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

Qajar, and Đlyas Beg Ayghūr Oghli, escaped from the camp and rode straight to
Ardabil. 778 No sooner was Rüstem Beg apprised of their escape, he dispatched Husayn
Beg ‘Alikhaniī and Ayba Sultan with 5000 men in pursuit of him. Realizing that he had
no chance with three hundred sufis against Akkoyunlu forces, Sultan Ali summoned
leading qizilbash khalifas in Shamasi, a village near Ardabil. He then took of his crown
(Haydarī Tāc) and put on Ismail’s head, and bound his girdle on Ismail, declaring him
his successor. 779 After laying on Ismail the obligation of avenging his death, and that of
his father and grand father, and speaking “into his ear those maxims which he had
received as an inheritance from his noble ancestors”, 780 Sultan Ali selected seven men
from among the most prominent qizilbash āmirs, including Husayn Beg Lala, Qara Piri
Beg Qajar, Abdi Beg Shamlu, and Dada Beg Talish (Abdal Beg Dede), Khadim Beg
Khalife, Rüstem Beg Karamanlu, Đlyas Beg Aykutoğlu, and ordered them to proceed to
Ardabil and to protect Ismail in any circumstances. 781 Then Sultan Ali returned against
778 Ross Anonymous, p. 261. According to Ross Anonymous, upon being apprised about the conspiracy
Sultan Ali summoned his chief qizilbash followers and took their advice on what to do. They answered as
follows: “May we be thy sacrifice! [Kurban olduğumuz!] Arise and let us go to Ardabil, for there and in
that neighborhood you have many disciples. If Rüstem Pādishāh should wish to pursue us, we will give
him fight. If, however, he neglects to follow us, we shall remain unharmed.” Also consider HT, p. 167;
AA, p. 38.
779 HS, p. 567; Ross Anonymous, p. 262; HT, p. 167; HR, p. 4; Sarwar, p. 28;
780 Ross Anonymous, p. 262. It is important to recognize here that the transmission of spiritual authority
was symbolized by three elements: Haydarī Tac, girdle, and secret maxims of the order. On the other
hand, I would like to remind that at that time Ismail was only seven years old. AA narrates the scene as
follows: “Since Sultan Ali, by virtue of his saintly insight, had seen the fact of his own martyrdom written
on the pages of the book of fate, he gathered together all the sufis and partisans of the Safavid family, and
told them he would lose his life in the coming battle. He nominated his brother Ismail his heir and
successor, and imparted to him the secret of those mysteries which constituted an integral part of the
customs and the practices of the spiritual directors of the Safavid house, and which he had inherited from
his father and his ancestors. Then he placed his own taj on Ismail’s head, and placed him in the charge of
his trusted companions, and addressed him at length regarding his mission. Speaking with divine
inspiration, he declared that the light of the house of Ali (the fourth caliph) would shine forth through
Ismail, and that his speartips would be raised to the skies in triumph, and that the rays of his justice would
illuminate the faces of mankind.” See AA, p. 39. Also see HT, p. 167.
781 Ross Anonymous, p. 262; Sarwar, p. 28. ‘Ālam-ārā-yi Shah Ismail describes this scene as follows: “…
When Sultān ‘Ali Mirza looked over his shoulder, he saw a cloud of dust [the army of Ayba Sultan]. So he
summoned Ismail Mirza and said: ‘I desire you to avenge me and your ancestors by shedding the blood of
Hasan Padishah’s children. For the die of Heaven’s choice has been cast in your name, and before long
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