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

legitimate heir of the suzerainty predestined by God. His claims were not limited to
temporal power, but he also claimed divine support. Thus his adherents attributed to him
supernatural power, which was reinforced by successive victories over Ottoman armies,
as well. The letter of the qādi of Antalya includes further extreme claims. The qādi
mentions a disciple of Şahkulu called Salih Fakih who preached among people “he
(Şahkulu) is God; he is Prophet; and the resurrection will occur in front of him; those
who do not obey him will pass away without faith.” 1233
Indeed, even the descriptions of Ottoman reporters and historians occasionally
reflect his spiritual influence over the folk. An inspector says, although his soldiers are
rather poor and disregarded he managed to save himself from each assault of the
Ottoman soldiers; we do not know whether he is acquainted with magic or ability to
control jinns. 1234 Kemalpaşazāde’s account on the end of Şahkulu during the battle with
Ali Pasha also follows a similar manner: “…He disappeared in the battlefield; nobody
knew whether the ground opened and he fell in or he ascended to the sky!” 1235
6.2.2. The Organization of the Rebellion
A close examination of the sources unveils that, in the 1510s, the qizilbash society of
Anatolia was already remarkably organized and well-communicated with each other. The
architects of this web of communication and socio-religious organization were khalifas
1233 “...Subaşı Hasan bendenüz gönderilüb mezkur Şahkulu ele girmeyüb musahiblerinden yirmi nefer
kimesne ele girüb tutulub habs olundu. Zikr olunan mahpuslardan Salih Fakih nām kimesne mezkur
Şahkulu içün halka telkin edüb haşa Allah budur ve Peygamber budur ve sūr-ı hesab bunın önünde olsa
gerekdür. Buna itaat etmeyen imansız gider dedüğü bi-hasebişşer sābit olub salbolundu…” TSA,
document E 632.
1234 “ ...Amma bilmeyüz ki sihri mi vardur teshīr-i cin mi bilür her ne defada ādem sıymış ise uğraş
olmadan sıyub kaçmışdır...” TSA, document E. 6187.
1235 “…Mezkūr paşa düşicek Şeytan Kulı didikleri müfsīd-pelīd cenk içinde nā-bedīd oldı, yer delindi yere
mi girdi, göğe mü çıktı, kimse bilmedi...” KPZ8b, p. 55.
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