Beylik of Aydın

The Beylik of Aydın was a Turkoman principality in western Anatolia, one of the frontier states that emerged as Seljuk and Byzantine authority collapsed. Its founders, the sons of Aydın, began as vassals of the Germiyanids and captured Ephesus in 1304, expelling or enslaving much of its Christian population. Mehmed Bey declared independence around 1308 and established a principality centred on the valleys of the Küçük Menderes and Gediz rivers. The beylik is best known for its navy: under Umur Bey it raided the Aegean, attacked Byzantine and Latin shipping, and intervened in the politics of the Aegean islands. Its ports and shipyards made it a serious maritime power until a crusading league checked its fleet in the 1340s. The Aydınids were briefly absorbed by the Ottomans in 1390, but after Timur's victory at Ankara in 1402 they recovered their lands. Ottoman power returned, and the beylik was finally annexed in 1426. Its capital was first at Birgi, with the coastal town of Ayasluğ, modern Selçuk, later serving as the main seat.