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Who was Ahmad Shah Durrani?

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    In the history of Afghanistan, there have been many mighty rulers and sovereigns, however, one stood out from all of them. He was a  pious, patriotic, and merciful man who had all the profound traits of an exceptional leader, and ruled his lands with justice. He not only became the hero of all Afghans but also saved Islam in the subcontinent. In this video, we will go through the chapters of the life of Ahmad Shah Durrani, the Afghan ruler who united the Afghan tribes and became the founder of modern Afghanistan, as well as the father of his nation.   Ahmad Shah Durrani      Ahmad Khan Abdali was born in Herat, in 1723. He was the son of Zaman Khan, and the grandson of Dawlat Khan. He was from the Pashtun Sadouzai Tribe, a sub tribe of the Abdali Tribe. The story starts in  1732 CE, in Farah, Afghanistan, when Ahmad Khan's older brother, Zulfiqar Khan was defeated by his enemies. Zulfiqar Khan took his younger brother Ahmad Khan...
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Who was the first traitor in Ottoman history? Who was Dundar Bey?

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Who was the first traitor in Ottoman history? Who was Dundar Bey?

Dundar Bey was the son of Sulayman Shah, younger brother of Ertugrul Ghazi, and uncle of Osman Ghazi, the very founder of the Ottoman Empire. There was a time when Dundar Bey was also called Ghazi, meaning a heroic fighter who had fought against disbelievers. However, how did it happen? How would Dundar Bey possibly be the first to betray the Ottomans? 


Dundar Bey
When Dundar was still a young child, his brother Ertugrul had parted ways with his older brothers, Sungurtekin and Gundugdu. However, Dundar, knowing the hardships of the path Ertugrul was to walk on, decided to join him and leave behind the rest of his tribe & family when he was still a child. Dundar was always dedicated to serving his brother Ertugrul Ghazi and devoted his whole life to serving the Kayi Tribe and his nation. He was also a brave and renowned warrior, who usually accompanied Ertugrul Ghazi and often fought with him in battle. However, despite his good intentions and pure heart, Dundar Bey was a person who was easily led astray, and had a weak personality that resulted in many mistakes. Oftentimes, when Ertugrul Bey would go on his campaigns, Dundar Bey would perform the duties as the bey of the tribe. After the death of Ertugrul Ghazi, the Kayis and other neighboring tribes were restless. Though Dundar Bey wished for their unity, he was also interested in becoming the next leader of the Kayi Tribe. And so he declared himself as a candidate to be the next leader. Dundar Bey supported himself, arguing that he had been with Ertugrul since the beginning, and that he had learned from previous experiences, along with his old age. He also argued that he was Ertugrul Ghazi's brother and the son of Sulayman Shah and reminded them of the  experiences he had gained under the leadership of Ertugrul Ghazi. However, it was not in Dundar Bey’s destiny to become the Bey. As Osman Ghazi, the son of Ertugrul Ghazi was elected as the new leader of the Kayi Tribe. Osman Ghazi was chosen by the Kayis because of his very commendable strategy & morality. After becoming the next bey of the Kayi Tribe, Osman had also become the bey of Bitinya principality. At the time, Dundar Bey had really supported his nephew Osman, and also agreed that Osman was destined to become bey. However, later on, Dundar Bey had disagreed with Osman on various occasions, and went against him in many decisions. And so this behaviour of Dundar Bey had really brought much discord between him and Osman. And though by now Dundar Bey had reached a really old age, he still had not attained a sense of morality, and made many mistakes. And it was because of this that he did not not walk on the straight path, and that he would soon bring his own doom upon himself. 

Dundar Bey rebells against Osman
It had all happened when Osman Ghazi had decided to go and conquer a nearby Greek Island. Dundar Bey had strongly disagreed, arguing that they had already enough enemies to deal with. Had he not done anything more than simply disagree, he would have been fine. However, Dundar Bey had had enough of his disagreements with Osman and now had his eyes on the beys fur, and wished to have himself the leader of the Kayi Tribe. And so Dundar had gathered his supporting beys, attempted to rebel against Osman and take over the Kayi Tribe. This was when Dundar Bey had set a trap for Osman and teamed up with Osman's enemies. And though he had set a trap that was supposed to have Osman Ghazi killed, it did not succeed. As Osman Ghazi had survived the trap, and as he came back to his tribe, word had reached him about the old Dundar Bey's betrayal. And so for Osman, this was finally to be the last straw. And so immediately Osman went out to confront Dundar. And it was then and there, when Osman pulled out his sword & struck at his aged uncle, and that came to be the unfortunate end of Dundar Bey, son of Sulayman Shah, and the very brother of Ertugrul Ghazi. He died in 1298 CE. 


Dundar Bey was buried in Sogut, in 1299 CE
And so this was to be the very sad and unfortunate story of the first traitor in the history of the Ottoman Empire. Dundar Bey had set out as a young, pure hearted valliant to fight under the banner of justice alongside his brother Ertugrul Ghazi. However, due to his flaws, and lack of morality, he had been set astray. And though he had lived his whole life with honor, dignity, & loyalty, because of how he decided to end his life, he is now known as the first traitor in Ottoman history. And so that was the story of the first traitor of the Ottoman Empire. However, this was only the beginning. Later on in Ottoman history, betrayals went on to such an extent, that it is possible that even today we could have been able to see a mighty Ottoman Empire still standing, had it not been for betrayal. After all, the end of Dundar Bey was made as an example to those who act without morals but with personal interest. Today, Dundar Bey is buried in Sogut, in the same graveyard that Ertugrul Ghazi & his closest family and alps are buried. Despite his end, many great lessons have been learnt from his life, and the lessons he had taught the inhabitants of Turkey have always been remembered.


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For more information on Dundar Bey, it is recommended to watch this video:



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Distant Travels: The Tales of the Past

The Real History of Konur Alp

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    Konur Alp was a prominent commander who was known for his very commendable military skills during the early stages of the Ottoman Empire. He played a very important role in the conquest of the regions between Akyazi and Anadolu Kavagi. Konur Alp was among Osman Ghazi's closest companions, as well as Orhan Ghazi's greatest comrades. Nevertheless, what do we know about the life of of Konur Alp?       Prior to becoming the head of the Kayi Tribe, Osman Ghazi took part in many campaigns and expeditions. During this time, he had a couple of close friends who would accompany him to every place he would go. These close friends of his would be with him in every hardship that he was to face. And so, after decades in accompanying Osman Ghazi in all the raids and battles he would fight in; together, they would establish the Ottoman Empire. These close comrades of his were Turgut Alp, Samsa Cavus, Abdurrahman Ghazi, Aykut Alp, Saltuk Alp, Hasan Alp, Akca Koca, and ...
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Who was Köse Mihal? | The Real History of Mikhael Kosses | The First Byzantine to join the Ottomans

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    During the early era of the Ottoman Empire, there were many Byzantine lords and commanders that joined the ranks of the Ottomans, even converting to Islam. The first (significant one) among them being  Köse Mihal, also known as Mikhael Kosses. In this video we will go over his life, achievements, exploits, and the legacy he left behind.           Mikhael Kosses, an ethnic Greek, is believed to have been from the famous Palaiologos Dynasty, which ruled the Byzantine Empire from the years 1259 until its downfall in 1453CE, the longest a dynasty ever ruled the empire. Köse Mihal was the Byzantine governor of the Harmankaya Castle. The Harmankaya Castle was in the Uludag mountains in the foothills of Bilecik, Turkey. After taking part in a battle against Osman Ghazi, alongside the Byzantine governor of Eskisehir, he was captured and taken prisoner. However, he was forgiven by Osman for his valor and heroism.     ...
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Who was Aydogdu bey?

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    During the early era of the Ottoman Empire, there were many notable warriors & officials, whose lives were sacrificed for the creation of their state.  Unfortunately, not much information remained from the astounding, early Ottoman heroes. Though, among them came a man whose bravery & valor was impressive to the point, that history remembered him during an era in which people were forgotten. He was the grandson of Ertugrul Ghazi, nephew of Osman Ghazi, & eldest son of Gunduz Alp: Aydogdu Bey.     Aydogdu Bey's date of birth was estimated to be between 1284 and 1287,  near the Byzantine border. He was personally trained by his uncle, Osman, and would grow up to become a very commendable warrior. From a very young age, Aydogdu would take part in many wars & battles along with Osman Ghazi. Osman would in turn, become so fond of his nephew, Aydogdu, that he would even send him as an ambassador to the Seljuq Sultan. The fact that su...
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