CHRONOLOGICAL TABLES

I.Approximate Dates in the Legendary Period.

II. Important Events in the First Century of Ottoman History.

III. Progress of Ottoman Congress under the First Four Sovereigns.

IV. Comparative Table of Rulers.

V. The Fourteenth Century in Byzantine History.

VI. Relations between Venice and Genoa and the Levant from 1300 to 1403.

VII. The Popes and the Moslem Menace in the Fourteenth Century.

I. THE LEGENDARY PERIOD

1219—Soleiman Shah, with 50,000 nomad Turkish families, settles in neighbourhood of Erzindjian.

1224—Soleiman Shah is drowned in the Euphrates. Ertogrul and Dundar, two of his sons, settle near Angora.

1230-40—Ertogrul establishes himself in the valley of the Kara Su, north-west of Kutayia.

1259—Osman is born at Sugut.

1289—Ertogrul dies.

Osman captures Karadja Hissar and Biledjik.

1290—Osman kills his uncle Dundar.

1290-9—Osman, having extended his possessions westward, founds an emirate, and takes up his residence at Yeni Sheïr.

II. IMPORTANT EVENTS IN THE FIRST CENTURY OF OTTOMAN HISTORY

1299—Osman, Turkish emir in the valley of the Kara Su, makes Yeni Sheïr, between Brusa and Nicaea, his residence.

1301—Osman defeats the Byzantine heterarch Muzalon at Baphaeon, near Nicomedia.

1308—Kalolimni, island in the Sea of Marmora, is occupied. Ak Hissar and Tricocca are captured.

1317—Investment of Brusa begins.

1326—Brusa surrenders. Osman hears the news on his death-bed at Yeni Sheïr.

1329—Byzantines under Andronicus III are defeated at Pelecanon (Maltepé).

Nicaea surrenders.

1333—Alaeddin pasha, brother of Orkhan and first vizier, dies.

Death of Bahadur Khan removes the Mongol menace.

1337 or 1338—Nicomedia surrenders.

1338—Karasi, first of the Turkish emirates to be absorbed, is incorporated in Orkhan’s state.

c. 1338—Osmanlis reach the Bosphorus at Haïdar Pasha.

1343—Empress Anna makes overtures to Orkhan for aid against Cantacuzenos.

1345—Orkhan accepts proposal of alliance with Cantacuzenos.

First Osmanlis cross to Europe to fight for Cantacuzenos against Anna.

1346—Orkhan marries Theodora, granddaughter of the Bulgarian czar and daughter of Cantacuzenos, who is besieging Constantinople with Ottoman aid.

1348—The ‘Black Death’ ravages Europe.

1349—Cantacuzenos calls again upon Orkhan for aid. Twenty thousand Ottoman horsemen are sent to help in preventing Salonika from falling into Serbian hands.

c. 1351—First convention between Orkhan and the Genoese.

1353—Soleiman pasha, Orkhan’s elder son, in response to the third appeal of Cantacuzenos for Ottoman aid, brings an army into Thrace, helps in the recapture of Adrianople, and defeats the Serbians at Demotika. For this aid, a fortress on the European shore of the Dardanelles, probably Tzympe, is given to Orkhan.

1354—An earthquake, which damaged the walls of Gallipoli, enables the Osmanlis of Soleiman pasha to capture the city. Orkhan refuses to give up Gallipoli, breaks with Cantacuzenos, and orders the Osmanlis in the Hellespont to extend their conquest in the direction of Constantinople.

c. 1357—Demotika and Tchorlu are captured for the first time by the Osmanlis under Soleiman pasha.

1358—Soleiman pasha dies from the fall of a horse at Bulaïr.

1359—Orkhan dies, and is succeeded by Murad.

1360-1—Conquest of Thrace.

1361—Second serious ‘Black Death’ plague in Europe.

c. 1362—Murad creates corps of ‘janissaries’.

1362 (1363)—John V Palaeologos binds himself by treaty to recognize Murad’s conquests in Thrace, and to give him military aid against the Turkish emirs of Asia Minor.

1363—Serbian and Hungarian crusaders are defeated on the banks of the Maritza.

Murad takes up his residence in Demotika.

1365—Ragusa makes commercial treaty with Osmanlis, promising tribute.

1366—Adrianople becomes the first capital of the Ottoman Empire.

Amadeo of Savoy’s crusade; captures Gallipoli, but soon abandons it again.

1369—Capture of Yamboli forces Sisman of Bulgaria to become, like the Byzantine Emperor, a vassal of Murad.

1371—Battle of Samakov gives the Osmanlis control of the passes into the Plain of Sofia.

Battle of Cernomen opens up Macedonia to the Ottoman conquest.

1372—Moslem colonization of Macedonia, at Drama, Kavalla, Serres, and Veles, gives the Osmanlis a position of preponderance in the Balkan peninsula.

1373—John Palaeologos, failing to receive aid from the West, becomes Ottoman vassal.

1374—Unsuccessful conspiracy of Manuel to recover Serres causes Ottoman siege of Salonika.

1379—John and Manuel agree to increase their tribute of gold and soldiers, and to surrender Philadelphia, the last Byzantine possession in Asia, for Ottoman aid in ousting Andronicus IV from Constantinople.

1384—Osmanlis aid Thomas in besieging Janina.

1385—First Ottoman invasion of Albania.

Battle of Savra destroys Balsa’s power.

Osmanlis occupy Sofia.

1386—Osmanlis capture Croia and Scutari, but return these fortresses to prince of Zenta.

The fall of Nish makes Lazar of Serbia Ottoman vassal.

1387—Genoa concludes formal treaty with Murad.

Murad, with army containing Greek, Serbian and Bulgarian contingents, defeats Alaeddin of Karamania at Konia, but has to withdraw without tangible results.

1388—Venice concludes commercial treaty with Murad.

1388—Osmanlis are defeated by Serbians and Bosnians at Plochnik, thus preventing invasion of Bosnia.

League of Serbians, Bosnians, Bulgarians, Wallachians, and Albanians formed against the Osmanlis.

First Ottoman army enters Greece upon invitation of Theodore Palaeologos to fight against the Franks.

1389—Osmanlis destroy Serbian independence at Kossova.

Murad is assassinated on the battle-field. Bayezid succeeds to the throne, and has his brother Yakub strangled.

BAYEZID (1389-1403).

1387—Bayezid marries sister of Stephen, son of Lazar, and makes Serbians his allies.

1390—First Ottoman naval expedition makes raid on Chios, Negropont, and Attika.

First Ottoman raids into Hungary.

1391—Second invasion of Karamania, followed by siege of Konia, results in cession by Alaeddin of north-western portion of Karamania.

First Ottoman siege of Constantinople.

1392—First defensive campaign against Sigismund is fought in Bulgaria. Hearing that Timurtash had been defeated by Karamanlis, Bayezid transports army to Asia, and destroys Alaeddin’s army at Ak Tchaï. The Osmanlis are now the dominant race in Asia Minor.

1394—Osmanlis first appear in the Adriatic at the mouth of the Boyana.

1395—Bayezid summons Ottoman vassals to his court at Serres.

Ottoman siege of Constantinople becomes pressing.

1396—Crusade of Western chivalry, co-operating with Sigismund of Hungary, meets with disaster at Nicopolis in Bulgaria.

Ottoman invaders of Wallachia are defeated at Rovine, but in raids into Hungary Peterwardein is burned, and sixteen thousand Styrians carried off into captivity.

1397—First Ottoman invasion of Greece. In the Peloponnesus, Argos is taken by assault.

After defeat at Megalopolis, Theodore becomes Ottoman vassal.

1397-9—Movement of Moslem Anatolian population into the Balkan peninsula.

1398—Osmanlis and Serbians make destructive raid on Bosnia.

1400—Timur captures and destroys Sivas.

1402—Timur defeats and makes prisoner Bayezid at Angora, overruns Asia Minor, occupies Brusa, and takes Smyrna from the Christians by storm.

1403—Timur withdraws to Samarkand.

Bayezid, still a prisoner, dies on the homeward march at Ak Sheïr. His sons dispute the succession.

III. PROGRESS OF OTTOMAN CONQUEST UNDER THE FIRST FOUR SOVEREIGNS

Osman (1299-1326)

1299—Osman, local chieftain at Sugut, has extended his conquests from the valley of the Kara Su westward to Yeni Sheïr.

1308—Kalolimni, island in the Sea of Marmora, becomes first Ottoman maritime possession.

Ak Hissar, at the entrance to plain of Nicomedia, and Tricocca, which ensured land communication between Nicaea and Nicomedia, are captured.

1308-16—Sovereignty is extended over the peninsula between the Gulf of Nicomedia and the Black Sea, almost up to the Bosphorus.

1317—Fortresses are erected near gates of Brusa.

1326—Brusa surrenders.

Orkhan (1326-59)

1329—Occupies Nicaea.

1330-8—Conquest of shores of Gulf of Nicomedia up to Scutari on the Bosphorus.

1334-8—Conquest of emirate of Karasi.

1337-8—Occupies Nicomedia.

c. 1339—Acquires Mikhalitch, Ulubad, and Kermasti.

1353—Cantacuzenos cedes fortress on European shore of Hellespont.

1354—Gallipoli is occupied.

1354-8—The Osmanlis occupy the Thracian, Chersonese, and the European shore of the Sea of Marmora as far as Rodosto. Demotika is captured, and Constantinople cut off from Adrianople by the occupation of Tchorlu.

Murad (1359-89)

1360—Captures Angora and suppresses independence of village chieftains between Eski Sheïr and Angora.

1360-1—Conquers Thrace from the Maritza River to the Black Sea, including Adrianople.

1361—Lalashahin captures Philippopolis.

c. 1362—Creation of the corps of janissaries.

1362 or 1363—John V Palaeologos binds himself by treaty to recognize Murad’s conquest of Thrace, and to give him military aid against the emirs of Asia Minor.

1366-9—Conquest of Maritza Valley up to the Rhodope Mountains, and of Bulgaria, up to the main Balkan range.

1370-1—Occupies the fortresses and passes in the Rhodope and Rilo ranges.

1371-2—Conquers Macedonia up to the Vardar River.

c. 1376—Portion of emirate of Kermian, including Kutayia is annexed as dot of the emir’s daughter, in marriage arranged with Bayezid.

1377—Emir of Hamid sells to Murad territories between Tekke, Kermian, and Karamania. The acquisition of Ak Sheïr brings the Osmanlis to the frontier of Karamania.

1378—Conquers Tekke, except Adalia and Alaya.

1380—Conquers Macedonia, west of the Vardar. Prilep and Monastir become Ottoman frontier fortresses.

1385—Occupies Okhrida.

Plain of Sofia and upper valley of the Struma River are conquered.

1386—Valleys of the Morava and Nisava are conquered, and Nish falls.

1388—Invasion of northern Bulgaria reduces Sisman to more humiliating vassalage. The Osmanlis retain the fortresses of Shuman and Nicopolis.

Bayezid (1389-1403)

1391—Captures Adalia, first Ottoman seaport on the Mediterranean.

Ak Sheïr and Ak Seraï ceded by Karamania.

1393—Bulgaria, to the Danube, becomes Ottoman territory.

1393-5—Conquers Samsun, Caesarea, and Sivas, and annexes emirate of Kastemuni.

1397—Conquers Thessaly, Doris, Locris, and the north-eastern corner of the Peloponnesus.

1398-9—Gradually occupies Southern Albania and a part of Epirus.

IV. COMPARATIVE TABLE OF RULERS

Byzantine Empire[799]

The Palaeologi

Andronicus II (the Old), 1282-1328.

Michael IX (co-emperor), 1295-1320.

Andronicus III (the Young), 1328-41, by whose second wife, Anna of Savoy, was born

John V, 1341-01, whose three sons were:

Andronicus IV (co-emperor), 1355-?

Manuel II, 1391-1425.

Theodore, despot of the Morea, 1359-.

The son of Andronicus IV was

John VII (co-emperor), 1399-1403.

The Cantacuzeni

John VI, regent, 1341-7, co-emperor, 1347-55, two of whose daughters married Orkhan and John V, and whose son was

Matthew, co-emperor, 1355-6.

Hungary

Louis the Great, 1342-82 (King of Poland, 1370-82).

His two daughters were:

Hedwig, to whom fell the crown of Poland, and who married Jagello of Lithuania, who became King of Poland under the Christian name of Ladislas V.

Mary, to whom fell the crown of Hungary, 1382-92.

Mary married

Sigismund of Luxemburg in 1386, who became sole ruler of Hungary after Mary’s death, and, later, Holy Roman Emperor.

Holy Roman Empire House of Luxemburg

Charles IV (I as King of Bohemia), 1355-78.

His two sons were:

Wenceslaus, who succeeded to the imperial crown on the death of his father and was deposed in 1400;

and Sigismund, King of Hungary, who was elected emperor in 1410.

France

Philippe IV, le Bel, 1285-1314, and his sons

Louis X, Philippe V, and Charles IV, last of the Capetians. 1314-28.

Philippe VI Valois, 1328-50.

Jean, 1350-64.

Charles V, 1365-80.

Charles VI, 1380-1422.

Philippe de Bourgogne, son of King Jean, and father of Jean de Nevers, and Louis d’Orléans, second son of Charles V, were vying with each other for the control of their insane nephew and brother, Charles VI, during the reign of Bayezid.

England

Edward I, 1270-1307.

Edward II, 1307-27.

Edward III, 1327-77

(took the title of King of France in 1339).

Richard III, 1377-99.

Deposed in 1399, and succeeded by

Henry IV (of Lancaster).

V. THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY IN BYZANTINE HISTORY

1300—The emir of Menteshe invades Rhodes.

1301—First Byzantine defeat at hands of Osmanlis at Baphaeon.

1302—Michael IX takes command of Slavic mercenaries in Asia Minor: they force him to allow their return to Europe.

Roger de Flor arrives at Constantinople with eight thousand Catalans, and is married to a niece of Andronicus.

1303—Catalans sack the island of Chios.

1305—Death of Ghazan Khan frustrates Byzantine hopes of a Mongol attack upon the emirs of Asia Minor.

Catalans compel the emir of Karamania to lift the siege of Philadelphia, but quarrel with Greeks and Slavic mercenaries. Roger exacts title of ‘Caesar’ from Andronicus, and is later assassinated by Michael IX at Adrianople.

1306-9—Catalan ‘Grand Company’ forms state at Gallipoli.

1310—Catalans leave for Greece, and set up military democracy in Athens.

The Knights of St. John of Jerusalem capture Rhodes.

1311—The emir of Menteshe fails in attempt to recapture Rhodes.

1311-14—Turkish freebooter Halil defies the Emperor in the Thracian Chersonese, and is finally defeated with the help of the Serbians.

1317—Brusa, Nicaea, and Nicomaedia begin to be menaced.

1326—Brusa falls. Andronicus III, on his wedding trip from Constantinople to Demotika, is set upon and wounded by raiding Turks.

1327-8—Andronicus III plots to oust his grandfather, who, in turn, invites Serbians to attack young Andronicus in the rear; young Andronicus besieges army of his grandfather and Serbians at Serres, and captures Salonika. Old Andronicus calls upon Bulgarians, but before their aid arrives, young Andronicus succeeds in entering Constantinople and deposing his grandfather.

1329—Andronicus III is defeated at Pelecanon by Orkhan in an attempt to relieve Nicaea. Nicaea surrenders.

Andronicus III, at Phocaea, tries to incite emirs of Aïdin and Sarukhan to attack Orkhan.

1333—Turks of Sarukhan make a raid on Macedonia, while their vessels enter the Sea of Marmora and seize Rodosto.

1334—Andronicus is compelled to send army to save Salonika from raiding Turks.

1336—Andronicus asks Turkish emirs to help him in siege of Genoese at Phocaea.

1337 or 1338—Nicomedia and the last Byzantine possessions in north-western corner of Asia Minor are conquered by the Osmanlis.

1340—Stephen Dushan crosses the Vardar, captures Serres, and crowns himself there as ‘master of almost all the Roman Empire’.

1341—After death of Andronicus III, Cantacuzenos crowns himself at Demotika.

1342—Civil war between Cantacuzenos and widow and son of Andronicus III, during which both sides make overtures to Osmanlis, Serbians, and Bulgarians.

1345—Cantacuzenos receives aid from Orkhan, and pays for it by marrying his daughter to the Ottoman emir.

1347—Dushan crowns himself Emperor of Constantinople. Agreement between John Cantacuzenos and John Palaeologos to share Byzantine throne.

Black Death plague reaches Constantinople.

1349—Cantacuzenos calls Osmanlis into Europe again to save Salonika from the Serbians.

1349-53—Civil war between Cantacuzenos and Palaeologos.

Palaeologos flees to Tenedos.

1353—The Osmanlis, who had been helping Cantacuzenos against Palaeologos, capture Gallipoli, and invade Thrace.

1354—Cantacuzenos, having vainly appealed to the Pope, Venice, Bulgaria, and Serbia to aid him against the Osmanlis, is deposed by popular revolution in Constantinople, and becomes a monk.

John Palaeologos recalled from exile.

1355—Dushan dies on his way to attack Constantinople.

1354-8—Palaeologos succeeds finally in subduing Cantacuzenos’ son Matthew.

1358—While Osmanlis are advancing in Thrace, John V, at command of Orkhan, is besieging Phocaea.

1361—Adrianople and Philippopolis captured by the Osmanlis.

1363—John V signs treaty of vassalage to Murad.

1366—John V journeys to Buda to enlist aid of Louis of Hungary, and on return journey is made prisoner by Sisman in Bulgaria.

1373—John V, seeing that his visit to Rome and his appeals to western princes are of no avail, recognizes Murad as his suzerain, promises to do military service in Murad’s army, and gives his son Manuel as hostage.

Thrace and Macedonia are practically lost, and the Byzantine Empire has become merely the city state of Constantinople.

1374—As the result of a rebellion undertaken by Andronicus together with the son of Murad against the two fathers, John V consents to deprive his son Andronicus of his sight, and shuts him up in the Tower of Anemas.

1375-89—Civil war between John and Manuel and Andronicus, in which Venice, Genoa, and Osmanlis play a decisive part. John and Manuel purchase Ottoman aid at the price of giving up Philadelphia, the last Byzantine possession in Asia Minor.

1391—Manuel, serving as vassal in Ottoman army, is threatened with loss of eyes, if Emperor John does not demolish the towers on the walls of Constantinople, which he has rebuilt. He obeys and dies soon after. Manuel escapes from Brusa upon learning of his father’s death. His flight is followed by the first Ottoman siege of Constantinople.

1396—Bayezid contemplates taking Constantinople by assault, but is deterred by arrival of crusaders in Hungary.

1397—Siege of Constantinople is renewed, after Nicopolis.

1399—Crusade of Boucicaut helps Byzantines temporarily.

1400-2—Manuel, having made peace with his nephew John, sails for Italy and spends two years in fruitless endeavour to get aid from western princes.

1401—John makes treaty to give up Constantinople, if Bayezid should win from Timur.

1402—After Bayezid’s defeat at Angora, Manuel returns to Constantinople.

John is banished to Lemnos, and Ottoman colonists expelled from Constantinople. Overtures are made to Timur.

1403—Manuel recognizes Soleiman as successor of Bayezid, and renews treaty with him.

VI. RELATIONS BETWEEN VENICE AND GENOA AND THE LEVANT FROM 1300 TO 1403

1328—Venetian sovereignty of Negropont is menaced by Turkish pirates.

1344—Venice aids Cyprus and Rhodes in the capture of Smyrna.

1345-50—Dushan negotiates frequently with Venice for aid in capturing Constantinople.

1351-3—War between Venice and Genoa. Sea power of Genoa is broken at battle of Lojera. Genoese are assisted by Orkhan.

1355—Matteo Venier and Marino Faleri warn the Senate that the Byzantine Empire must inevitably become the booty of the Osmanlis, unless Venice gets ahead of them.

1361—Venetian Senate make overtures to John V for alliance against Murad, but withdraw when they see the rapid success of Murad’s campaign in Thrace.

1370-1—Venice and Greece are engaged in a struggle for economic supremacy in Cyprus.

1375—John V gives Tenedos to the Venetians. The Genoese come into conflict with the Venetians over economic privileges at Constantinople.

1379-81—Venice and Genoa go to war over the question of Tenedos and the Byzantine succession to the throne. In the Peace of Turin, it is provided that Tenedos remain unfortified, and that Andronicus IV be recognized the heir to John V.

1386—Genoese make treaty with Byzantines.

1387—Genoese make commercial treaty with Osmanlis.

1388—Venetians make commercial treaty with Osmanlis.

1389—Venice and Genoa renew treaties with Bayezid.

1393—Venice decides to treat with Sigismund of Hungary for defensive alliance against Osmanlis.

1396—Venetian aid in Nicopolis crusade is half-hearted.

1397—Venice urges Genoese of Pera not to treat with Bayezid, and makes accord with Genoa to aid Byzantines.

1401—Venice and Genoa engaged in another sea struggle for supremacy in the Levant.

1402—Both Venetians and Genoese aid Osmanlis, fleeing from Timur after Angora, to cross into Europe. They renew their treaties with Osmanlis, recognizing Soleiman as Bayezid’s successor.

VII. THE POPES AND THE MOSLEM MENACE IN THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY

1306—Clement V exhorts the Venetians to co-operate with Charles de Valois in the reconquest of Constantinople.

1307—Clement V urges Charles II of Naples to re-conquer Constantinople, but his interest is diverted by a project of a crusade to support Cyprus and Cilician Armenia against the Egyptians.

1309—Papal court transferred from Rome to Avignon.

1310—Clement V encourages Knights of St. John to drive both Greeks and Turks out of Rhodes.

1327—John XXII does not respond to appeal of Andronicus II to aid Byzantium against the Turks.

1333—Similar unsuccessful overture is made by Andronicus III.

1334—Papal effort to form crusade against Turks results in the capture of Smyrna.

1347—Marquis de Montferrat, heir to the Latin Emperors, makes agreement with Clement VI to conquer Constantinople.

At the same time appeals are received at Rome from Cantacuzenos for union of western princes against Osmanlis.

1349, 1350, 1353—Cantacuzenos makes three more overtures to Clement VI and Innocent VI.

1352—Inhabitants of Philadelphia appeal to Pope for aid, promising return to Roman communion.

1363—Urban V on Holy Friday gives the cross to several princes of the Occident.

1366—Urged by Urban, Amadeo of Savoy sails for the crusade against the Osmanlis. He spends his efforts in releasing John V from the Bulgarians, and abandons the Byzantines when they refuse to return to the Roman Church. Urban writes to Louis of Hungary to put off his crusade until the union of the Churches is accomplished.

Urban V denounces the traffic of the Italian Republics with Moslems.

1369—Emperor John V, at Rome, abjures errors of Orthodox Church, and receives from Pope letters, recommending that Christian princes come to his aid.

1371—Gregory XI makes appeal to Christian nations to co-operate with Genoa in saving the last Christians of the Holy Land.

1372—Gregory urges Louis of Hungary to resist the Osmanlis before they advance farther into Europe, and orders a crusade to be preached in Hungary, Poland, and Dalmatia.

1373—Gregory, receiving the last envoy from John V, bursts into tears, and says that he will save Constantinople, if only the Byzantine Emperor will cause his people to renounce their heresies and return to the Roman Church.

1378—The Great Schism.

1388—Urban VI sends two armed galleys for the defence of Constantinople, but is unsuccessful in raising crusade.

1391—Boniface IX stirs up trouble between Latin and Greek Christians in the Balkan peninsula.

1398 and 1399—Boniface IX orders crusade to be preached throughout Christendom for the defence of Constantinople.

1399—Boucicaut, the only one to respond, goes to the aid of Constantinople.

1402—Smyrna is lost to Timur.

1403—The strife between rival Popes, Benedict XIII and Boniface IX, makes impossible a papal effort to take advantage of the civil strife between the sons of Bayezid, after Timur’s abandonment of his conquests in Asia Minor.