Bayezid

Bayezid is the Turkish form of a royal name used by several rulers of the Ottoman Empire. The name is most commonly associated with two sultans, Bayezid I and Bayezid II, and appears in other historical figures as well.

Bayezid I, also known as Bayezid the Thunderbolt, ruled from 1389 to 1402. He expanded Ottoman authority in the Balkans and Anatolia and achieved several early military successes against rival principalities. His reign ended with a decisive defeat by Timur at the Battle of Ankara in 1402, which led to the Ottoman Interregnum, a civil war period during which rival claimants contended for the throne.

Bayezid II ruled from 1481 to 1512, as the son of Mehmed II. His reign emphasized internal consolidation and administration, reform of finances, and the integration of diverse populations into the empire. He supported commerce and learning and is noted for inviting Sephardic Jewish and other refugees to settle in the empire after their expulsion from Spain in 1492, which contributed to cultural and economic life. He faced internal opposition from his son Selim I, who eventually succeeded him and pursued further eastward expansion.