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

eflected in their practice that when hearing the name of the Shah they used to prostrate
immediately. 1089 He seems to have been exaggerated, however, in asserting “they did not
hesitate to offer their daughters or sisters to the naughty men of the Shah.” 1090
After conquering Fars and Iraq, in the summer of 1507 Ismail decided to march
on Alauddevle, the ruler of the Dulkadir. 1091 The reason of this campaign is reported
differently in contemporary sources. Some say Murat Akkoyunlu fled to Dulkadir
territories and was planning an attack on the Safavids with the help of Alauddevle, who
was his father-in-law. 1092 Others report that it was because of the fact that Ismail wanted
to marry Alauddevle’s beautiful daughter; but his request was refuted. 1093 Yet some
others argue that it was because of the bad treatment of Alauddevle towards Ismail’s
ambassador. 1094 A contemporary Venetian observer presents a completely different
reason: the men of the Dulkadir were in the habit of making frequent incursions into the
province of Diyarbekir, which was under the rule of Muhammad Han Ustaclu, one of the
prominent qizilbash khans. Muhammad Han Ustaclu attempted on several occassions to
1089
HSE4, p. 171.
1090
HSE4, p. 171.
1091
HSE mistakenly gives the date as Ramazan 913 / December 1508-January 1509. See HSE3, p. 350.
SLZ, as usual, follows him. See SLZ1, p. 432.
1092
HS, p. 582; HR, p. 115; AA, p. 50; Sarwar, p. 52; TNSB, p. 241; Caterino Zeno, “Travels in Persia”,
in NIT, p. 53.
1093
HSE says Alauddevle first inclined to accept Ismail’s request. But he soon realized religious laxity of
Ismail and decided to refuse his demand. HSE3, p. 350. Also consider ALI, p. 908; SLZ1, p. 432; ANMH,
p. 40.
1094
Alauddevle imprisoned Oğlan Ümmet Çavuşlu, the envoy of Shah Ismail. See Sarwar, p. 52.
Kemalpashazāde writes, “Mezkūr tād-dārun mezbūr diyāra inmesine ‘illet bu idi ki, Zü’lkadir Oğlı
‘Alāü’d-devle Begle aralarına ‘adāvet düşmüşdi. Ol serdār kendüye i’tibār itmeyüb, il içinde ilçisine
ta’zīr ü teşhir itdüği-çün nār-ı ‘ārla kār u bār-karārı dutuşmuşdı. Hayl-i cerrārla seyl-vār akmış gelmişdi
ki, harmen-i düşmeni yile virüb, ilin günin yıka, yaka Zü’lkadirlü Türkmānınün hānümānın harāb u yebāb
idüb ol diyārun üstünden girüb altından çıka.” KPZ8a, p. 250. Also consider TNSB, p. 16; UZC2, p. 228.
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