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

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CHAPTER VI<br />

ANATOLIAN QIZILBASHES IN ARMS: ŞAHKULU REBELLION,<br />

1511<br />

The most extensive, influential, and successful outcome of the Safavid propaganda<br />

among Anatolian population appeared as the rebellion lead by Şahkulu. The importance<br />

of this rebellion for the history of qizilbashes and the Ottoman empire was not limited to<br />

the fact that it for the first time, and to the largest scale ever recorded, not only<br />

mobilized and organized already excited qizilbash masses against the Ottoman rule in an<br />

armed resistance, but also became one of the most decisive factors in Ottoman domestic<br />

politics. Paradoxically, the qizilbash uprising in search of a better life in the Ottoman<br />

realm, made Prince Selim’s accession to the Ottoman throne possible, which at the<br />

beginning of the civil war between the princes was quite unlikely. This chapter will<br />

examine the ideological background, social bases, Safavid connections, and<br />

consequences of the Şahkulu rebellion. And its decisive role in providing the legitimate<br />

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