The Views of Mamluk Historians on the Origin of the Ottoman Dynasty

Abstract

The Ottoman Dynasty is known as the Ottomans or “Al-i Osman” in historical resources, as named after “Osman” Bey, the founder of the Ottoman Empire. The Mamluk sources contain various information on the Ottoman Dynasty and the lineage of the Ottoman family. In this article, five different opinions concerning the origin of the Ottomans, as reviewed in the Mamluk resources, are discussed. While the first group points out that the Ottomans are of Turkmen origin, the second group states that their origin is back to Yâfes, the son of Prophet Noah. As for the third group, they state that Ottomans originate from the Hejaz Arabs, whereas the fourth group claims that they originate from a slave of Ahmed bin Tulun. Last, the final group refers to that they come from the lineage of Uthman ibn Affan.