Tamerlane's Ottoman Prisoners: The Anatolian Interregnum

Fresh from his victory over Bayezid the Thunderbolt at Ankara, Tamerlane faced a decision: what to do with the captive Ottoman sultan and his sons. This episode follows the aftermath of the 1402 battle, tracing how Tamerlane deliberately fractured the Ottoman realm by releasing Bayezid's heirs — Süleyman, Mehmed, İsa, and Musa — and setting them against each other. We explore the resulting eleven-year civil war known as the Ottoman Interregnum, the shifting alliances with Tamerlane's viceroys, and the eventual rise of Mehmed I as reunifier. Along the way, we meet figures like the Serbian despot Stefan Lazarević, the Byzantine emperor Manuel II, and the shadowy warlords who carved up Anatolia. How did Tamerlane's strategy of divide and rule shape the Ottoman comeback? And what does it reveal about his understanding of power? This is a story of ambition, betrayal, and the fragile art of empire-building. #Tamerlane #OttomanInterregnum #MehmedI #SüleymanÇelebi #MusaÇelebi #İsaÇelebi #BayezidI #StefanLazarević #ManuelII #Ankara1402 #CentralAsia #OttomanEmpire #TimuridEmpire #CivilWar #DivideAndConquer #History #FexingoHistory #Podcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo