Following the collapse of Ottoman central authority after the Battle of Ankara in 1402, Mehmed I emerged as the survivor of a decade-long civil war to reunite the fractured state. By 1413, the sultan had consolidated control over both Anatolian and European territories, successfully re-establishing the empire and earning the historical designation as its second founder.
The Ottoman Interregnum
The defeat of Sultan Bayezid I by Timur at Ankara plunged the empire into chaos. As the fourth son of the fallen sultan, Mehmed competed against his brothers Süleyman, İsa, and Musa for control. During this period, known as the Ottoman Interregnum, he established a power base in the Rûm province. He initially navigated the conflict by acting as a vassal to Timur, even minting coins acknowledging the conqueror. After years of shifting alliances and military maneuvers, Mehmed defeated his final rival, Musa Çelebi, at the Battle of Çamurlu to secure the throne.
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Upon claiming the sultanate in 1413, Mehmed focused on restoring stability. He utilized the Thracian city of Edirne as a primary capital and expanded borders by conquering Dobruja in 1419, along with regions of Albania, the Jandarid emirate, and the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. His reign also saw internal challenges, notably the religious and populist uprising led by Sheikh Bedreddin. The movement, which advocated for the erosion of social and religious barriers, was suppressed in 1420 when Bedreddin was captured by Bayezid Pasha and executed in Serres.
Succession and Final Years
Before his death in 1421, Mehmed took calculated steps to ensure his son Murad II would inherit a secure realm. He neutralized potential rivals within his own family, including his nephew Orhan, whom he had blinded. To manage diplomatic risks, he sent his sons Yusuf and Mahmud to the Byzantine court of Manuel II Palaiologos as hostages, a measure intended to influence the emperor’s treatment of his brother Mustafa. Mehmed died in 1421 and was interred in the Yeşil Türbe, or Green Mausoleum, in Bursa.
Fast facts
- Born: 1386, Bursa
- Died: 1421, Edirne
- Reign: 1413-1421
- Parents: Sultan Bayezid I and Devlet Hatun
- Grand Vizier: Bayezid Pasha
- Burial site: Yeşil Türbe
- Languages: Persian, Arabic, Ottoman Turkish
Questions readers ask
Why is Mehmed I called the second founder of the Ottoman Empire?
He is credited with reuniting the empire following the destabilizing Ottoman Interregnum and restoring central authority across Anatolian and European domains.
What was the significance of the Battle of Ankara to his reign?
The battle resulted in his father’s capture and triggered a ten-year civil war among the princes for control of the fragmented state.
Achievements
- sultan of the Ottoman Empire (1413–1421)
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