Malkoçoğlu family

Malkoçoğlu family (Malkoçoğulları, Malkoçoğlu ailesi) was one of the families that led the akıncı corps in Ottoman Empire between the 14th-16th centuries. They served mainly in the Balkan conquest of the empire. The members of the family usually served as beys, sanjak-beys, beylerbeys, pashas and castle commanders. Later on they joined the ranks of the Ottoman Army in various missions, and one of the descendants became a Grand Vizier.

History
The Battle of Maritsa (1371) was a disaster for the Serbian Empire, which resulted in several Serbian and Bulgarian lords becoming Ottoman vassals. The Malković was a warrior family of Christian Serb origin, which became Muslim. Malkoç, the eponymous founder, is alleged to have been one of the commanders of Sultan Murad I and Bayezid I, fighting at Kosovo (1389) and at Nicopolis (1396).

The further Ottoman expansion to the European frontiers was shared with semi-independent warriors, with the most notable being the four families of Evrenosoğulları, Mihaloğulları, both of which were of Anatolian Christian origin, Turahanoğulları of undetermined Christian origin, and the Malkoçoğulları. These four families made up the ghazi (warrior) nobility. The akıncı were one of the first divisions to face the opposing military and were known for their prowess in battle. Unpaid they lived and operated as raiders on the frontiers of the Ottoman Empire, subsisting totally on plunder.

Members

 * Malkoç Bey (fl. 1389-1396), was one of the commanders of Sultan Bayezid I. He is the eponymous founder of the family. Malkoç Bey fought at Kosovo and at Nicopolis.
 * G1 Malkoçoğlu Mustafa Bey (Mustafa Malkoçoğlu), son of Malkoç, fought alongside his father at Kosovo as the left side archer commander. He was in command of the Sivas fort during the Timurid invasion of Anatolia and defended it with 3000 soldiers against Timur's 200,000 men for 18 days. Timur fooled him with a fake peace offering and killed all Turkish soldiers, including Mustafa.
 * G2 Malkoçoğlu Hamza Bey (Hamza Malkoçoğlu), son of Mustafa. He was the Sanjak-bey of Nicopolis during Mehmed II's reign. The Voivode of Wallachia, Vlad III the Impaler, assassinated him in 1461.
 * G3 Malkoçoğlu Bali Bey (Bali Malkoçoğlu), son of Hamza. He graduated from Enderun-ı Hümayün which was established as a university inside the Ottoman Palace by Mehmed II. He served as the beylerbey of Silistra during Mehmed II's reign. He is famous for his raids through the Lechia, the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi Defence and Petrovaradin conquest.
 * G4 Malkoçoğlu Ali Bey: Son of the Malkoçoğlu Bali Bey. He served as the Sanjak-bey of Sofia and joined the Battle of Chaldiran with his forces. Ismail I killed him in 1514, during the Battle of Chaldiran.
 * G4 Malkoçoğlu Turali Bey: Son of the Malkoçoğlu Bali Bey. He was the Sanjak-bey of Silistra and like his brother Malkoçoğlu Ali Bey, he was killed by Ismail I in 1514, during the Battle of Chaldiran.
 * G1 Malkoçoğlu Mehmet Bey (Mehmet Malkoçoğlu), younger son of Malkoç, fought alongside his father in all campaigns and died before Malkoç, in 1385. His grave is in Gebze at a Türbe.


 * Malkoçoğlu Damat Yahya Paşa, geneaology undetermined
 * Yahyapaşazade Malkoçoğlu Bali Bey:
 * Yahyapaşazade Malkoçoğlu Mehmet Bey:
 * Şifalı Arslan Paşa:
 * Gazi Kızan Mehmet Paşa:
 * Yahyapaşazade Malkoçoğlu Ahmet Bey:
 * Derviş Bey, grandchild of Damat Yahya Paşa
 * Yavuz Ali Paşa, Grand Vizier from October 16, 1603 to July 26, 1604.

Legacy
There is a Bosnian Muslim epic tradition on an Ottoman hero named Malkoč-bey.


 * Malkoçoğlu Cem Sultan, 1969 Turkish action film