1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 317 Osman's End
As spring approaches, western Anatolia welcomes the most beautiful season of the year. The cold of winter has long gone, and the dryness of summer has not yet arrived. The sun shines on the earth, and everything is green.

The gentle sea breeze blows from the Aegean Sea, across the farmlands and mountain villages, across the slopes of Mount Ulu, and into the streets and alleys of Bursa, as if bringing hope.

The Eastern Roman army, which had besieged the city for a winter, finally retreated, and hundreds of thousands of cavalrymen of the Aq Qoyunlu were rushing westward. In the eyes of the Ottomans, the power from the East was always unstoppable, whether it was the Mongol Empire two centuries ago, the Timurid Empire decades ago or the Aq Qoyunlu Empire now, the arrogant Greeks would be crushed to pieces by their iron hooves.

After the army retreated, the blockade of Bursa no longer existed. The Serbian troops stationed in the military city were small in number and could only keep an eye on the remaining defenders in Bursa. They could not cut off all roads connecting Bursa with the outside world as before.

News from the outside world poured in, food from other places rushed in, and the gradual increase in resources allowed the people of Bursa to regain some confidence, even though they no longer had much intact territory left.

Mehmed II also took action, constantly sending messengers out of the city to ask for help, communicating with the towns and villages that were still under his control, hoping that they would unite and gather troops.

As for those territories that were already under the control of the Eastern Roman Empire, Mehmed II also spent a lot of effort. He bypassed the large cities with garrisons and contacted the dissatisfied small towns and villages, influencing them with national justice and religious sentiments, trying to make these people launch an uprising against the armed reclamation groups of the Eastern Roman Empire and take back their homeland.

In the city of Bursa, Mehmed II appeared in front of all the citizens and delivered a speech to them, calling on the Ottoman people to contribute to the country, calling on them to contribute money and effort, and accumulate as much strength as possible to increase bargaining chips for subsequent compromises and negotiations.

Although Mehmed II and his officials had played this trick many times and the citizens were already tired of it, many people still saw a glimmer of hope and donated their last fortunes to His Majesty the Sultan.

The most active donors were the Hebrews in Bursa. They had been hiding all over the European continent and were driven here and there. Only the Ottoman Empire was willing to accept them and give them a chance to survive without asking them to change their beliefs. For them, losing their last refuge would mean continued weakness and destruction.

As for the Ah Brotherhood, which the Ottoman Empire once entrusted with important tasks, it had long since become sluggish with the decline of industry and commerce, and many local branches turned their allegiance to the White Sheep Dynasty.

In the city of Bursa, the military camp was bustling with people. Mehmed II brought his officials here again to visit his remaining soldiers.

After the weather turned warmer, Mehmed II's gout improved a lot. Bursa had been under siege for a long time and there was no seafood to satisfy his appetite.

The supplies from other places finally arrived, and Eid al-Adha came as scheduled. Mehmed II distributed the food to nourish the soldiers and relieve their tense nerves caused by defending the city for a long time.

Citizens also celebrated the festival under the guidance of Sunni clerics, venting the anxiety and resentment of several consecutive years.

The decisive battle has begun, and the fate of the Ottoman Empire is completely in the hands of others. It is meaningless to continue hoarding food.

Looking at the skinny soldiers singing and dancing, Mehmed II suddenly felt sad and silently watched these diehard soldiers who remained at their posts until the very end.

The war lasted too long, and in the various armies of the Ottoman Empire, a large number of soldiers had already chosen to flee, unwilling to waste their lives on a battlefield that was destined to have no end.

"Ibrahim."

Mehmed II turned his head and looked at his Grand Vizier.

"Your orders, Sultan."

The Grand Vizier also looked at him.

"Write down their names. If we can make a comeback one day, they will be my governors and pashas."

Mehmed II said softly.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The Grand Vizier nodded, called a soldier and sent him to find the registration documents of the troops.

After thinking about it, the Grand Vizier came to Mehmed II again.

"Your Majesty, the town of Orhan Eli in the south has revolted. The Greeks don't have many soldiers left here, and their pioneering group is mainly located in the south."

"We are in the process of contacting towns further afield. The old troops have been dispersed, and the political structure has basically collapsed. It will take some time."

The Grand Vizier sighed.

"Just a few days ago, I sent cavalrymen to bypass the Greek military city and gather information in all directions. The time was short and the results were limited."

"The best news is that the area near Çanakkale has not been attacked by the Greeks. This place is too remote and the current in the Çanakkale Strait is turbulent, making it difficult to land. The defenders are all intact."

"When the Aries Army arrives, I suggest you go find the remaining troops first. This way, you will have some confidence when negotiating with Uzon Hassan."

"Well, I will."

Mehmed II nodded and was silent for a moment.

"When Uzung Hassan arrives here, they will definitely put forward very harsh conditions."

"As long as you are alive, there is hope."

The Grand Vizier said.

"Back then, your ancestors also bowed down to the Sultanate of Rum and Hulagu Ulus, but in the end, we rose up, and they have long been lost in the dust of history."

Mehmed II said nothing and looked around the dilapidated military camp.

"Your Majesty the Sultan, once Padishah defeats the Greeks, can we return home?"

A thin young soldier shouted over here, holding a bottle of fermented mare's milk in his hand, his cheeks flushed.

"I've been away from home for several years. I wonder if my parents are still around?"

The young soldier's words immediately resonated with many people. The cheerful atmosphere came to an abrupt end, and the sounds of sorrow and sobbing were heard by Mehmed II from time to time.

Mehmed II sighed, stopped his guard who was about to attack, walked forward and patted the young soldier on the shoulder.

"When the Greeks retreat, we can all go home."

Mehmed II looked at the crowd.

"You are all my warriors. From the beginning of the war to now, for nearly four years, you have fought on every battlefield and never left me."

Mehmed II looked at each soldier as if trying to memorize their faces.

"If we can overcome this difficulty, you will all be heroes of the Ottoman Empire, and I will share the fruits of victory with you!"

Mehmed II drew his scimitar, cut off a corner of his sleeve, threw it into the dirty mud, and stomped on it hard.

"If I break this oath, I wish that I would be despised forever like this piece of clothing!"

The sonorous and powerful voice of Mehmed II lifted the spirits of the soldiers. Everyone wiped their tears and started laughing again.

"Let's go back."

Mehmed II watched for a while and gave instructions to the Grand Vizier.

"After they have rested, remember to replace the soldiers on the city wall. Don't let your guard down."

As the group left the military camp, they heard a commotion coming from the city gate not far away.

The city gate slowly opened, and the horses' hooves trampled on the stone slabs, looking extremely anxious.

A ranger rushed over, his turban was dirty, his horse was foaming at the mouth, and his eyes were empty and lifeless.

The guards and citizens gathered at the city gate and looked at him in amazement.

When the cavalry saw the clothes of Mehmed II, they rolled off their horses, ran over staggeringly, and fell to their knees with a thud.

The horse could no longer bear the high-intensity running and fell to the ground, gasping for breath.

"Your Majesty the Sultan..."

The ranger raised his head woodenly, the fear and despair in his eyes almost tangible.

Mehmed II's heart suddenly sank to the bottom, but he still pretended to be calm and held on to the last glimmer of hope.

"Tell me slowly, what happened?"

Mehmed II waved his hand, and a guard threw a water bag to the ranger.

The ranger watched the water bag roll to the ground silently without picking it up.

"The Aries army was defeated and Uzon Hassan escaped."

The Ranger muttered.

"They're coming."

Cries of surprise rang out among the crowd, followed by faint sobs and prayers, and everyone's face was filled with confusion and despair.

They knelt on the ground, looking towards Mecca with tears in their eyes. They prayed for God's protection and for a miracle to happen.

However, the gods remained silent.

……

The sun rose higher and higher, and its dazzling light illuminated every corner of Bursa, but it could not bring any warmth to the soldiers and civilians in the city.

There were gusts of dust coming from the road in the distance, and two red-clad cavalrymen holding high a golden-red double-headed eagle flag appeared in everyone's sight. Various flags were tied to the cavalrymen's horses' tails, all of which came from the participating tribes of the Aries Alliance.

They arrived at the city of Bursa, roared loudly in a show of force, took off the captured military flags, and threw them into a high pile on a hillside.

The soldiers on the city wall watched all this with their own eyes, no longer having any hope, their panic and sorrow grew even greater.

After doing all this, the cavalrymen went straight to the military city in the north of the city and joined the Serbian army that had been waiting there.

After a while, more and more double-headed eagle flags appeared at the end of the road. Amid the flying dust, the Eastern Roman soldiers sang majestic war songs and walked towards Bursa step by step.

There was excitement, enthusiasm and respect in their eyes.

Legions lined up beneath the city walls, with flags fluttering in the wind.

On the city wall of Bursa, the soldiers had already become numb. The Sultan's prediction had once again failed. Although the Greeks had suffered some losses in military strength, it was more than enough to defeat them.

"Long live my emperor!"

Wave after wave of cheers resounded across the land. The central army led by the emperor appeared in sight, and the heavy armor of the First Legion of the Guards gleamed coldly in the sun.

The sound of orderly footsteps rose and fell, more and more legions gathered under the city of Bursa, and war roars rang out, the sound waves hitting the eardrums of the defenders.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, a cavalryman walked towards the city wall and stated his purpose in Turkic.

"Where is Muhammad? Our emperor wants him to come out and speak!"

The defenders looked at each other and passed on the messenger's request.

After a while, a side door slowly opened, and the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, fully armed, walked out, riding his black horse quietly towards the front.

Mehmed II said nothing, stopped in front of the trench and looked at the majestic Eastern Roman army.

In the army formation, the heavily armored soldiers made way for a path, and Isaac, dressed in a purple robe, rode out on his horse.

On his head is a crown inlaid with diamonds and amber, in his hand is an eagle staff that symbolizes authority, and the rosewood horse under his crotch is the latest warhorse bred in the Larissa stud farm. It is gentle but brave.

The horse is dressed in a gorgeous horse cloth embroidered with the family coat of arms of the Palaiologos dynasty.

Isaac pulled the reins of his horse and looked at Mehmed II across a trench.

"Long time no see, descendant of Osman, the second Sultan named Muhammad."

Isaac smiled slightly and spoke in Turkic.

"The last time we met was in Constantinople 19 years ago."

Mehmed II did not speak, but stared at Isaac in silence. There was trance and thought in his eyes, but more of it was hatred and anger.

"Many years have passed, and you have grown old."

Mehmed II spoke slowly in Greek. "It seems that you are not blessed by God either. You are just an ordinary person like us."

"I suggest you take care of yourself."

Isaac said noncommittally, looking at Muhammad's flabby figure, purple skin and sweaty cheeks.

"I told you not to eat too much seafood, but you didn't listen."

Mehmed II was stunned, as if he had been greatly humiliated, and his face turned red with anger.

"You destroyed my country and everything I have!"

Mehmed II shouted loudly.

"If it weren't for you, Constantinople would have been mine long ago!"

"I will ride my horse through the gates of Constantinople, I will become the greatest conqueror of the Islamic world, I will realize Ottoman's dream, I will convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque!"

"But here I am, and you lose."

Isaac said indifferently.

"The prophecy says that we will eventually conquer Constantinople, and I will be the one to fulfill this prophecy!"

Mehmed II roared.

"The prophecy was wrong."

Isaac coldly interrupted Mehmed II's fantasy.

"Yeah yeah."

Mehmed II's anger came to an abrupt end, replaced by deep sorrow.

"We have defeated countless powerful enemies, created a prosperous era, created a strong country, and ushered in a great era."

“All great eras must come to an end.”

Isaac said slowly.

"Yes, the great world built with the efforts of seven generations and the lives of countless soldiers was ultimately destroyed in your hands."

Mehmed II pointed to Isaac.

"Remember, I didn't lose to the Eastern Empire. I just lost to you. That's all. Remember!"

Isaac said nothing, letting the warm breeze from the sea brush across their cheeks.

"My son, is he still alive?"

After waiting for a while, Mehmed II asked.

"He ran. He ran very fast."

Isaac said truthfully.

“However, whether he is alive or not, it does not change one fact.

Isaac looked at the ruined walls of Bursa, and then at his own army whose morale was high.

"The Ottoman era is coming to an end."

Isaac turned his head and looked at Mehmed II.

"Surrender, Mohammed. There is no point in continuing to resist."

"Oh, surrender?"

Mehmed II smiled sarcastically.

"Will you let me go?"

Isaac was speechless. He would certainly not let it go if he had to uproot the grass.

"Since you are determined to destroy us, I cannot stop you no matter what method I use. Then follow your own will."

Mehmed II looked Isaac in the eyes.

"Allah is my refuge. If He has determined to leave our fate to you, who can resist Him or prevent this predetermined destiny?"

"Come on, fight. Don't worry that I will run away, don't expect me to surrender. Allah will not allow me to be a sultan without people. You can do whatever you want until the final judge of justice decides between you and me."

"Does it matter?"

Isaac smiled.

"If you have any other requests, please tell me."

Mehmed II gazed at the blue sky and sighed.

"If possible, please spare the people of Bursa. They have fought hard for me for years, and I have failed them."

"it is good."

Isaac nodded.

"I will spare everyone in Bursa, and they can leave my land freely, keeping their faith."

"If I die in battle, please bury me in the Grand Mosque in Bursa without a coffin, just let the rain and dew of nature beat on my body."

Mehmed II said.

"Okay, I will protect this mosque, and no one can touch it."

Isaac nodded.

"Thank you."

Mehmed II looked one last time into Isaac's brown eyes and took the reins of his horse.

The two men returned separately, and Mehmed II entered the city gate, with the remaining soldiers watching him.

"Your Majesty the Sultan..."

“Those who wish to leave can leave the city and surrender to the Christians.”

Mehmed II looked around.

"If you don't want to surrender, please stay with me."

"I hope that in the distant future, there will still be people who remember us and the legendary stories of the Ottomans."

Mehmed II drew his scimitar and shouted loudly.

“I hope they remember that the last Ottomans are still as brave as their ancestors!”

boom--

The rumble of artillery shattered the dreams of the losers, and the final war began.

……

On April 1472, 4, a great battle broke out between the Eastern Roman Empire and the White Aqqara Dynasty in the wilderness northwest of Eskişehir City, with the battle force being 15 to .

In the Wilderness War, the Eastern Roman Empire demonstrated its superb military qualities and was far ahead of the West Asian light cavalry, which lagged behind the times, in military technology. Through the correct use of artillery, muskets, and chariot phalanxes, the tribal cavalry of the Aries Dynasty were overwhelmed and ultimately won the war.

In this battle, the Eastern Roman side suffered 25,000 casualties, and the Aq Qoyunlu casualties were 55,000. The Aq Qoyunlu Padisa Uzung Hasan fled back to Ankara with the remnants day and night. After a short rest, he continued to flee all the way to Diyarbakir.

Most of the casualties on the Eastern Roman side came from the conscripted slave archers. Their basic combat effectiveness was well preserved, and the slave soldiers who suffered heavy casualties could be quickly replenished.

Since most of the Aries side were light cavalry and the Eastern Roman Empire was mostly infantry, after many tribes left the battlefield, the Eastern Roman Empire did not have enough ability to hunt them down and failed to expand its advantage.

However, all of Uzung Hasan's elite heavy cavalry were killed or wounded in this battle, with only one in ten surviving. His prestige suffered a severe blow, and he could no longer establish absolute superiority over the subordinate tribes as before, and his control over his own territory was much weaker than before.

Without a strong leader, no matter how many tribal cavalry escaped, they would be nothing but a pile of scattered sand.

The victory of this war marked the complete obsolescence of the Middle East military system. The military technology of the Mediterranean world has been making continuous leaps and bounds in recent years. Muskets and cannons are no longer bulky, useless and expensive toys. The era of nomadic regimes is about to end.

This war was also the largest jihad organized by the Islamic world to prevent the re-expansion of the Christian world. The White Sheep King Uzum Hassan, who was once considered the savior of Islam, also fell under the military boots of the Eastern Roman Empire. The re-emergence of Christian forces in the eastern Mediterranean has become unstoppable.

After winning the decisive battle, Isaac did not continue to advance deep into the plateau, but instead withdrew his troops and marched into the city of Bursa, starting the final siege of the city, determined to completely clear away the shadow that had been hovering over Constantinople for a hundred years.

On April 1472, 4, the Eastern Roman army arrived at the city of Bursa and joined forces with the Serbian reinforcements stationed there to launch a final assault on the only remaining major city of the Ottoman Empire.

The city walls had been badly damaged by the successive attacks, and Mehmed II was unable to rebuild them. There were only about 4,000 old, weak, sick and disabled people left in the city, and morale was low and people were in panic.

On April 1472, 4, six days after the siege, all the artillery of the Eastern Roman Empire arrived. The powerful firepower completely destroyed the northern wall of Bursa. The soldiers and civilians in the city could no longer use simple fences and mud to stop the fierce charge of the Eastern Roman soldiers.

On the evening of April 4, Eastern Roman soldiers successfully occupied a tower. After more than a hundred years, the double-headed eagle flag once again flew high over the city.

At this moment, all the soldiers and civilians in the city were in complete despair. They covered their faces and cried, thinking that Allah had abandoned them.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Mehmed II, the last Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, declined his ministers' advice to try to escape. Instead, he put on the armor left by his ancestors and rushed towards the endless Eastern Roman army with the last Janissaries. He shone for a moment before disappearing into the dust.

When the crescent moon rose, the Eastern Roman army had basically wiped out the remaining enemies in Bursa, and the remaining defenders and Ottoman ministers who were unwilling to resist surrendered to Isaac.

On April 4, with the first rays of morning sun, Isaac III, the thirteenth emperor of the Palaiologos dynasty of the Eastern Roman Empire, stepped into the city amid the cheers of his ministers and accepted their kneeling worship.

In front of the royal palace, Isaac kept his promise and announced a general amnesty for all the soldiers and civilians in the city. Anyone who did not want to convert could leave freely, and those who were willing to convert would be immediately recognized as Eastern Roman citizens.

Isaac then ordered the collection of Mehmed II's remains and, in accordance with his will, burial in a plot of land in the Grand Mosque of Bursa. He also pardoned the Sunni scholars of the mosque and allowed them to hold the most authentic Muslim funeral for Mehmed II.

Next, Isaac ordered the legions to rush to the cities on the eastern coast of the Aegean Sea, wipe out the remaining enemies, announce the demise of the Ottoman Empire, announce the death of Mehmed II, and announce the ruling policy of the Eastern Roman Empire.

Isaac then sent a letter to Constantinople, summoning a group of historians, led by the royal historian Lake, to compile the national history of the Ottoman Sultanate.

At this point, the Ottoman dynasty, which had lasted for 173 years, officially perished, although the Ottoman family still existed, although many cities still flew the Ottoman flag, and although Uzungol Hasan had allocated part of the territory on the Anatolian Plateau to Bayezid when he fled, asking him to continue to resist.

However, with the death of the last Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, this powerful dynasty that once spanned two continents and four seas no longer existed, and was replaced by the re-emerging great Eastern Roman Empire.

At this point, the Eastern Roman Empire no longer had any enemies in western Anatolia, and large tracts of territory on the eastern coast of the Aegean Sea were under its control.

As for the deeper part of the plateau further east, Uzung Hassan left behind a mess of tribal disputes and warlords.

There are almost no Greek Orthodox Christians here, the land is relatively barren, and the vast inland is suitable for invasion and attack by nomadic tribes. The Eastern Roman Empire, which had just ended the war, still needs some time to rest and reorganize.

However, it is foreseeable that with the destruction of the Ottoman Empire and the collapse of the White Ayuntamiento, there would no longer be anyone on the Anatolian Plateau who could resist the encroachment of the Eastern Roman Empire. After the Eastern Roman Empire had rectified the devastated coastal areas, it would surely slowly advance towards the inland plateau.

On May 1472, 5, Crown Prince Justinian led his army to capture the city of Çanakkale and renamed it Dardanelles. After the Bosphorus Strait, the Dardanelles was also completely controlled by the Eastern Roman Empire.

From then on, the Eastern Roman Empire officially gained its first inland sea in a hundred years, and the entire Sea of ​​Marmara became an inland lake for the Eastern Roman fleet.

At this point, the Great Turkish War, which lasted nearly four years, came to an end. The Eastern Roman Empire invested unimaginable amounts of money and resources, emptied the treasury several times and refilled it several times.

On May 1472, 5, Isaac handed over the subsequent war to his son and subordinates, boarded the giant battleship Cairo from the Dardanelles, and returned to Constantinople.

The war is over.

(End of this chapter)