Ishak Bey

Ishak Bey
The grave of Ishak Bey in Skopje
Place of burial	Skopje, modern day Macedonia
Allegiance	Ottoman Empire
Years of service	15th century
Rank	sanjakbey
Battles/wars	Siege of Thessalonica (1422–30) Albanian Revolt of 1432-1436 Siege of Novo Brdo (1439) Battle of Niš

Ishak Bey or Ishak-Beg was an Ottoman governor and soldier, the sanjakbey of Üsküb from 1415 to 1439.

Life

According to some sources he was a member of the Bosnian Hranušić family, released slave and adopted son of Pasha Yiğit Bey. That is disputed with opinion that Pasha Yigit Bey was indeed a biological father of Ishak Bey.

Ishak was appointed ruler by Porte at the time of the conquest of Foča, Čajniče, Pljevlja and Nevesinje in today's Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In 1420 Ishak Bey organized an unsuccessful campaign in Bosnia to support Sandalj's struggle against his enemies.

In attempt to relieve Ottoman pressure during the Siege of Thessalonica Venice inspired Gjon Kastrioti to rebel against Ottomans in 1428. After Ottomans captured Thessalonica in April 1430 their forces led by Ishak bey captured most of Gjon's land. He positioned Ottoman garrison in two Gjon's castles and destroyed rest of them. In December 1434 during an Albanian revolt he marched in south-central Albania but was defeated by Gjergj Arianiti. Contemporary sources from the senate of Ragusa mention that many Ottoman soldiers were captured, while Ishak Bey escaped with a small group.

In 1439, when he was returning from his trip to Mecca, he was ordered by the sultan to join forces of Şihabeddin Pasha and besiege Novo Brdo, important fortified mining town of Serbian Despotate. On 6 August 1439 the Ottoman forces under Ishak-Beg defeated forces of Serbian Despotate in a battle fought near Novo Brdo. In November 1443 he commanded one of Ottoman armies during the Battle of Niš which ended with Ottoman defeat.

Sultan appointed Himmetizade Nesuh Bey to be the new ruler of Bosansko Krajište in period between 1439 and 1454 when Isa-Beg Ishaković, Ishak Bey's son and ruler of Skopsko Krajište took over control over Bosansko Krajište also for period 1454—1463. His grandson Gazi Mehmed Bey Ishaković was sanjak-bey of Bosnian Sanjak in period 1484–1485.

He built the Ishak Bey Mosque in Skopje, where his tomb is also located.

Family tree

After Franz Babinger in the Encyclopedia of Islam:

References

Preceded by Pasha Yiğit Bey

Ottoman governor of the Üsküb frontier 1415–1439

Succeeded by Himmetizade Nesuh Bey