TURKOMANS BETWEEN TWO EMPIRES: THE ... - Bilkent University

esieged Trabzon. 609 But some unexpected news forced Junayd to return without a
decisive result.
After the conquest of Constantinople in 1453 the Greek emperor of Trabzon
accepted to be the tributary of Mehmed II. 610 One may think that Junayd’s attack on his
vassal state must have annoyed the sultan and made him decide to punish this unusual
Shaykh. It stands to reason, however, to suggest that this was not the only reason for
Mehmed II’s decision. Being aware of Junayd’s political intentions and religious
divergence he must have realized the possible harmful outcomes of Junayd’s maneouver
for his empire. He commissioned the governor of Sivas, Hizir Beg, to eliminate this
newly emerging but potentially hazardous power. Upon receiving an order from
Mehmed II to march on Junayd, Hizir Beg dispatched a powerful army. Junayd had no
choice but to desert the region for the forth time in his adventure in Anatolia. 611
Although contemporary sources do not record the exact date, the development of events
suggests that Junayd’s assault on Trabzon must have occurred in 1455, or 1456 at the
latest. 612
609 For further details see Shkurov, pp. 128-30; Hinz, pp. 20-21; Yinanç, p. 244.
610 Yinanç, p. 244; Yazıcı, p. 124. Walther Hinz gives a slightly different account. To him Comminos
became a tributary of Mehmed II after Hizir Beg’s campaign. See Hinz, p. 22. Anyhow, Mehmed II’s
interference forced Junayd to raise the siege and leave the region. Accordingly the Pontus Empire of
Trebizond came to an end in Mehmed II’s hands when he conquered the city in 1461. See Michel M.
Mazzaoui, “The Ghāzī Backgrounds of the Safavid State”, p. 85.
611 APZ, p. 250.
612 According to Hinz, Junayd’s assault occurred in 1456. See Hinz, p. 20. A close study of Greek sources
led Shukurov to the same conclusion. See Shukurov, p. 134. There are some other suggestions as well.
But, taking into account the fact that Safavid sources say Junayd spent four years in Diyarbakir, and the
fact that he was killed in 1460, 1456 reasonably seems to be right date.
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