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

successfully created a revolutionary atmosphere at least in the southern and western
Anatolia; many people of the region fell into indecision on which side would win the
struggle. He was appointing governors to captured towns and castles. Furthermore, as
Uluçay points out, Şahkulu managed to gain some Ottoman administrators for his
cause. 1292
Another report, that of Prince Osman, also depicts Şahkulu as behaving like a
ruler, assigning governors, and confusing the minds of people. (…amirane hareket idüb,
kimin beylerbeyi idinüb, kimine yer yer subaşılık virüb…dimağları fesada varub sancak
kaldurub…) 1293 As also reported in the letter of the qādi of Antalya to Prince Korkud in
Zilhicce, 916 (March, 1511), he secured the submission of Ardabil sufis living in the
area and acted like a ruler, setting up dīvan-hāne and attempting to rule the country. The
qādi warned Prince Korkud on that their ultimate goal was to seize the country
wholly. 1294
The defeat of the Ottoman beylerbey of Anatolia was indeed a great success for
the rebellious movement. But Şahkulu was determined to go further. He then turned
towards Prince Korkud who was the governor of Saruhan. Korkud appointed Hasan Aga
to the command of his troops, which was reinforced by auxiliary forces from nearby
provinces. The two armies met on the plain of Alaşehir, where the Ottoman army tasted
a bitter defeat. Hasan Aga’s and some other sancakbeys’ heads were left on the
battlefield. Korkud could barely take refuge in the fortress of Manisa. These events took
1292 ULCY1, p. 69.
1293 TSA, document E 2829.
1294 See TSA, document E 632.
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