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

component experienced an essential metamorphose under the influence of the two later
added elements. Junayd’s period also marked the shift of the order’s center of gravity
from traditional dervish groups, who were recruited from different social roots and
geographical regions and educated according to the high sufi tradition stemming from
Safiyuddin, to Turkoman tribal sufis, who were chiefly illiterate, culturally uncultivated,
mostly still bearing old Turkish beliefs, and masters in fighting. It was nothing other
than this new stem of the order that constituted the Qizilbashs of Haydar and Ismail.
It is safe to argue that Junayd was not as weak as he had been in Konya or
Aleppo when came to Uzun Hasan’s palace. Rather, he relied on a considerable number
of armed disciples, which is reported as twenty thousand by Aşıkpaşazāde. 616 Being
aware of his disciples’ mastery in fight, Junayd proposed co-operation against
Cihanshan. Uzun Hasan must have realized the efficacy of Junayd’s power that he not
only freed Junayd but also married his sister Hatice Begum 617 to Junayd as well. 618
Hasan Beg’s aim in establishing a warm relationship with Shaykh Junayd, however, was
not only to benefit from the military capability of his disciples but also to take the
advantage of the Shaykh’s authority and influence on the people in consolidating and
perpetuating his own sovereignty. 619
This marriage became another milestone in the history of the Safavid dynasty,
for being the intersection point of the two dynastic lines one holding spiritual power,
while the other holding the temporal one. This marriage was an excellent opportunity for
616
APZ, p. 250.
617
From the marriage of Junayd and Hatice Begum was born Haydar, the successor of Junayd and the
father of Ismail.
618
“...Uzun Hasan’a gitti. Uzun Hasan Cüneyd’i dutdı. Cüneyd eyidür: ‘Beni niçin dutarsın? Cihanşah
gibi bir düşmanın var. Benim silahlı yiğirmi bin sofuya gücüm yeter. Ben de sana yardımcı olayın!’ dedi.
Uzun Hasan dahi yemin edüb Uzun Hasan’ın kız karındaşın aldı...” See APZ, p. 250. Also see HS, p. 561;
HT, p. 153; Ahsenü’t-tevārih,IX, p. 395; AA, p. 30.
619
Compare, Youssef-Jamālī, p. 34.
213