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The Karasids or Karasid Beylik (; ), also known as the Principality of Karasi, was a Turkish people Anatolian beylik (principality) in the area of classical Mysia (modern Balıkesir and Çanakkale provinces) from ca. 1297–1345. It was centered in Balıkesir and Bergama, and was one of the frontier principalities established by Oghuz Turks after the decline of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum.
They became a naval power in the Aegean Sea and the Dardanelles.
The names of Karasi and Kalam might have been connected to two towns near Germa, Kalamos and Akarasos. Zachariadou highlighted Karasi is not a Turkish name and may have been taken from the name of the town he controlled, which was precedented in other Turkish emirates. Karasi was connected to the name "Kara Isa" by some authors, though it was rejected by Uzunçarşılı. The name Kalam might have been Turkish as it was precedented in Byzantine sources as the name of a (godfather), who was a Christianized Turk.
Following the Byzantine campaign in western Anatolia allied with Catalan Company and Alans between 1302 and 1308, Karasi expanded into Lesser Mysia and reached south bordering the Sarukhanids. In 1311, Karasi is also known to have provided support to the Sari Saltuk tribe led by Ece Halil who clashed with the Byzantine Empire in Thrace. Karasi Bey accepted troops who survived the struggle to take refuge in his realm. Pachymeres reported that the Catalan mercenaries defeated the "Turks" in Germe, east of Bergama, which Zachariadou suggests were the Karasids.
Demir Khan harassed the towns near Cyzicus and raided coastal parts of southern Balkans through his naval forces based in the Sea of Marmara. For this matter, Byzantine Empire Andronikos III () met with Demir Khan in Pegai in 1328, when they signed a treaty. In 1333, Demir Khan met with the traveller Ibn Battuta. Ibn Battuta deemed Demir Khan a "worthless" person like the population of Balıkesir, and mentioned that the former was disliked by his own people. According to historian al-Uryan, the ruler of Pergamos was "Senbogha", who was subordinate to Demir Khan. Some modern historians maintain that Demir Khan had a short reign.
Suleiman Bey was married to the daughter of John Vatatzes. Allied with Suleiman, Vatatzes attacked Thrace in support of the dowager empress Anna of Savoy amidst a civil war against John VI Kantakouzenos. Despite earlier alliance, the Karasid forces later switched sides and killed John Vatatzes, owing to their cordial relations with Kantakouzenos. Suleiman further refused a major bribe offered by Isaac Asan, a allied with the empress, to incite a Karasid offensive on Kantakouzenos. The Karasids ceased to be mentioned by the Byzantine sources after this point.
Modern historians vary in their attempts to reconcile incongruent accounts of Byzantine and Ottoman sources. According to Elizabeth Zachariadou, Ajlan was the son of Yakhshi Khan, and Ajlan's other son was Suleiman. Konstantin Zhukov aligned with Zachariadou but further suggested either Ajlan or Suleiman could have been the same person as Beylerbey Chelebi, who is attested to on Karasid coins. Historian Zerrin Günal instead identified Yakhshi Khan as Ajlan and his other son as Demir Khan. Claude Cahen mentioned Ajlan was Karasi Bey's nickname, although Aşıkpaşazade specified Ajlan as the "son of Karasi". Uzunçarşılı claimed Demir Khan was attested to as Ajlan due to an error in writing. He additionally identified Dursun as the other brother of Demir Khan (Ajlan). Clive Foss identified Ajlan's other son as Hajji Ilbey, who he suggested is the Beylerbey Chelebi, who is honored on Karasid coins and was the successor of Yakhshi. The Byzantine Empire tried to incite beyliks like Karasids against the Ottoman Turks. However, routes of conquest and other objectives of beyliks such as Karasids did not initially conflict with the Ottomans. The political situation clearly favored the Ottomans.
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