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

men and confronted the rebels outside the city. But some sipāhis and fighters gathered
from nearby villages betrayed and turned against Ottoman forces. In the end, the
Ottoman forces had to draw back to the fortress. 1278 This letter is not dated. But if we
accept the date offered by Hoca Saadeddin as the sufis day of moving from Yenice, this
battle must have occurred soon after Muharrem 10, 917 / April 9, 1511. Another letter
written by Karagöz Pasha pertaining to Şahkulu affairs suggests that another clash
between Ottoman forces and Şahkulu took place in Yenice; the defterdār lost his head
during this fight. Hasan Beg could barely flee to the fortress. Rebels also blocked the
communication of Antalya with the outside world. 1279
Şahkulu surrounded the city for a short while and moved northward, towards
Burdur, passing through Istanos, Elmalı, and Gölhisar. All the sufis of the region joined
them while the sunni population fled to mountains. 1280 Before entering the city, Şahkulu
crushed another Ottoman force of 2.500 soldiers commanded by Nokta, one of Karagöz
Pasha’s men. 1281 The qizilbashes entered Burdur on Muharrem 17, 917 (April 16, 1511)
or just before this day. Prince Osman reported the events to the Porte in his letter dated
Muharrem 17. 1282 Şahkulu did not aim simply to destroy the area; rather he believed in
capturing the country and establishing his own rule. His practices in the early phases of
1278 TSA, document E. 6321.
1279 TSA, document E. 77. Published in ULCY1, pp.65-66, footnote 16. Tansel recites that qizilbashes
attacked the market place of Antalya and spoiled properties of the city dwellers. During this attack 10.000
people were killed, among whom the qādi of Antalya was as well. See TNSB, p. 249, footnote 125.
1280 TSA, document E. 5035.
1281 CLZ, p. 123. KPZ refers to this battle without mentioning Nokta. See KPZ8b, p. 44. ANMB follows
the same manner. But ANMB’s description of rebellious troops is quite interesting: “…Ol gün hasmın
kuvve-i tāli’i ziyāde idi. Gāzilere bu hālet mūris-i za’f olub, mühnezim oldılar. Ol esrār-ı nākısu’l-efkārun
ki kalb-i pür-‘illetleri nūr-ı imandan hālī ve mücevvef idi. Esbāb-ı gururları muza’af oldı. Her biri şāhid-i
maksūdların kenāre çekmek ümīdiyle baş ortaya koyub ölüm eri olmuşlardı. Aralarında kesret-i vifāk ve
mezīd-i ittifak bir mertebede idi ki her birinin önünde ölmeği hayat-ı ebedī ve sa’ādet-i sermedī
bilmişlerdi...” See ANMB, p. 176. See also MNB, p. 428.
1282 At the beginning of his letter Prince Osman refers his former letters reporting the outbreak of the
rebellion. Then he reports current events which took place after the first letter. TSA, document E. 2829.
This document is partly published in ULCY1, pp. 66-67.
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