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

5.2. ISMAIL’S ASCENDANCE TO POWER, 1501
5.2.1. The Erzincan Congregation: a Turning Point
When Ismail rose up, the propaganda of Shaykh Junayd and Haidar had already created
a vast social ground for the Safavid order in Anatolia. Thus his huruj from Lāhijan, and
especially his coming to Erzincan created deep excitement among Anatolian disciples
and sympathizers of the order. It must be because of this excitement of Anatolian
population that Ottoman chroniclers, except Aşıkpaşazāde, first mention sufis of Ardabil
in 1500, in the context of Ismail’s visit to Erzincan. In these histories, the earlier
development of the qizilbash movement is usually summarized retrospectively while
explaining Ismail’s huruj. But still they do not give a detailed account of events. Details
of the struggle with Safavids usually emerge in Ottoman chronicles during the last years
of Bayezid II, especially in reference to the famous Shahkulu rebellion. Before then they
only refer tacitly to some events connected to the Safavid movement. Nonetheless, a
careful reading of these chronicles reveals that at least by the advent of Shah Ismail in
1500, Ottomans were quite aware of the rising danger from the east and even levied
serious measures.
Contemporary evidence confirms that even before 1500, the relationship between
Ismail and his Anatolian disciples was intense. His deputies, called ‘halife’, were fairly
active especially in qizilbash zones of Anatolia. 847 On the one hand, they preached
evolving doctrine and rites of the order and gained further adherents. On the other hand,
they provided an excellent communication web that closely connected the disciples to
847 “Đsmail adamlarını ülkenin değişik kesimlerine gönderdi ve kararlarını her yere bildirdi. Bu yüzden her
gün gittikçe daha çok insan onun yanına akın etti. Sonuçta etafında kısa bir müddet zarfında yaklaşık
10.000 kişilik silahlı bir güç toplandı ve bu insanlarla bir sefer düzenledi.” ANMH, p. 38.
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