Germiyanids: Map & History
Germiyan, or the Germiyanids, were a dynasty that controlled parts of western Anatolia from c.
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Germiyan, or the Germiyanids, were a dynasty that controlled parts of western Anatolia from c. 1300 to 1429. Germiyan first appeared in the 12th-century chronicles of Matthew of Edessa and The Georgian Chronicles when they fought against the County of Edessa and the Kingdom of Georgia. They reappeared in historical records of 1239 near Malatya, where they were tasked with suppressing the Babai revolt. The tribe relocated to western Anatolia with the encroaching Mongol invasion. During the reign of Yakub I, Germiyan gained sovereignty with the demise of the Sultanate of Rum and forged war with the neighboring Ottomans and the Byzantine Empire, which continued during his successor Mehmed's rule.
Modern Countries Once Part of Germiyanids
At its mapped extent, Germiyanids covered territory in 2 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Germiyanids's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Germiyanids in Depth
History
During the 11th century, much of West Asia was subject to Seljuk rule. A branch of the Seljuk dynasty formed the Sultanate of Rum, an Islamic state in Anatolia, which saw its height from the late 12th century to 1237. Germiyan likely came from Kerman or Fars province, and perhaps headed west with the Khwarazmshahs. After the death of Jalal al-Din Mangburni, they remained in the Malatya area.
Germiyan is first mentioned in the 1162 chronicle of the Armenian author Matthew of Edessa in regards to a battle near Azaz in 1119 under the Turkoman lord Ilghazi against the Crusader Joscelin I, Count of Edessa (r. 1118–31). Matthew locates the Germiyan north of the Artuqids near Malatya, indicating their location wasn't "immediately obvious" to his audience.
Culture
Yakub's architectural legacy included the Yakub Chelebi Külliye (building complex) in Kütahya. It was built in 1411–12 and is composed of an imaret, masjid, türbe (tomb), madrasa (school), and library. After five months of operation, the Karamanid occupation forced the imaret to close for two and a half years. In 1414, when the region was regained by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed I on behalf of Yakub, the building returned to use, and inscriptions (vakfiye), 2 by 3.70 meters in size, were added to the building, detailing its history. The inscriptions indicate that the imaret was owned by Mehmed I. It was later destroyed and the building was restored in accordance with its original form by its waqf (endowment) trustee Ishak Fakih bin Halil in 1440–41.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Germiyanids (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Germiyanids: Key Facts
| Capital | Kütahya |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1300 |
| Dissolved | 1429 |
Facts from Wikidata Q1324889 (CC0).
Germiyanids Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Germiyanids appears, with the other states of the time.
Germiyanids Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 218,078 km² in 1368 CE.
Germiyanids: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Germiyanids exist?
Germiyanids is dated to 1305 CE – 1439 CE, in the High & Late Middle Ages era.
What was the capital of Germiyanids?
The capital of Germiyanids was Kütahya (c. 1300–1381, 1402–1411, 1414–1429), Kula (1381–1399).
How large was Germiyanids at its peak?
At its peak in 1368 AD Germiyanids covered about 218,078 km².
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