Karaman Bey

Karaman Bey (Also known as Kerimüddin Karaman Bey) was the leader of Turkoman tribe Afshar and the founder of Karaman Beylik, a Turkish principality in Anatolia in the 13th century. His father was Nure Sofi. After his father's death, he founded his beylik which was already semiautonomous during his father's reign. The Seljuks, who were their nominal suzerains, were defeated by the Mongols and the Karamans had no problem to settle in the northern slopes of the Toros Mountains close to Konya, the Seljuk capital. The Seljuk Sultan, afraid of the Karamans increasing power, gave him some towns as ikta ( fief) . The city of Karaman (ancient Larende) bears his name. Karaman fought against the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia and expanded his territory.

In 1261 Kılıç Aslan IV of Seljuks more or less regained strength after his elder brother took refuge in Byzantine Empire.(see Seljuks in Dobruja) He began punishing rebellious tribes. Seeing this restoration as a threat to his beylik and anticipating a blow from the sultan, Karaman Bey took initiative by a surprise attack to Konya. But he was defeated in the battle of Gevele (west of Konya). Both of his brothers were killed and he escaped to his territory. It is believed that he died shortly after the battle. He was buried in Balkusan (now a village in Ermenek district of Karaman Province) [1] He was succeeded by Mehmet I

References
  1. Prof. Yaşar Yüce-Prof. Ali Sevim: Türkiye tarihi Cilt I, AKDTYKTTK Yayınları, İstanbul, 1991 p 241
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Nure Sofi
as Leader of the Karamanids		 Bey of Karaman
1257–1261		 Succeeded by
Mehmet I
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