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

capture some principal Dulkadir fortresses, but failed. Consequently Ismail was
determined to march in person to destroy Dulkadirlus. 1095
Ismail’s trajectory in this campaign is also a topic of controversy. 1096 Instead of
directly entering Dulkadir territory, which was shorter in distance, he first entered
Ottoman territories, via the route of Erzincan, Sivas, and Kayseri, and attacked the
Dulkadir. 1097 Ismail had already sent a letter to Bayezid II and informed him about his
campaign and affirmed not to cause any damage to Ottoman subjects. 1098 During his
movement within Ottoman borders Ismail carefully protected Ottoman subjects and their
possessions from any usurpation. 1099 He arrived in Sivas and stayed there for a while. 1100
His goal in visiting Sivas, as reported by Kemalpaşazāde, was to gather further fighters
from his Anatolian disciples. 1101 But he could not find what he planned since the
1095
NIT, p. 195. The unknown Venetian merchant also says Ismail moved with an army of 60.000 towards
Erzincan. See NIT, p. 196. For a similar account also see Giovan Giovan Maria Angiolello, “A Short
Narrative of the Life and Acts of the King Ussun Cassano”, in NIT, p. 108.
1096
Consider Sohrweide, p. 142.
1097
Caterino Zeno, “Travels in Persia”, in NIT, p. 53.
1098
HSE writes, “Ancak Dulkadirli ülkesine gidebilmek için Osmanlıların bakımlı ülkelerinden geçmek
gerekiyordu. Bunun için de Şah Đsmail mutlu gölgelikler salan ulu otağa rica mektupları gönderip parlak
hükümlerinin yürüdüğü korunmuş ülkelerden geçmek zorunda kaldığından özür diledi. Geçtiği topraklara
da bir zarar dokunmasın diye adamlarının soyguncu ellerin tutup ağaçtan bir yaprak koparanı yokluk
yollarına yolcu ederek durağı yüce padişahın memleketini dikkatle korudu. Sıkı yasağ ile, birlikte olan
azgın fesatçılara nefes aldırmadı.” HSE3, p. 350. Also see SLZ1, p. 432. The contemporary unknown
Venetian merchant affirms Ottoman sources. He says, during his stay in Erzincan, on the way to Dulkadir,
Ismail “sent two ambassadors, one named Culibec [Kulu Beg] to the Ottoman in Natolia (sic), and the
other named Zachariabec [Zekeriya Beg] to the Soldan of Cairo, swearing solemn oaths to these
monarchs, that he intended no harm to their dominions, but only wished to destroy his enemy Aliduli.”
See “The Travels of a Merchant in Persia”, in NIT, p. 196. The same account is repeated in Giovan Maria
Angiolello, “A Short Narrative of the Life and Acts of the King Ussun Cassano”, in NIT, p. 108.
1099
HS, pp. 582-3; HR, p. 115; Caterino Zeno, “Travels in Persia”, in NIT, p. 54.
1100
KPZ8a, p. 251. According to ALI and SLZ, Ismail moved ahead till Kazābād near Tokat. ALI, p. 908;
SLZ1, p. 432.
1101
HSE does not mention such a goal of Ismail. To him Ismail followed this route since it was the only
way to enter Dulkadir territories. See above footnote. HSE3, p. 350. SLZ follows this assertion. SLZ1, p.
432. Hoca’s account is obviously deficient since he could have well entered Alauddevle’s country from
eastern fronts – through Diyarbekir for example – instead of wandering through northern borders, which
was evidently longer in terms of territorial distance. KPZ’s account stands seemingly more reasonable on
this issue. Đsmail H. Uzunçarşılı states, Ismail’s aim in following this route might be to surprise
Alauddevle and to take from him the opportunity to prepare for a battle. He also calls attention to the aim
of exciting qizilbash society in Ottoman realm. See UZC2, p. 228, footnote 2. A contemporary Venetian
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