Starting from the first quarter of the XII century onwards, Turks made significant progress in Anatolia against the Byzantine Empire and also conquered the Eastern Black Sea region. This region, governed by the strong provincial aristocrats appointed by the Byzantine Empire, was seriously advocated against the invasions of the Turks. However, after the Battle of Manzikert in 1071, the Byzantine Empire was disconnected from its territory in the northeast and the Byzantine Empire lost control there.
With the spread of the Turks to Anatolia, the Byzantine Empire formed a Duchy in some regions with and without borders. The administration of the Duchates also brought the strong provincial aristocrats of that region. One of the best examples of this situation is the Gabras Family. The Gabras Family had previously been the head of the ancient Theme of Chaldia, the center of Trabzon. This time, the Gabras family, who became the head of the Duke of Trabzon, applied a semi-independent management by taking advantage of the Byzantine political complexity. The Gabras family, which was rebellious and insubordinate against Byzantium at the beginning, lost its power and became under the patronage of the Byzantine Empire. The Gabras family also made an alliance with the Turks, especially the Danishmends, against Byzantium. The Gabras have attracted the attention of the Seljuks both in military and state administration, and some members of the Gabras family were found in the service of Seljuk. |