Bey.

When his brother Vaher Bey died in 1258, murdered during an ambush by Dërmeled rrioters when he was prevented from fulfilling as Sanjak-bey of Mëhrem, Orhan appointed Halil Bey in his place, deeming him capable enough to run such a disorderly province and to stop the Dërmeled rioters. However Işa wanted to be named as such and this created disagreements between the two brothers. It's said there was a strong argument between the two, in the palace of Fatma Gülcemal Hatun, where palace officials had to intervene to stop them.

## Ascension to the throne

When Orhan died Yinira, who was present at the palace, tried to keep his death a secret and allow Mehmed to ascend the throne before Orhan's other sons. However, Işa together with his court he quickly left for the capital and was appointed sultan. Shortly afterwards his brother Murad arrived and was executed immediately. The same end befell Mehmed who was executed in his own palace in the province of Çirik. Then Işa exile of his father's concubines and consorts.

When his other brother Halil learned of the death of his brothers he allied himself with the provinces of Marda, Kutlur, Eskisanjak, Çilik, Harmoçuk, Çirmel and Ankalia and marched towards the capital between March and April. The army of Işa and Halil clashed in Irma towards the end of May, Halil won and got closer and closer to the capital but once they arrived in Erkman between July and August, Halil settled in the castle together with his men as a camp. Işa decided to end the war and went into battle and after three-day of siege of the castle, Işa entered and executed his brother Halil, putting an end to the civil war and definitively inaugurating the law of güçlü-bey or law of the fratricide.

The population of the empire did not react well, Işa's reputation was not the best even before his accession and the fact that he executed his brothers made the situation worse. To calm the situation Işa offered food and shelter to the poorest by building a complex called Sultaniye Complex.

## Wars

Işa fought against the powerful Reign of Muraş, Free Lands and in particular Arannian Empire. In particular, Işa had an aggressive policy which allowed him to conquer many territories in a short time.

### War of Muraş (1292-1295)

Işa's aggressive policy manifested itself precisely against the reign of Muraş. He organized his first campaign at the end of 1262 once he was appointed Müdür-bey. Işa first attacked the border city of Roşl, conquering it after a year of siege and battle, causing the fortress to fall and subjugating the entire surrounding territory, naming it a province with the name of Roşlik and changing the name from Roşl to Katunrā.

After that Işa established a peace at the request of the king of Muraş. It is thought that Işa had always intended to betray the pact and when he asked to his great friend and husband of his daughter, the Grand Vizier Ahmed Mehmed Pasha, he refused to accept it and Işa executed him for treason, the population did not react well to the execution and began calling him "the Terrible". So Işa set out on the expedition in 1267 (less than a year after the signing of the treaty) without a Grand Vizier and won the battle with the advantage of not declaring war which took him by surprise. The victory allowed the empire to expand further and a new province to be formed. Işa appointed his Lala (teacher) Üluloglu Mehmed as Sanjakbey of the province.

### Free Lands (around 1264 - 1268)

Işa organized three expeditions to expel the clans from the plain, established an alliance with the Bey of the Mimar clan and his brother Veher Bey of the Rafı clan, however Işa was betrayed by the two in the first days of September 1266, the idea was to kill him, in fact they imprisoned him but Işa managed to escape and return to Yşrin. In early of 1268 before setting out against the Arannians, Işa returned to the Mimar and Rafı clans, executing his enemies and razing their camp. Işa thus managed to conquer the territory and annexed it to the beylik of Aember and denominated it beilerbeilik.

## Battle of Tears (1268)

When Işa ascended the throne, his father Orhan had already left the door open for him to conquer the Arannia Empire thanks to the conquests of Asmi and Hasama. Işa organized a first campaign in 1264 which he easily won, subsequently in 1268 he organized a second battle which ended with the Battle of Tears, which ended with the peace treaty between the two empires which led to the marriage of Işa and Tammi Hatun (daughter of Tsar Mienmar of Arannia) and the execution of Grand Vizier Mürdümli Ibrahim, who had been appointed seven months earlier.

## Rebellion of Devlet (1272)

Işa was already unpopular among the people as early as 1263 or 1264, having the first testimony in 1266. After the Battle of Tears he became further unpopular while his son Devlet Bey became more and more appreciated, not only by his own province but also by the provinces beyond the Dragon Mountains, as his fame rose up to the capital.

This hunger got out of control and while Işa was seriously ill for the first time in 1272 Devlet took advantage and gathered a council and organized a rebellion. Together with his army he went down to the capital Işa asked his son Murad to intervene and managed to stop him. It is believed that Işa was the one who suggested Murad strangle Devlet with a rope. Devlet managed to free himself and moved his army against his brother. Murad thanks to the help of his other brother Abdüllah who arrived with the army of Marda, his province at the last minute and managed to defeat Devlet. Afterwards Devlet was brought to the presence of Işa who, although he did not show up due to illness, ordered to be drowned him in one of the fountains of the imperial harem.

## Last years and death

After the Battle of Tears, Işa no longer participated in wars due to his age, in fact he retired to the Yşrin palace and limited himself to governing the kingdom. Işa increased defenses in the borders and appointed the heads of the Bey clans of a Sanjak (province).

Işa was so shocked by his son's betrayal that he never fully recovered from his illness. After 1272 he recovered for a short time and then finally relapsed until his death in 1278.

During the last years Tammi Hatun's presence was important during the last years of Işa, initially he helped the Despotate of Kazari economically at the request of Tammi's sister Nataşah and then after Tammi convinced him between 1272 and 1277 he tried to make amends with all the people he had hurt, he wrote letters to the families of his executed brothers and those of the Grand Viziers, he also contacted Meyli Pasha who had been exiled to Türmur.

      Between 1277 and 1278 Işa's health began to deteriorate seriously, ending his life in August 1278. After his death Murad decided not to bury him in the Müdür-bey Mausoleum, possibly because the people were upset that Işa was buried together with two beloved sultans such as Orhan and Yoman. Murad's choice fell on the Sultaniye Complex in a Mausoleum named Işa Türbesi which had been built by Işa previously. The tomb of Işa was the smallest tomb belonging to a Yoman Sultans until it was renovated by Abdülmecid Sultan.

## Buildings

Once Işa ascended the throne, perhaps on the advice of Meyli Pasha, he built the Sultaniye Complex, to pacify the popular uprisings. The complex included housing for the poor, a mosque, a slave market (built later) and after his death his son Murad I built a large Mausoleum in honor of his father, which included two domes, in one lies Işa together in Gülmah Hatun and Şehzade Korkut (as Işa had ordered before his death).

When on January 27, 1254 a fire caused the destruction of a good part of the harem of Yşrin Palace the Sultan Orhan, after moving the imperial harem to Kutlur province (where his son Ali Şah was governor) for about a year, he moved the harem to a building called Türfeş near Yşrin Palace. When Işa was still sanjak-bey he restored a small old palace in Bakvaär and when he was crowned in 1262 he finished the restoration into an Imperial Palace and called it "Türfeş Sarayi". The palace was finally occupied between 1267 or 1268 and the Yşrin Palace was completely abandoned. It is used solely as a hunting lodge or summer residence.

## Family

### Consorts

He started the tradition of one-mother-one-son, to allow the mother to accompany her son once they becomes Sanjak-bey, which proved to be a problem in the time of his father, Sultan Orhan. He moved the palace to Bakvaär in the Turfeş Palace due the fire that destroy a part of Yşrin Palace. Işa had three principal consorts and seven minor concubines fully following the Aizirian tradition. He was the last sultan to follow the tradition:

* Hürrem Hatun: First legal wife. She was the daughter of King Hanzade of Hai Empire, she married Işa in 1239.
* Second legal wife she was the daughter of Süleyman II of the tribe of Uznür and his fourth wife, married Işa in before 1268.
* Tammi Hatun: Third legal wife. She was an arranian princess, daughter of Tsar Mienmar of Arannia. Renowned for her beauty, she was forced to marry Işa when he conquered Arannia in 1268;
* Naşli Hatun, according to Mürçi she was first concubine and mother of his first son;
* Mülrimah Hatun: mother of the first daughter;
* Gülmah Hatun: mother of Murad and Valide Hatun of her son, she was executed by her son, who didn't want his mother to be too influential. She was buried at Işa's side.
* Gulçicek Hatun: slave concubine, mother of Mihrimah Hatun and Ayşe Hatun. Ayşe Hatun built a tomb for her mother when she died. Her name and the name of her daughters were inscribed in the tomb, Mihrimah Hatun is also buried there.
* Şirin Hatun: mother of Mahmud Bey and Valide Hatun of her son;
* Anna Hatun: mother of some of his daughter. She became a major favorite around 1251, then had her own room in the harem of Türfeş Palace. Anna became pregnant numerous times but was never able to give birth to a boy;
* Kaldun Hatun.
* Fülane Hatun: according to Mürçi one of the minor consort of Işa came from the Toothed Peninsula and was Kara's mother and that she was still alive during the reign of Mahmud Bey;
* Paşah Melek Hatun: It is possible that he was a pasha named Melek whom Işa fell in love with during his time as Sanjak-bey of Bakvaär.

### Sons

He had fifteen or sixteen sons, two of them took the throne:

* Orhan Bey (1235 Bakvaär Old Palace, Bakvaär – 1256, buried in Sultaniye Complex ) with Naşli. He was sanjakbey of Katip;
* Kasim Bey (1236 Bakvaär Old Palace, Bakvaär – 1240, buried in Sultaniye Complex ) died young:
* Çoban Bey (born 1536/1537 Bakvaär Old Palace, Bakvaär- 1266 Turfeş Palace buried in Sultaniye Complex ), he died having the age to have a a province. Being 30 years old he was never appointed sanjakbey, it is believed that he had some deformity or was simply not considered suitable for the role. He possibly died of illnes;
* Melek Bey (1238 Bakvaär Old Palace, Bakvaär - 1259/1260 Eskisanjak Palace, buried in Sultaniye Complex ), was sanjak-bey of Katip after the death of Orhan Bey;
* Mehmed Bey (1241/1242 Bakvaär Old Palace, Bakvaär- 1293, buried in Sultaniye Complex ) with Hürrem Hatun. He was sanjakbey of Bilçikek. Murderer by Murad I during the Battle of the Redsons.
* Murad I (1242 Bakvaär Old Palace, Bakvaär - 20 July 1293, murder by his half brother Mahmud Bey, buried in Murad Mausoleum) with Gülmah Hatun, he became the fourth sultan of yoman empire;
* *Fülan* Bey (June 1244, Bakvaär Old Palace, Bakvaär-June 1244 Bakvaär Old Palace, Bakvaär, buried in Sultaniye Complex ) - with Kaldun Hatun. Stillbirth.
* Abdüllah Bey (1244 Bakvaär Old Palace, Bakvaär-murdered 29 August 1278 Marda Palace, buried in Sultaniye Complex ) was sanjak-bey of Marda, he had two sons and five daughter:
	+ Musa Çelebi (1266 Marda Palace-1278 Marda Palace) sanjakbey of Bilcikek, he had a son but the name is unknown;
	+ Mihrişah Hatun (1266/1268 Marda Palace-1321) she married twice and had five sons:
		- Melek Ahmed
		- Mahmud
		- Yusuf
		- Cihangir
		- Suleyman
	+ Işa Çelebi (1268 Marda Palace-1278)
	+ Malhun Hatun (Marda Palace - 1283)
	+ Kara Hatun (Marda Palace 1270 - 1332) she had two sons
		- Mehmed Pasha
		- Mustafa Pasha (1294)
	+ Hasma Hatun (Marda Palace 1273)
	+ a daughter with a unknown name,
* Devlet Bey (1248 Bakvaär Old Palace, Bakvaär - died 1272, buried in Sultaniye Complex ) twin of Yakup Bey, was sanjakbey of Aember;
* Yakup Bey (1250 Bakvaär Old Palace, Bakvaär - died 1266, buried in Sultaniye Complex ) twin of Devlet Bey, possibly died of illnes. He was sanjakbey of Katip after the death of his brother Melek Bey;
* Şem Bey (1251 Bakvaär Old Palace, Bakvaär - murdered 29 August 1278, Turfeş Palace, buried in Sultaniye Complex ) was sanjak-bey of Çaışık murdered by Murad;
* Suleyman Bey (1254 Bakvaär Old Palace, Bakvaär - murdered 29 August 1278, Turfeş Palace, buried in Sultaniye Complex ), he never had a province, was murdered by Murad;
* Mahmud Bey (1256 Bakvaär Old Palace, Bakvaär - died May 1308, Turfeş Palace, buried in Sultaniye Complex ) with Şirin Hatun; was sanjakbey of Katip, when Murad took the throne he run away with Mehmed and usurped the throne of his half brother;
* Orhan Bey (1257/1258? Bakvaär Old Palace, Bakvaär - murdered 29 August 1278, Turfeş Palace, buried in Sultaniye Complex ), murdered by Murad;
* Hüveys Bey (1260 Bakvaär Old Palace, Bakvaär - murdered 29 August 1278, Turfeş Palace, buried in Sultaniye Complex ) murdered by Murad;
* Ishak Bey (1264 Bakvaär Old Palace, Bakvaär - murdered 29 August 1278, Turfeş Palace, buried in Sultaniye Complex ). Sanjak-bey of Hemêyûn. Murdered by Murad, he had a daughter, Mihrimah Hatun (died 1321) who married Kürku Ismail Pasha, who would later be married to a daughter of Haznir Bey and then named Grand Vizier.

### Daughters

He had at least twenty daughter, three of them died in 1266 due to a contagious disease. Many of them were betrothed by Orhan I in 1254 among the remaining many were promised in marriage in 1261 by Işa once he ascended the throne:

* Fatma Hatun (1236 Bakvaär Old Palace, Bakvaär – 1239/1240, buried in Sultaniye Complex ) with Mülrimah Hatun, she died young;
* Menekşe Hatun (1236? Bakvaär Old Palace, Bakvaär – buried in Sultaniye Complex ) with Şirin Hatun, she died young;
* Mihrimah Hatun (1236? Bakvaär Old Palace, Bakvaär – 1236/1237?, buried in Gulçicek Hatun Mausoleum) with Gulçicek. Stillbirth;
* Ayşe Hatun (1239 Bakvaär Old Palace, Bakvaär – 1282, buried in Gülcicek Hatun Mausoleum) with Gulçicek. She was married with the Grand Vizier Ahmed Mehmed Pasha and had five sons;
* Fatma Hatun (1240 Bakvaär Old Palace, Bakvaär – 1291, buried in Sultaniye Complex ) - with Kaldun Hatun, she married for three times and was murdered by Murad once she decided to ally with Mehmed and Mahmud Bey;
* Sultan Hatun (1241 Bakvaär Old Palace, Bakvaär – 1256, buried in Sultaniye Complex ) she was betrothed to Gül Bey in 1254 but she died two years later;
* Hatice Hatun (1241 Bakvaär Old Palace, Bakvaär – 1310, buried in Sultaniye Complex ) she married a rich pasha who had 62 years while her 24, after the death of her first husband in 1278 she married Hizir Pasha in 1280 who died after a year, subsequently she married to Kara Esferhead Mehmed Efendi in 1286, she and her husband helped economically Murad. She and her sister Salça were the most indicated as the murderers of Mahmud Bey;
* Bala Hatun (1242 Bakvaär Old Palace, Bakvaär – 1246, buried in Sultaniye Complex );
* Salça Hatun (1242/1243 Bakvaär Old Palace, Bakvaär – 1320, buried in Sultaniye Complex ) with Mülrimah Hatun. She married Piri Ahmed Pasha who was Grand vizier during the civil war, she and her sister Hatice ware the most indicated as the murderers of Mahmud Bey;
* Rukiye Hatun (1244 Bakvaär Old Palace, Bakvaär – 1266, buried in Sultaniye Complex ) with Mülrima Hatun, she promised in marriage in 1254 to Orhan Efendi. She died of illnes;
* Kara Hatun (1245 Bakvaär Old Palace, Bakvaär – 1290, buried in Sultaniye Complex ) she married Kasim Pasha who was appointed as vizier during the reign of Murad;
* Nefise Hatun (1245 Bakvaär Old Palace, Bakvaär – 1301, buried in Sultaniye Complex ) she married two minor pashas and she had four children in total. It is not clear what position he took during the Redsons War, she probably declared loyalty to Murad under threat;
* Hafize Hatun (1246 Bakvaär Old Palace, Bakvaär – 1266, buried in Sultaniye Complex ) she was betrothed to Zürkiye Pasha in 1254, however the marriage was not finalized because she died of illnes;
* Mihriali Fatma Hatun (1248 Bakvaär Old Palace, Bakvaär – 1303, buried in Sultaniye Complex ) she married the first Beilerbey of Aember, after the denomination of the territory in beilerbeilik, she was the real power in the beilerbeilik of Aember and she was who sent men to her halfbrother Murad during the civil war, maybe she died in prigiony;
* Hundi Hatun (1250 Bakvaär Old Palace, Bakvaär – before 1252, buried in Sultaniye Complex ) died young;
* Fahkriye Hatun (1251 Bakvaär Old Palace, Bakvaär – end of 1288, buried in Sultaniye Complex ) with Anna Hatun. She married the Agha of Janisseries Tupal Pasha in 1269, after the marriage he was appointed as Bey of Eskisanjak, she and her husband were allies of Gülmah Hatun during her try to have more influence over his son;
* Hundi Melek Hatun (1252 Bakvaär Old Palace, Bakvaär – 1308, buried in Sultaniye Complex ) with Anna Hatun. She married Yakup Çelebi, a poweful nobleman in the Servit sanjak in 1270, they had two sons, after the death of Yakup in 1272 she was married to the Agha of Janissaries, Mahmud Agha in 1275, they had a son, Zehran Agha who became Agha of Janissaries. She and her husband were allies of Gülmah Hatun during her try to have more influence over his son. She took the side of Mehmed and Mahmud during the Redsons' War. It's say that she was bisexual;
* Yeni Hatun (1253/1255 Bakvaär Old Palace, Bakvaär – 1298, buried in Sultaniye Complex ). She married Likli Pasha. It is not clear what position she took during the Redsons War, she probably declared loyalty to Murad under threat;
* Selçuk Hatun (1258 Bakvaär Old Palace, Bakvaär – 1266, buried in Sultaniye Complex ) she betrothed to Murgan Ahmed Bey of Limitsa in 1261 but she died before the marriage by illnes;
* Hiriban Hatun (1260/1262 Bakvaär Old Palace, Bakvaär – 1312, buried in Sultaniye Complex ) with Anna Hatun. She was married to Murgan Ahmed Bey of Limitsa and had two sons, after the death of her husband in 1280 Murad married her in 1283 to Mehmed Çelebi, they had one daughter. She acted as ambassador between Mahmud and Murad before the outbreak of the civil war.