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97 CHAPTEE V REIGN OF OECHAN : STEUGGLES WITH EMPIEE ; ITS SUC- CESSES AND EEVEESES ; INVASIONS OF TAETAES. EEIGN OF MUEAD : DEFEAT OF SEEBIANS AND BULGAEIANS BY TUEKS ; BATTLE OF COSSOVO-POL AND ASSASSINATION OF MUEAD. The death of John, in 1391, is a convenient period to resume the narrative of the progress of the Turks. Othman had died the year after the capture of Brousa, in 1326. He had succeeded in making his division of the Turks the most formidable in Asia Minor, in conquering or absorbing the Seljukian Turks, in destroying many flourish- ing cities and strongholds on the Black Sea, in entirely preventing the reorganisation of the power of the empire in the north-west portion of Asia Minor, and, above all, in organising a fighting race into a formidable army. His successor was his son Orchan. Nicaea is only Reign of distant four or five hours from Brousa, and had hitherto orchSi, been able to resist all attacks by the Turks. Its population 1326-135 was fairly secure within its extensive and strong walls ; the beautiful lake of Ascanius adjoins one side of it, and fur- nished a constant supply of water and of fish. Once, indeed, an emperor had sent up a fleet to assist a great army of Western Crusaders, and to receive from their hands the city which they were about to capture from the Seijuks. 1 Orchan laid siege to it, and its citizens defended themselves with 1 This was in 1097, when, on the invitation of Godfrey de Bouillon, Alexis had reached the city on its water side by taking his boats, in part at least, overland from the Gulf of Moudania to the lake. The object of Godfrey was to prevent the Crusaders being exposed to the demoralisation of plundering a hostile city. H