Amir Sultan

Who was Amir Sultan?

Amir Sultan was Amir Kulal Shamsuddin’s grandson. He was invited by the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I to Anatolia. Bayezid I had a daughter from his marriage with Daulat Khatun who was married to Amir Sultan. Daulat Khatun was a descendant of Jalal ud-Din Rumi. By the end of fourteenth century Timur and Bayezid I had emerged as two superpowers in Asia and Europe, making the confrontation between two a matter of time. Timur took the lead and conquered the Ottoman city of Sivas, disseminating the local population in his trademark style. At the same time two princes, Ahmad Jalair and Kara Yosuf sought for protection at Bayezid I's court. Their territories had been conquered by Timur. Timur sent two embassies demanding surrender of the two princes, but Bayezid I refused. Bayezid I went a step further and prepared for an attack on Timur’s territory. At this point his son-in-law Amir Sultan advised him against the move knowing well the penchant and proficiency of Timur and his soldiers in a battlefield. However, his genteel council fell on deaf ears. Instigated and incited by the two princes Bayezid I seized Erzurum which was under Timur’s rule. To Timur this was declaration of war and in his symbolic manner he started conquering Ottoman cities one by one with whirlwind speed. Bayezid I took his army to stop Timur and the two goliaths met at the plains of Angora on 20 July 1401. Although Bayezid I had made a fierce reputation in Europe as a brilliant general and ferocious warrior but he was no match for Timur whose years in battlefield far exceeded Bayazid’s age. The Mongol attack was ruthless and merciless and in one word, Timur “annihilated” the Ottoman army, taking Bayezid I, his children and princes as captives.