Osman I

Who was Osman I?

Osman I or Othman I or Osman Gazi Ottoman Turkish: سلطان عثمان غازى Sultan Osman Ghazi Khan, Turkish: Osman Gazi or Osman Bey or I. Osman, Osman Gazi Han, nicknamed "Kara", was the leader of the Ottoman Turks, and the founder of the dynasty that established and ruled the Ottoman State. The State, named after him, would prevail as a world empire for almost six centuries. It existed until 1 November 1922, after being in serious decline since the early 18th century.

Osman announced the independence of his own small kingdom from the Seljuk Turks in 1299, and was acclaimed the Khan of the Kayihan tribe. The westward drive of the Mongol invasions had pushed scores of Muslims toward Osman's Anatolian principality, a power base that Osman was quick to consolidate. As the Byzantine Empire declined, the Ottoman Empire rose to take its place.