Köse Mihal

Köse Mihal (كوسه ميخال; Turkish for "Michael the Beardless"; 13th century – c. 1340) accompanied Osman I in his ascent to power as a bey and founder of the Ottoman Empire. He is considered to be the first significant Byzantine renegade and convert to Islam to enter Ottoman service (see Nöker).

He was also known as Gazi Mihal (غازى ميخال) and Abdullah Mihal Gazi. He ruled over Harmankaya Kalesi (خرمن قيا قلعه سى).

Life
Köse Mihal was the Byzantine governor of Chirmenkia (Harmankaya, today Harmanköy) and was ethnically Greek. According to one theory, the origin of Köse Mikhail was connected to the Cuman-Kipchaks that John III Doukas Vatatzes placed as a border force in Anatolia. His original name was "Michael Kosses". The castle of Harmankaya was in the foothills of the Uludağ Mountains in Bilecik, Turkey. Mihal also eventually gained control of Lefke, Mekece and Akhisar.

Even before his conversion to Islam, Mihal had an amicable relationship with the Ottoman leader, Osman Ghazi. He was an ally of Osman and his people in war, and also acted as a leader of the local Greek population. Additionally, he acted as a consultant and diplomatic agent for Osman I. The sources describing the reason behind Mihal's change of faith vary. One tradition emphasises the influence exerted by his friendship with Osman Ghazi, whilst another describes him having experienced a significant dream which convinced him to become a Muslim. His conversion is thought to have occurred between 1304 and 1313. As a Muslim, he was known as Köse Mihal 'Abd Allah (Abdullah), Abdullah being a name commonly adopted by converts.

Up to the conquest of Bursa in 1326, Köse Mihal played an important role as a diplomatic advisor and envoy of Orhan I, the son and successor of Osman Ghazi. Köse Mihal was the first important Christian renegade to become an Ottoman subject, and he played a significant role in the creation of the Ottoman state. Köse Mihal's descendants, known as the Mihaloğlu, were famous, particularly in the 15th and 16th centuries. They were a politically and militarily successful family of Ottoman dignitaries in Rumelia. However, they did not reach the very highest public offices.

After the taking of Bursa, Köse Mihal is no longer mentioned in the sources. Kreutel notes that Köse Mihal died around 1340. According to some historians, Köse Mihal was buried at Türbe, Edirne (Adrianople), in a mosque he himself built, in this tradition Köse Mihal was believed to have lived until after the Ottoman capture of Adrianople by Murad I in the year 1361. He would therefore have lived to a very advanced age indeed. However, Franz Babinger appears to have made a mistake. He confused Köse Mihal with Ghazi Mihal Bey, a grandson of Köse Mihal. Ghazi Mihal Bey built a now ruined Mosque complex, with an Imaret and Hamam, in Edirne, which was completed in 1422. The cemetery adjoining the complex holds the tomb of Ghazi Mihal Bey.

Issue
After his conversion, Mihal had two sons:
 * Mihaloğlu Mehmed Bey. He had two sons:
 * Mihaloğlu Ghazi Mihal Bey
 * Mihaloğlu Hizir Bey. He had four sons:
 * Mihaloğlu Ali Bey. He married a Christian Wallachian noblewoman, Maria Craiovești, and had five sons, the third of them was:
 * Mehmed Beg Mihaloglu
 * Mihaloğlu Skender Pasha. He had two sons and a daughter:
 * Hürrem Pasha
 * Mustafa Pasha
 * Muhsine Hatun, who married the Grand Vizier Pargali Ibrahim Pasha and had a son:
 * Mehmed Şah Bey
 * Mihaloğlu Ghazi Bali Bey
 * Mihaloğlu Mehmed Bey
 * Mihaloğlu Yahşi Bey

Legacy
Mihal's descendants (the Mikhaloglu/Mikhaloglou; Greek: Μιχαλόγλου) held prominent positions through centuries of Ottoman history.

Previously the oldest surviving Ottoman artifact was Orhan's helmet. But on 5 December 2020, the Ministry of National Defense of Turkey announced that Mihal's sword was recorded as the oldest surviving Ottoman artifact, and was taken to Istanbul Military Museum.

In popular culture
In the Turkish television series Kuruluş "Osmancık" (1988), Köse Mihal was portrayed by Turkish actor Ahmet Mekin.

In the Turkish movie Killing the Shadows, Köse Mihal is portrayed by Serdar Gökhan.

In the Turkish series Kuruluş: Osman, Köse Mihal is portrayed by Serhat Kılıç.