Ertogrül
Ertoğrül was the father of
Osman I, the founder of the
Ottoman Empire. He was the
bey (chief) of the Söğüt tribe until his death in
1299. He was later betitled Ertoğrül
Shah by his grand-son
Orhan.
Shah is the
Turkish/
Persian word for
emperor; it has been a common error in historical accounts to refer to him as an emperor. Another common error is that the first rulers of the
Ottoman Empire (in reality the
Osmanli tribe) are referred to as sultans while in reality they were known as
beys (chiefs) by title.
