Pir Husayn (died late 1379) was Emir of Erzincan from 1362 until his death. Originally the ruler of Karahisar, he arrived in Erzincan on 8 June 1362 and claimed the throne that was occupied by Ahi Ayna, who died on 2–3 July.
Reign
Pir Husayn was originally the ruler of Karahisar and arrived in Erzincan on 8 June 1362 and succeeded Ahi Ayna, who died on 2–3 July 1362 reportedly as a shaheed (martyr). In Abu Bakr Qutbi's Tarikh-i taqwim, Pir Husayn is mentioned as an emir-zada (lit.'son of an emir') directly following the statement about Ahi Ayna's demise, hinting at the possibility he was Ahi Ayna's son.[1]
Pir Husayn's ascendance to the throne was not straightforward as Erzincan was in the midst of a civil war. He "gained independence" on 10 July,[2] having clashed with emirs opposing to his rule, who eventually fled to Bayburt and Tercan.[3] On 11 September, he gained control of Bayburt after a 32-day siege.[2]
Although there is a coin specimen minted in Erzincan for Ala al-Din Ali dating back to 1366, Pir Husayn most likely exercised further autonomy, especially following the temporary political vacuum caused by Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad I's death in 1365. However, there aren't any sufficient accounts of the period until Pir Husayn's death in 1379.[4]
A copy of Rumi's Masnavi prepared by Muhammad ibn Husayn al-Mawlawi in January–February 1373 probably in Erzincan for "Taj al-Din Shaykh Husayn Beg" is attributed to Pir Husayn's patronage.[5]
Jackson, Cailah (4 September 2020). Islamic Manuscripts of Late Medieval Rum, 1270s-1370s Production, Patronage and the Arts of the Book. Edinburgh University Press.
Shukurov, Rustam (June 1994). "Between Peace and Hostility: Trebizond and the Pontic Turkish Periphery in the Fourteenth Century". Mediterranean Historical Review. 9 (1). Routledge: 20–72. doi:10.1080/09518969408569663.
Yücel, Yaşar (October 1971). "Mutahharten ve Erzincan Emirliği" [Mutahharten and the Emirate of Erzincan]. Belleten (in Turkish). 35 (140): 665–719. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
