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

only the temporal benefits offered by Ismail that attracted Turkomans. Rather they were
tied to Ismail, just like to the former shaykhs of the Safavid order, with mystical and
religious bonds for he was their spiritual guide. The temporal benefits must be regarded
only as supplementary incentives for the sincere adherents of the order. They were,
however, influential in gaining discontent population, which was not yet a sincere
adherent of the spiritual reasons, and especially dismissed sipāhis against the revolt.
Kemalpaşazāde states those who had not gone to Persia prepared for revenge. They
began to wait for suitable conditions to appear. (Zalām-ı şām-ı fitne būm-ı Rūmı kaçan
tuta diyü eyyām-ı fetrete ve hengām-ı fırsata nāzır u muntazır turmışlardı.) The
preparation was speeded up while Korkud was in Egypt. And the most suitable time was
believed to have arrived when Korkud left the city in a hurry.
Another point emphasized both in archival documents and chronicles is that they
were sackers; they plundered the properties of Muslims 1188 and killed many of them
throughout the rebellion. 1189 If we trust Idris-i Bitlisī, 50.000 people were killed from
both sides since the outbreak of the rebellion to the death of Ali Pasha on July 2, 1511,
which marked the end of the rebellion. 1190 Ottoman sources unanimously report the
outbreak of the Şahkulu rebellion as great turmoil and disaster for the ‘Muslim’
population of the region. Anonim Tevârih-i Al-i Osman says, for example, when they
rose up, they looted the properties and chastity (ırz) of Muslims who did not join
them. 1191 They set the villages on fire. All the vagabonds of the region joined them. 1192
1188 See, for example, SLZ1, p. 445; MNB, p. 428; ANMB, p. 49.
1189 See, for example, TSA, document E 2829. “…Elmalı’ya azimet düb anda dahī bir iki bin askerler cem
olub dururmuş. Buluşub anları dahī sıyub mübalağa tayifesin şehid eyleyüb ve Elmalı’ya dahi kezālik
vurub malın ve rızkın alub kendulara yaramayanı kırub Müslümanların ehl-ü ‘iyāllerine bir vech ile
hakaret etmişdir ki demek olmaz…”
1190 IDRS, p. 89.
1191 See TSA, document E 2829. Also consider HSE4, p. 44.
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