The amazing story of a 14th century Turkish-Byzantine friendship between Emperor John VI Kantakouzenos and Umur Bey of Aydin is quite unique. Starting with a meeting where John VI was referred to as a “miscreant Christian” and with Umur thought of as a “barbarian” – Umur would help his Roman friend John several times.
The Aydin Beylik in Anatolia was one of many small domains which had capitalized on Roman weakness after it shifted its focus to Europe in the 2nd half of the 13th century. They seized Smyrna (Izmir) in 1329. Umur was a unique character in all of this though. Despite being known as a ghazi, a warrior against the Christians, he actually happily worked with the Romans – especially John.
This was a time when Anatolia was rapidly falling, and unfortunately by 1340 almost nothing was left of the former heartland of Romania except a very small isolated enclave at Philadelphia, which the Emperor could hardly even pretend to assert control of. It was around this time period that John VI first met Umur, when Andronikos III was still emperor in 1335, near the island of Chios.
Umur helped the Romans oust some Genoese from Lesbos, which helped the Romans out. The Byzantine historian Gregoras wrote that Umur had good character and in fact was not even totally without “Hellenic culture” – the Turkish writer Enveri says Umur was offered a daughter by John, but declined as they were “brothers.” This shows just how close the two men were, and how amicably both sides saw one another.
In 1337, John Kantakouzenos wrote to his friend Umur asking for 2,000 warriors to help fight the Albanians in Europe. Umur sent his “brother” the soldiers he needed, and a joint Roman-Turkish force left from Thessaloniki and surprised the Albanian raiders. They likely did not expect to encounter the Turkish soldiers, and after the victory the victors took much plunder from the Albanians. Umur was proving himself to be rather useful.
John then sent the Turkish soldiers back to Umur, with their plunder and slaves they had captured, and set out on his own in subduing the rogue province of Epiros. But soon after this, things changed. The Emperor Andronikos died, and John was by his side. He appointed John Kantakouzenos to guard his son John Palaiologos until adulthood. However, things were not going to be so simple.
This led to civil war, one which Kantakouzenos referred to as “the worst civil war the Romans had ever known…reducing the great Empire of the Romans to a feeble shadow of its former self.” The map below shows the breakdown of the sides. But John also had Umur Bey to call upon, and he was gonna need his Turkish “brother” in the coming struggles.
The regency council which formed against the wishes of Andronikos III and against John VI would ruin the stable European position of the Romans. Kantakouzenos would have to deal with tough circumstances out in the provinces, as he did not control the the well defended wealthy city of Constantinople. He did not have a fortress like that which he could take refuge in.
The Bulgarians were called in to help the struggling regency council based in Constantinople against John Kantakouzenos in 1342, surrounding his army at Didymoteichon in Thrace. John sent word to Umur Bey, who promptly sent “380 ships and 29,000 men” from Anatolia. The numbers may be exaggerated but it was a large enough force that the Bulgarians simply fled the field of battle. They had signed up to defeat a small Roman army, not fight a large Turkish army.
Sadly, Umur never actually was able to see John in-person as a bitter winter forced his army to leave in haste. The fact John VI could call in such an ally also led to many local Romans joining his side, it served as a demonstration of his power. Umur Bey had put actions to his words, he clearly must have truly loved and respected John Kantakouzenos in order to risk sending him men time after time. To reward his men for the expedition, Umur raided the Byzantine lands loyal to the regency council in Thrace.
At this time, John also forged a relationship with Orhan of the Ottoman Beylik, who sent him troops in his aid as well. They were not quite brothers, but Orhan wanted to get involved in Europe too. It is likely that seeing Umur’s army achieve such success was attraction his attention.
In 1345 Umur helped again-“accompanied by Suleiman, the son of the Emir of Lydia. Together they brought an army allegedly of 20,000 horsemen.” They fought Bulgarians, then a Slavic band under Momcilo at the battle of Peritheorion. John then was faced with a tough choice in his civil war. The very powerful Serbian Tsar Stefan Dusan attacked Serres, John wanted to use his Turkish allies to fight him. But Alexios Apokaukos, a main leader of the regency council in Constantinople was murdered. This meant there was an opening to win the civil war, but it meant leaving the provinces of the empire open to foreign invasion. Umur and John’s Roman supporters persuaded him instead to go on to Constantinople. I think this was a selfish choice which doomed the power of the Romans in Europe, they never recovered from it. I believe defeating the Serbians would have given Kantakouzenos great credibility.
After making this choice, John’s Turkish allies had to leave. Now John had to retreat, he couldn’t besiege them capital with a tiny army. So he basically have let the Serbians conquer Roman lands for nothing. He would have to turn to his new ally, Orhan. Ottoman ambassadors came to John asking for his daughter as a bride to secure their alliance. John Kantakouzenos went ahead and married his daughter to Orhan, which would in theory make Orhan a valuable ally to help him win the civil war. John asked his officers, and then he consulted his friend Umur. Umur was not an ally of Orhan, but he was not against it. Theodora Kantakouzenos was then given to Orhan, whether she liked it or not.
This would help win the war – but also disastrously bring the Ottomans into the Balkan world which they would eventually conquer. John became the regent Emperor in 1347, won the civil war and became Emperor thanks almost entirely to Turkish military power lended to him. Though trouble returned years later. But as for Umur Bey? Things ended badly for him!
Westerners did not see Umur so positively like the new Emperor did, John had to explain his usage of Turkish troops to the Pope. Italian states had no interest in a Turkish naval power like Aydin threatening them and their economic interests. John had to give nominal support to the crusaders to avoid being a target himself, John could not defeat a crusade aimed at the ruins of the Roman state left after the civil war.
It’s sad to say that it was kind of a betrayal of Umur, even though Byzantine troops did not participate. He could not help Umur the way he had helped him in his dark times. Umur died in the defense of Smyrna against the crusaders. Gregoras said his death made John very upset. But such was politics, Umur had left John outside the walls of Constantinople when he needed him.
The results of the civil war were terrible. In the words of Anthony Kaldellis – “the sources of Roman resilience were therefore dried up, and there would be no more recoveries.” It is sad but true. I find myself wondering what if John had been recognized as the true Emperor instead of fighting this civil war? This brotherly friendship with Umur Bey could have changed history. Perhaps the Romans and Umur could have campaigned together in Anatolia and changed history, perhaps splitting territory together. It could have led to a restoration of Roman authority in Bithynia, perhaps even a liberation of Nicomedia and Nicaea. Kantakouzenos was a capable man, his diplomacy was astute, but he put himself above the Empire in his dealings with foreigners to win the civil war.
Not long after John got into power, he picked a fight with Genoa
Sources:
The Reluctant Emperor: A Biography of John Cantacuzene, Byzantine Emperor and Monk, c. 1295-1383 by Donald M. Nicol
The New Roman Empire: A History of Byzantium
shadowsofconstantinople.com 