★ KONYA (قونيه) ★

ERETNIDS.Ala al-Din Eretna.(1335-1352).Konya (قونيه) 746 AH.Dirham.

Obv : السلطان عادل ضر خلد الله ملكه قونيه(The Just Sultan, struck in Konya, may God perpetuate his reign).
Arabic legend.
Haluk Perk&Husnu Ozturk Istanbul 2008, page 222, 55.

Rev : لا اله الا الله / محمد / رسول الله.
There is no god but Allah / Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
Arabic legend.

Condition : The coin displays a soft, natural patina with light surface wear that enhances its aged character. The overall silver tone is preserved, although there are subtle areas of discoloration from oxidation. Despite its wear, the inscriptions and details remain legible, with a well-maintained surface that shows a mix of smooth and textured areas.Very fine.

Material : Silver.
Axis : 12h

Weight : 1.64 gr
Diameter : 20 mm

The Eretna Beylik and the Karamanid Beylik were two prominent Turkish principalities that emerged during the 14th century in Anatolia after the collapse of the Seljuq Sultanate of Rum. The power vacuum left by the disintegration of the Seljuq Empire allowed various local rulers, known as beys, to carve out their own territories and assert their independence. Among these were the Eretna Beylik, which controlled central and eastern Anatolia, and the Karamanid Beylik, which became one of the most powerful states in southern Anatolia. The two beyliks frequently came into conflict due to territorial ambitions and political rivalries, with the city of Konya becoming a focal point of their competition.

The Eretna Beylik was founded by Eretna Bey, a commander of Uyghur origin who initially served under the Ilkhanate, the Mongol state that ruled over much of the Near East and Central Asia in the 13th and 14th centuries. After the decline of the Ilkhanate, Eretna Bey established an independent state in central Anatolia, with its capital in Kayseri. The beylik encompassed much of central and eastern Anatolia, including cities such as Sivas, Tokat, and Amasya, and played a key role in the region’s political dynamics during the 14th century.

Eretna Bey was able to solidify his rule by allying with local power structures and leveraging the weakened state of the neighboring Turkish principalities. The Eretna Beylik became a center of trade, culture, and political power in Anatolia, and its rulers were known for fostering a sophisticated administrative system. The Beylik also minted its own coinage, symbolizing its independence and sovereignty.

The Karamanid Beylik, centered in Karaman (ancient Laranda), was one of the most formidable powers in southern Anatolia. The Karamanids frequently clashed with neighboring beyliks and the Byzantine Empire, and they sought to expand their influence by taking control of strategic cities and regions. The Karamanids were particularly aggressive in their expansionist policies and positioned themselves as protectors of the Turkish-Muslim population of Anatolia, often in opposition to the influence of Mongol, Byzantine, and Ottoman forces.

Konya, the former capital of the Seljuq Sultanate of Rum, held great symbolic and strategic importance for both the Karamanids and the Eretnids. Controlling Konya would not only grant access to key trade routes but would also elevate the prestige of any ruler who could lay claim to the city once ruled by the powerful Seljuq sultans. For the Karamanids, controlling Konya was particularly important due to its proximity to their heartland in the south and their ongoing territorial expansion in central Anatolia.

In the mid-14th century, the Eretna Beylik managed to briefly capture Konya, the heart of Seljuq Anatolia, from the Karamanids. The circumstances surrounding this conquest are rooted in the ongoing rivalry between the two beyliks. At the time, both states were vying for dominance over central Anatolia, and control of Konya was critical to asserting supremacy in the region.

The Eretna Bey’s forces were able to defeat the Karamanids and take control of Konya, marking a significant moment in the beylik’s history. During their brief occupation of the city, the Eretnids sought to establish their legitimacy by minting coins in Konya. Coinage, or sikke, was an important symbol of sovereignty and independence in the medieval Islamic world. By minting their own coins in Konya, the Eretnids were sending a powerful message that they were the rightful rulers of this former Seljuq capital.

Minting coins in Konya also served as a way to solidify the Eretnids' control over the city and demonstrate their authority to both their subjects and their rivals. Coinage circulated widely and would have been a daily reminder of the Eretnid conquest to the people of Konya, as well as to neighboring powers. The coins would have likely included the names and titles of the Eretna rulers, as well as Islamic inscriptions that emphasized their role as protectors of Islam.

Despite their successful capture of Konya and their efforts to legitimize their rule through coinage, the Eretnids’ control of the city was short-lived. The Karamanids, determined to regain their hold on Konya, launched a counterattack and eventually recaptured the city. The Karamanids’ aggressive military strategy and their determination to maintain dominance over southern and central Anatolia allowed them to push back the Eretna forces and reestablish their authority in Konya.

The Eretnids' brief control of Konya is a reflection of the volatile political landscape of 14th-century Anatolia, where territorial control frequently shifted between competing beyliks and larger powers like the Ottomans and the Mamluks. The struggle for Konya between the Eretnids and the Karamanids was emblematic of the larger struggle for power in Anatolia during this period, as both states sought to expand their influence and control over key regions.

The rivalry between the Eretna Beylik and the Karamanids exemplifies the complex political dynamics of medieval Anatolia, where local rulers were constantly vying for power in a fractured political landscape. Although the Eretnids were unable to maintain control over Konya, their brief conquest of the city and their minting of coins there is an important historical episode that highlights the beylik’s ambitions and its place in the broader power struggles of the time.

The Karamanids, on the other hand, managed to retain control of Konya after the Eretnids’ defeat, and they continued to be a powerful force in southern Anatolia until their eventual absorption into the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century. The Eretnids themselves remained a significant regional power in central and eastern Anatolia until their decline in the late 14th century, after which their territories were also gradually absorbed by the Ottomans.

In conclusion, the Eretna Beylik’s brief control of Konya and their subsequent minting of coins in the city was a significant event in the history of medieval Anatolia. It reflected the beylik’s ambition to assert dominance in central Anatolia and the intense rivalry between the Eretnids and the Karamanids, both of whom sought to control the strategic and symbolic city of Konya. While the Eretnids were ultimately unable to hold onto the city, their actions demonstrated the importance of Konya in the regional power struggles of the time and the role that coinage played in legitimizing a ruler's authority.