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

summer, Bayezid dispatched an army on Mustafa and eliminated the Karaman threat.
Ismail then had to abandon his territorial interests in Ottoman lands if he had any and
turned towards Iran. 1075
Although Allouche’s indication on the possible connection between these three
concurrent events and on the corroboration between the three rivals of the Ottomans
deserves attention, his argument on Ismail’s territorial ambition within Ottoman borders
is open to criticism. He argues that Ismail did not come to Erzincan for the purpose of
gathering Anatolian disciples for he could have well done this in distance from the
Ottoman border. And he gives an example: Certain Karaca Đlyas, who came from
Anatolia, joined with his man to the Shah in Chukur Sa’d. 1076 That sort of analysis fails
to explain psychological dimension of the issue. The stirring effect of Ismail’s rise
among Anatolian disciples was augmented by his westward mach towards Anatolia. He
had, indeed, been expected by his followers as a savior from Ottoman oppression. 1077
Furthermore, keeping in mind the difficulties in transportation, the affect of
geographical vicinity in collecting more men should not be underestimated. Indeed,
Allouche himself recites that only 1500 men gathered around Ismail when he entered
Ardabil towards the end of 1499 summer. In the next summer, when he arrived in
Erzincan, his forces outstripped 7000 armed men 1078 , which constituted the core of
Ismail’s army that would seize in a couple of years the entire Azerbayjan, Iran, and
greater part of Iraq.
1075 Allouche, pp. 85-92.
1076 Allouche, p. 89.
1077 For expressions of qizilbash sentiments in many occasions see “Shahkulu Rebellion” in this study.
1078 Allouche, pp. 80-81.
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