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

etreated rebels, to whom the soldiers around the pasha joined as well. Taking advantage
of the situation Şahkulu led an assault on Karagöz Pasha, who was totally defensless,
and incarcerated him. Upon losing their leader, the Ottoman troops scattered. After
consulting the sipāhis of Teke 1288 , Şahkulu executed Karagöz Pasha outside the city. 1289
Some words in the letter of the Ottoman spy Yusuf, who reported the defeat of
Karagöz Pasha to the Porte, best explain the psychology of the folk in the region. He
underscores, just like other reporters and spies, that the Porte should not underestimate
the danger; each day numerous men of plunderer were gathering around him. The folk
psychology was governed by the idea of revolution; thus the people of the region did not
trust anyone. Yusuf warns the Porte that one should not compare them with other foes:
“...mezkūr tāyifeyi zaīf etmek olmaz ve durmayub her gün yanlarına eşirradan adem
cem’ oluyor. Vilayetin halkı inkılab üzre olub kimesneye itimad değildir. Elhasıl bu
mel’unları sair a’dāya kıyas etmelü değildir. …” 1290
It seems from this expression that Şahkulu managed to convince not only his
adherents but also a considerable portion of the non-qizilbash population of the region
on his claims. As indicated above his intention was not simply to plunder the area but he
believed in repelling the Ottoman rule from the country and in establishing his own rule
in the name of Shah Ismail. So the revolt of Şahkulu was intended as a revolutionary
movement aiming to change the regime. 1291 As observed in Yusuf’s report, Şahkulu
1288 See below footnote.
1289 TSA, document E. 5035. Partly published in ULCY1, p. 62, footnote 11. Also consider TSA,
document E. 5881; TNSB, p. 251. KPZ and ANMB narrates the events in the same manner. See KPZ8b,
pp. 45-46; ANMB, p. 176-7. Also consider CLZ, p. 123; MNB, pp. 428-9.
1290 TSA, document, E. 5881.
1291 After narrating the death of Karagöz Pasha in Kütahya ANMB states, “...Çün memleket-gīrlik secdası
dimağları cevfen-i makarr idinmişdi. Müşāhade itdikleri sūret bi-hasbi’z-zāhir ol ma’nāyı kendü za’m-ı
fāsidlerince mukarrer idüb Anatolı Vilāyetini kabza-i tasarrufa getürdük deyu eşerinde bilürlerdi...”
ANMB, p. 178.
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