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

place just before May 3, 1511. 1295 Đshak Çelebi records that after this victory Şahkulu
said to his comrades, “We now took the suzerainty over the Province of Anatolia!” 1296
For some reasons Şahkulu did not attack Korkud in Manisa, but turned toward
Bursa. 1297 On hearing the developments and the intention of the rebels, the qādi of Bursa
sent an urgent message to the head of the Janissary corps on Safer 4, 917 (April 1511);
he reported the recent developments and the intention of Şahkulu. In his letter the qādi
was crying for help,
Sultan Korkud dahī kaçub Manisa kalesine varub, bi’l-fiil memleketi yıka yaka
Bursa’ya geliyor. Đki günedeğin yeniçeriden ve gayriden ve gayriden mu’īn ve
zāhīr ve mededci erişmezse memleket bi’t-tamam elden gitmişdir. Azīm
adüvdür. Beylerbeyinin vesāyir sancak beylerinin hazīnelerine ve cebecūşlarına
ve silāhlarına mālik olmuşdur... 1298
This report of the qādi explains clearly the degree of the success that the Şahkulu
movement achieved. Up to this point Şahkulu had defeated five Ottoman armies (he
himself had never been defeated yet), one of them was commanded by the beylerbey of
Anatolia, the highest military rank of Anatolia in the administrative system, and the
other by a deputy of Prince Korkud. Actually in the Anatolian peninsula, there was no
further Ottoman army, which was prepared and strong enough to stop Şahkulu, when he
marched toward Bursa. 1299 Ahmed, the qādi of Bursa, underscores this fact in an effort
1295
The battle was reported by Ahmed the qadi of Bursa to the Aga of Janissaries in his letter dated Safer
4, 917 (May 3, 1511). TSA, document, E. 5451. For the report and further details of events see ULCY1,
pp. 69-70.
1296
“Anadolu Vilāyetini kabza-i tasarrufa getürdük.” See Đshak Çelebi, Selim-nāme, Đstanbul Üniversitesi
Kütüphanesi, no. 2614, f. 12b. Recited in Tekindağ, “Şahkulu Baba Tekeli Đsyanı”, Belgelerle Türk Tarihi
Dergisi, 4, 1959, p. 55.
1297
See KPZ8b, p. 46. KPZ does not mention, however, Şahkulu’s march on Korkud and the battle took
place in Alaşehir.
1298
TSA, document, E. 5451.
1299
One might argue, however, that Prince Ahmed had enough military power to avert Şahkulu. Although
this idea seems to be true, Ahmed was devoid of the motivation to mobilize his army against Şahkulu
since he was much occupied with the struggle for the throne. Şahkulu affair was only of secondary
importance for Ahmed. Nonetheless, as will be analyzed below, his negligence in this affair would cause
him to lose the throne.
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