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

is that they set fire to even cāmis and zāviyes; they trampled on the words of God and set
it on fire. 1197
The violent reaction of the rebel qizilbashes to the Ottoman regime, which was
intermingled with the sunni-Hanefi interpretation the Islamic law (şeriat), was best
manifested in their attitude towards qādis, foremost representatives of this regime. They
treated qādis of the cities the most awfully and those that they captured they tortured to
death. Prince Osman reports, for example, upon capturing Gölhisarı that the qizilbashes
had detained the qādi of the city, killed him with severe torture, took his money and
smashed his body into pieces. Prince Osman also reports that their wrath was not only
against qādis but also against subaşıs and elites of cities and tows as well. 1198
6.2. ON THE NATURE OF THE REBELLION
6.2.1. The Ideology of the Rebellion
As delineated above, the Şahkulu rebellion had not only religious character but also
ideological and social dimensions as well. Sohrweide detects similarities in this rebellion
was Muhammad Karra, who rebelled and took possession of Yazd. He was confined in a cage and
smeared with honey so that the wasps tormented him. Finally he was also burnt alive in the square
(meydān) of Isfahan. (BRW, p. 56.)
Ottoman historians also occasionally mention cannibalism conducted by the Shah’s soldiers. HSE says,
for example, Shah Ismail ordered to make two grandsons of Alauddevle, who were captured during his
campaign on Dulkadir, and his followers ate them. (HSE3, p. 351.) ‘Âli recites their cannibalism in more
exaggerated manner, “Dem olurdu ki, Şah-ı nev-sipāh bir şahsa gazāb eylerdi, karşusunda hazır bulunan
hezeleye “Yen bunı!” diyū söylerdi. Fi’l-hāl ol behāyim sıfatlu etrāk ol dermendin ağzını burnını koparub
çāk çāk iderlerdi. Lisān ve beynini kelle-i kūsfend ve dili gibi tatlu tatlu hora geçürürlerdi. Ke-ennehū
segān ve gurkān gibi merdum-hordeliği hisāl-i hamīdeden bilürlerdi. Kendüsi dahī bu yüzden icrā-yı
fermāna mahzūz olurdı. Bu hāleti kuvvet-i kāhiresinden ‘add idüb tefāhur kılurdu.” (ALI, p. 1086.)
1197 “…Ve şehri dahi yer yer oda koyub mescidleri ve zāviyeleri bile yakmışdır. Ve haşā buldukları
kelamullahı ve kitapları oda vurub tabanlayub mahvederlermiş…” TSA, document E 2829.
1198 “…Gölhisar üzerine düşüb gelgüği gibi fil-hāl hisarı alub kadısın dutub ellibin akçesin aldıkdan sonra
enva’-i ceza ile katl edüb meyyitin der-pare eyleyüb dört köşede asub ve subaşısın bile öldürüb ekābirden
ve āyandan mübalağa ādem kılıçdan geçürüb…” TSA, document E 2829.
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