Ala ud-Din Timurtash was a member of the Chobanids who dominated politics in the final years of the Ilkhanate.
The Beylik of Dulkadir was one of the Anatolian beyliks established by the Turkoman clans Bayat, Afshar, and Begdili after the decline of Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm.
The Eretnids were a dynasty that ruled a state spanning central and eastern Anatolia from 1335 to 1381. The dynasty's founder, Eretna, was an Ilkhanid officer of Uyghur origin, under Timurtash, who was appointed as the governor of Anatolia. Some time after the latter's downfall, Eretna became the governor under the suzerainty of the Jalayirid ruler Hasan Buzurg. After an unexpected victory at the Battle of Karanbük, against Mongol warlords competing to restore the Ilkhanate, Eretna claimed independence declaring himself the sultan of his domains. His reign was largely prosperous earning him the nickname Köse Peyghamber.
Qāḍī Aḥmad Burhān al-Dīn was vizier to the Eretnid rulers of Anatolia. In 1381, he took over Eretnid lands and claimed the title of sultan for himself. He is most often referred to by the title Qadi, a name for Islamic judges, which was his first occupation.
Ala al-Din Eretna was the first sultan of the Eretnids, reigning between 1343–1352 in central and eastern Anatolia. Initially an officer in the service of the Ilkhanate officer Chupan and his son Timurtash, Eretna migrated to Anatolia following Timurtash's appointment as the Ilkhanid governor of the region. He took part in Timurtash's campaigns to subdue the Turkoman chiefs of the western periphery of the peninsula. This was cut short by Timurtash's downfall, after which Eretna went into hiding. Upon the dissolution of the Ilkhanate, he aligned himself with the Jalayirid leader Hasan Buzurg, who eventually left Anatolia for Eretna to govern when he returned east to clash with the rival Chobanids and other Mongol lords. Eretna later sought recognition from Mamluk Egypt to consolidate his power, although later he played a delicate game of alternating his allegiance between the Mamluks and the Mongols. In 1343, he declared independence as the sultan of his domains. His reign was largely described to be prosperous, with his efforts to maintain order in his realm such that he became known as Köse Peyghamber.
Yakub I was the founder of the beylik of Germiyan, located in western Anatolia around Kütahya. Although Germiyan revolted against Mesud II, the Sultan of Rum, Yakub accepted vassalage under Kayqubad III. The Sultanate of Rum disintegrated shortly after. At that point, Yakub's realm extended as far east as Ankara and incorporated various towns taken from the Byzantine Empire and the Catalan Company. Yakub was the suzerain of many of his neighbors, and his reign was described as economically prosperous by contemporary historians. He was succeeded by his son Mehmed, nicknamed Chakhshadan.
Shah Budak was Beg of Dulkadir from October 1465 to April 1466 and 4 June 1472 to 1480. During the reign of his brother, Malik Arslan's, Shah Budak took refuge in Mamluk Egypt. He took advantage of the discord between Malik Arslan and the Mamluks by provoking the Mamluk sultan to commission his brother's assassination. Malik Arslan was killed in October 1465, and Shah Budak rose to the throne afterwards. However, before the Mamluk forces could come to his aid, he was defeated by his other brother, Shah Suwar, who was backed by the Ottoman Empire ruled by Mehmed II. Shah Suwar was engaged in continuous warfare against the Mamluk Sultanate, whereas Shah Budak took sides with the latter. Shah Suwar was caught by the Mamluk forces on 4 June 1472.
Hund Şehzade was an Ottoman princess, granddaughter of claimant to the throne Süleyman Çelebi, and great-granddaughter of Sultan Bayezid I of the Ottoman Empire. She was wife of Barsbay, and later of Sayf ad-Din Jaqmaq, Egypt Sultans of the Burji dynasty.
Sayf al-Din Malik Arslan was Beg of Dulkadir from 28 August 1454 until his death. Malik Arslan was one of his predecessor Suleiman Beg's numerous sons. Malik Arslan first competed with his uncle Feyyaz for the throne and was favored by the Mamluk Sultan Sayf al-Din Inal. Later into his reign, Malik Arslan was involved in the succession wars within the Karamanids. He ransacked the region wishing to retake Kayseri but was crushed by the Aq Qoyunlu ruler Uzun Hasan. In September 1465, Malik Arslan ceded Harpoot to Uzun Hasan, who had taken advantage of the worsening relations between Malik Arslan and the Mamluks. Malik Arslan was assassinated on the orders of Khushqadam with incitement from Malik Arslan's rival brother Shah Budak, who replaced him.
Zayn al-Din Qaraja Beg was a Turkoman chieftain who founded the Dulkadirid principality in southern Anatolia and northern Syria, ruling from 1337 to 1353. Before his ascendance, Qaraja competed with Taraqlu, another local Turkoman warlord, over the administration of the northern frontier of the Mamluks. After gaining recognition from the Mamluk Sultan Al-Nasir Muhammad, he became the head of a client state on their Anatolian extremity. During his rule, Qaraja grew more ambitious and clashed with various Mamluk governors who were against his expanding influence. Qaraja took advantage of the political turmoil within the Mamluks and declared independence in 1348. However, this led to his imprisonment and subsequent execution in 1353.
Ghars al-Din Khalil Beg was the second ruler of the Turkoman Dulkadirid principality, reigning from 1353 to 1386. Having actively taken part in military pursuits during his father Zayn al-Din Qaraja's rule, he further expanded the influence of the Dulkadirids and clashed with the Mamluk suzerainty, contributing to the growing tension between the Mamluks and Dulkadirids. Raids by Khalil in the northern frontier with the Mamluks prompted the Mamluk sultan to provoke dissension in the Dulkadir dynasty. The sultan incited Khalil's brother Sarim al-Din Ibrahim, who sought Mamluk recognition for his domains near Harpoot, to assassinate the ruler, Khalil. Ghars al-Din was killed in an ambush and was succeeded by his other brother Shaban Suli.
Shaban Suli Beg, also known as Sevli Beg, was the third ruler of Dulkadir from 1386 to 1398. Suli's father was Zayn al-Din Qaraja, a Turkoman chieftain, who founded the state of Dulkadir in southern Anatolia and northern Syria as a client of the Mamluk Sultanate. Suli succeeded his older brother Ghars al-Din Khalil, who was assassinated on the orders of the Mamluk Sultan Barquq. Suli was involved in a series of clashes with the Mamluks, in which he was initially victorious, forcing Barquq to recognize him as the new ruler. Barquq continued supporting Suli's rivals, and in 1389, Suli joined a rebellion against the state. He was pardoned in January 1391 but this time allied himself with Timur, perpetrating an invasion of Syria. Suli faced a major loss at the hands of the Mamluks in March 1395 and was assassinated in May 1398 on the order of Barquq. The throne was inherited by his son, Sadaqa.
Nasir al-Din Mehmed Beg was the ruler of Dulkadir from 1399 until his death. He came to power with the intervention of the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I amidst the internal struggles within the Dulkadirids and forced his cousin Sadaqa to flee from Elbistan, the capital. During the Ottoman Interregnum (1402–13), Mehmed supported Bayezid's son Mehmed Chelebi, who became the new sultan succeeding his father, Bayezid I. While Nasir al-Din Mehmed was involved in sporadic clashes with the Mamluks, he enjoyed peace with them towards the end of his reign, marrying his daughter to the Mamluk Sultan and commissioning the construction of madrasas and other buildings in regions outside his control, such as in Jerusalem.
Sarim al-Din Ibrahim I was Beg of Ramadan from 1354 to 1383.
Ala al-Din Ali was the third Sultan of the Eretnids ruling from 1366 until his death. He inherited the throne at a very early age and was removed from administrative matters. He was characterized as particularly keen on personal pleasures, which later discredited his authority. During his rule, emirs under the Eretnids enjoyed considerable autonomy, and the state continued to shrink as neighboring powers captured several towns. The capital, Kayseri, temporarily came under Karamanid control. Kadi Burhan al-Din rose to power as the new vizier and dispatched Ali to lead several campaigns, most of which were unsuccessful. Ali died of the plague in Kazova in an expedition to subdue Shadgeldi, the emir of Amasya.
Hajji Sayf al-Din Shadgeldi Padishah was Emir of Amasya from 1359 until his death. He was the second oldest son of Hajji Kutlu Shah and became the emir of Amasya in August–September 1359. He received his education from Mawlana Fakhr al-Din Ilyas in Amasya and was a classmate of Aqsara'i. He was initially loyal to Eretna but exercised autonomy following his death.
Muhammad II Chelebi was the fourth and last Sultan of the Eretnids. He was crowned when he was 7 years old, after his father died in August 1380 from the plague. His regent was Kadi Burhan al-Din, who proclaimed himself as the ruler by January 1381. According to Ibn Khaldun and Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Muhammad was killed by Kadi Burhan al-Din in 1390.
Mutahharten, also known as Taharten, was Emir of Erzincan from 1379 until his death. Erzincan was previously ruled by emirs who exercised autonomy as vassals of the Eretnids. Mutahharten claimed sovereignty from the Eretnids when he assumed power, which prompted the Eretnid Sultan Ala al-Din Ali to go on an expedition to reinstate his authority over Erzincan. While Mutahharten ultimately repelled Ali, the latter was replaced by his vizier Kadi Burhan al-Din, who was determined to restore the sultanate's former boundaries. Burhan al-Din and Mutahharten were involved in a long-lasting conflict. Upon the advent of Timur, Mutahharten contently swore allegiance and halted his campaigns in Anatolia, but Timur's departure reignited the conflict between Mutahharten and Burhan al-Din. Often overpowered by his enemies, Mutahharten forged alliances with various groups but did not hesitate to turn against his former allies, such as the Aq Qoyunlu, when he saw fit. On the other hand, Mutahharten's relations with the Empire of Trebizond and his Christian subjects were consistent, as he favored them for their economic contribution to his realm through trade.
Izz al-Din Jafar was Sultan of the Eretnids from 1354 to 1355. Although his younger brother Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad I was favored and allowed to rise to the throne by the Eretnid emirs, his incompetence in governance led Izz al-Din Jafar to become the sultan a short while after. The next year, Muhammad restored his rule and drove Jafar away.
Khoja Ali Shah was the vizier to the Eretnids by 1353 until his revolt against Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad I. Upon Eretna's death, Khoja Ali secretly invited Muhammad to Kayseri to become the new sultan, although Muhammad's older brother Jafar was already residing there. Jafar was imprisoned by Muhammad for some time, but he eventually escaped to Egypt. Muhammad's rule did not fare well, and he was ousted from the throne in 1354.
