Principality

Cobanogullari Principality had been founded by Husameddin Coban, member of Kadi tribe of Oguz people that had been a forefront bey (governor) of Turkey Seljuk State in Kastamonu.

Sultan Ala ed-Din Keykubad I had appointed Coban Bey with the duty to organise the overseas Sugdak (the Crimea) expedition (1225 or 1227). As a result of the victory that Coban Bey had won pursuant to this expedition, the lands of Kastamonu had been given to him in return for his services and this date must probably has been the date of the foundation of the principality. We have hardly any information about him and his son, Alp yürük (yürek). Then, Muzaffer ed-Din Yavlak Arslan who ascended the throne was submissive to Turkey Seljuk State and Ilhanli State. Nevertheless, he had been involved in the struggles for sovereignty and he had declared Rukneddin Kilic Arslan as the sultan and wanted to acquire his independency.

Ilhanli Geyhatu send an army of Seljuk and Mongolian people under the command of Sultan Mes’ud and the Vizier Necmeddin towards Kastamonu. Yablak Arslan died in the war (1292). Sultan Mes’ud of Seljuk State gave the domination of Kastamonu and its environs to Semseddin Yaman Candar who had helped hmi in this war However, Yavlak Arslan’s son, Nasireddin Mahmud dominated in Kastamonu for a while. As a result, Candaroglu Suleyman Pasha established dominion in Kastamonu through a raid that he organised and Cobanogullari Principality came to an end thereof (1309).

In the period of Cobanogullari principality, the activities related with culture and pubic works had been highly developed in Kastamonu. The famous scientist, Kutbeddin Şirazi had dedicated his work titled as “İhtiyârât el-Muzafferî” to Musaffereddîn Yavlak Arslan.

Furthermore, Hoylu Hasan b. Abdülmümin had dedicated his work titled as “Nüzhet el-Küttâb” to Yavlak Arslan and the abstract of this work to Mahmûd Bey. There are various works dedicated to the name of Cobanogullari principality.

Cobanogullari

1. Hüsâmeddin Çoban Bey

2. Alp-Yürek Bey

3. Muzaffereddin Yülük-Arslan Bey (1284-1292)

4. Nâsıreddin Mahmud Bey (1292-1320)