Osman I << OZ muhn, OS muhn, or os MAHN >> (1258?-1326?) was the founder of the Ottoman Empire, which was named after him. Osman became known as a skillful military leader and a just ruler.
Osman, who is sometimes called Othman or Uthman, was probably born near Bursa, in northwestern Anatolia (now Turkey). His father was the leader of a group of nomadic Turks who were originally from Central Asia. According to some historical traditions, this group settled in Anatolia in the 1200’s. At first, they served as soldiers for the Seljuks, who ruled much of the region. After he succeeded his father as leader in the 1280’s, Osman established a small independent state in the Sakarya Valley in northwestern Anatolia.
Osman gradually expanded Ottoman territory by conquering small neighboring states or forming alliances with them. In 1301, he defeated an army of the nearby Byzantine Empire in the Battle of Baphaeon. About 1324, Osman turned over leadership of the Ottomans to his son Orhan.
