How to Pronounce Bayezid

Meaning and Context

Bayezid I, known as "Yıldırım" or "the Thunderbolt" for his rapid military movements, was the fourth Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, succeeding his father, Sultan Murad I, upon his death at the Battle of Kosovo in 1389. His reign from 1389 to 1402 was a pivotal era of dramatic expansion and catastrophic reversal, solidifying Ottoman power in the Balkans through victories at the Battle of Nicopolis in 1396 while also laying the groundwork for a devastating civil war. Bayezid's aggressive campaigns in Anatolia against other Turkish beyliks brought him into direct conflict with the Turco-Mongol conqueror Timur, leading to the fateful Battle of Ankara in 1402. His defeat and subsequent capture by Timur plunged the empire into the interregnum period known as the Ottoman Interregnum or the Fetret Devri, a decade-long civil war among his sons. This period of crisis tested the nascent state's resilience, making the reign of Sultan Bayezid I a critical study in the dynamics of Ottoman succession, imperial overreach, and the consolidation of power in the late medieval period.

Common Mistakes and Alternative Spellings

The primary transliteration from Ottoman Turkish to English is "Bayezid," which is the most widely accepted and used spelling in academic and historical literature. Common alternative spellings include "Bayazid," "Bajazet," and "Beyazıt." The spelling "Bajazet" is a historic European, particularly French, rendering found in older Western texts and classical dramas, such as Jean Racine's play. The modern Turkish spelling is "Beyazıt," which is also the name of a prominent district in Istanbul housing the historic Beyazıt Square and Beyazıt Mosque. Frequent typos and errors arise from phonetic interpretations, resulting in misspellings like "Beyazid," "Bayazit," or "Beyazit." When searching, it is crucial to distinguish between references to Bayezid I (the Thunderbolt) and his later namesakes, notably Bayezid II, who ruled in the late 15th and early 16th centuries.

Example Sentences

Following his victory at the Battle of Nicopolis, Sultan Bayezid I earned a fearsome reputation among European kingdoms as a formidable and relentless foe.

The swiftness of Bayezid's army's maneuvers across Anatolia fully justified his epithet, "Yıldırım," meaning thunderbolt.

Historians often cite the capture of Bayezid by Timur after the Battle of Ankara as the single most humiliating event in early Ottoman history.

Despite his ultimate downfall, Bayezid's policy of centralizing authority and integrating conquered Turkish territories directly contributed to the empire's later administrative structure.

Many modern visitors to Istanbul explore the Beyazıt district, named for the sultan, though the spelling reflects the modern Turkish form.

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