Savcı Bey
Encyclopedia
Savcı Bey was an Ottoman
prince who participated in a joint rebellion with a Byzantine
prince against their fathers in 1370s. Savcı was the youngest of Murat I's three sons. The name of his mother and birth year are unknown. In Ottoman tradition all princes were required to work as provencial (sanjak
) governors as a part of their training. Savcı's sanjak was Bursa the co capital of the empire.
(Adrianopolis) Byzantine Emperor John V Palaiologos
appealed to the West for help. But he was detained as a deptor in Venice
. His son and regent in Constantinople (modern İstanbul
, Turkey
) Andronikos
(later Andronikos IV Palaiologos), refused to pay the depts and John had to give up the island Tenedos (modern Bozcaada, Turkey) to buy his freedom. After that event, John assigned his younger son Manuel
(later Manuel II Palaiologos) as his crown prince and accepted the suzerainty of Ottomans in 1373. Thus, when the Ottoman sultan asked for his services against some rebellions in Ottoman lands, he had to leave his capital. That gave Andronikos a chance to rebel.
On the Ottoman side, Savcı Bey who was the youngest of the brothers, saw that under the shadow of his older brothers he had almost no chance to be enthroned in the future. Probably he was also afraid of his older brothers. (This fear was not rootless; later when Murat I died older brother Beyazit I immediately killed the other brother.) He prepared to rebel to gain the post. His father was occupied with suppressing the rebels and he saw his chance to revolt. Using the royal treasury under his disposal, he formed an army. The rebellious princes, well aware of each others' interests, decided to collaborate and combined their forces.
(in modern Greece
), they soon surrendered. After a short interview, enraged Murat blinded Savcı. But then he changed his mind and had him executed.
Although he also asked John to blind his son, John was more gentle to Andronikos who was only partially blinded.
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
prince who participated in a joint rebellion with a Byzantine
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
prince against their fathers in 1370s. Savcı was the youngest of Murat I's three sons. The name of his mother and birth year are unknown. In Ottoman tradition all princes were required to work as provencial (sanjak
Sanjak
Sanjaks were administrative divisions of the Ottoman Empire. Sanjak, and the variant spellings sandjak, sanjaq, and sinjaq, are English transliterations of the Turkish word sancak, meaning district, banner, or flag...
) governors as a part of their training. Savcı's sanjak was Bursa the co capital of the empire.
The rebellion
When Ottoman Turks captured EdirneEdirne
Edirne is a city in Eastern Thrace, the northwestern part of Turkey, close to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. Edirne served as the capital city of the Ottoman Empire from 1365 to 1453, before Constantinople became the empire's new capital. At present, Edirne is the capital of the Edirne...
(Adrianopolis) Byzantine Emperor John V Palaiologos
John V Palaiologos
John V Palaiologos was a Byzantine emperor, who succeeded his father in 1341, at age nine.-Biography:...
appealed to the West for help. But he was detained as a deptor in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
. His son and regent in Constantinople (modern İstanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
) Andronikos
Andronikos IV Palaiologos
Andronikos IV Palaiologos was Byzantine Emperor from 1376 to 1379.-Life:...
(later Andronikos IV Palaiologos), refused to pay the depts and John had to give up the island Tenedos (modern Bozcaada, Turkey) to buy his freedom. After that event, John assigned his younger son Manuel
Manuel II Palaiologos
Manuel II Palaiologos or Palaeologus was Byzantine Emperor from 1391 to 1425.-Life:...
(later Manuel II Palaiologos) as his crown prince and accepted the suzerainty of Ottomans in 1373. Thus, when the Ottoman sultan asked for his services against some rebellions in Ottoman lands, he had to leave his capital. That gave Andronikos a chance to rebel.
On the Ottoman side, Savcı Bey who was the youngest of the brothers, saw that under the shadow of his older brothers he had almost no chance to be enthroned in the future. Probably he was also afraid of his older brothers. (This fear was not rootless; later when Murat I died older brother Beyazit I immediately killed the other brother.) He prepared to rebel to gain the post. His father was occupied with suppressing the rebels and he saw his chance to revolt. Using the royal treasury under his disposal, he formed an army. The rebellious princes, well aware of each others' interests, decided to collaborate and combined their forces.
End of the rebellion
After learning about the joint rebellion, the fathers returned from Anatolia. The armies of the fathers and the sons met in Apikridion (an ambiguous location probably south west of Constantinople), where Murat persuaded Savcı's soldiers to switch sides. Although the princes escaped to DidymoteichoDidymoteicho
Didymóteicho is a town located in the eastern part of the Evros peripheral unit of Thrace, Greece. It is the seat of the municipality of the same name. The town sits on a plain and located south east of Svilengrad, south of Edirne, Turkey and Orestiada, west of Uzunköprü, about 20 km north...
(in modern Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
), they soon surrendered. After a short interview, enraged Murat blinded Savcı. But then he changed his mind and had him executed.
Although he also asked John to blind his son, John was more gentle to Andronikos who was only partially blinded.