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

governors and of Karagöz Pasha, but not because of the rebels’ power. 1313 Ali pasha was
renown with his pro-Ahmed stand. In this campaign his main intention was to use the
rebellion as an intermediary-legitimizing step in order to save the throne for Prince
Ahmed. 1314 However, it was not only the intention of the grand vizier, but the intention
of the sultan as well. If relied on contemporary Ottoman historians, Bayezid planned to
use the prestige of suppressing Şahkulu rebellion to enthrone Ahmed. 1315 Hoca
Saadeddin records, for example, that when Şahkulu defeated the Ottoman army in
Kütahya the sultan’s health had already deteriorated seriously. Upon learning the defeat
of Karagöz Pasha he became so sorrowful that he felt he could no longer carry on the
saltanat. He summoned leading statesmen and explained his decision, which was to
leave the throne to Prince Ahmed. 1316 But, Hoca Saadeddin says, in order to achieve this
plan the problem of Şahkulu had to be solved beforehand. He charged Ali Pasha first to
extirpate qizilbashes and then to bring Ahmed to the capital city. 1317 As Hoca Saadeddin
clearly states, the real point of the Pasha was to meet Ahmed and to make necessary
preparation for ascending him to the throne. 1318
1313 KPZ records, for example, “[Upon learning the situation that the rebellion reached Bayezid II became
so uncomfortable and angry. Ali Pasha, the grand vizier, said to the sultan] ‘Anatolıda ādem olmayub,
beğler kötülüğündendür. Birkaç etrāk-i nā-pākün ne kadar iktidārı ola ki bu kadar fesād eyleye, dahī
haklarından gelinmiye!’ Bilmedi ki düşmene hakāret nazarıyla nazar etmek ‘ayn-ı sefahatdür.” KPZ8b, p.
47. For similar a account also see ANMB, pp. 179-183; CLZ, pp. 127-8; HSE4, p. 47; MNB, p. 429.
1314 CLZ writes Ali Pasha’s intention, which was shared by other ‘corrupted’ statesmen as well, as
follows: “(Ali Paşa) Sāyirleri ile ittifāk eylediler ki, ‘Asıl maksūdumuz Sultan Ahmed ahvālidür, ‘isyān ve
tuğyān iden melāhide husūsı dahī murādımıza muvāfık vāki’ oldı. ‘Atabe-i ‘ulyāda olan ‘asker-i zaferpeykerin
yararlarını ve yeniçeri dilāverlerinden birkaç bin güzīde ve şīr-merdlerini alub, Anatolıya
geçelüm, vāki’ olan mühimmāt-ı saltanatı görüb Sultan Ahmedi getürelim’ deyü mu’āhede eylediler...”
CLZ, pp. 127-8.
1315 According to ANMB, Bayezid secretly commissioned Ali Pasha to enthrone Prince Ahmed by using
this revolt as excuse. According to the sultan’s plan Ali Pasha would join Ahmed’s army and provide the
support of janissaries to Ahmed’s succession. See ANMB, p. 50.
1316 HSE4, p. 48.
1317 HSE4, pp. 48-50. For a similar account regard MNB, p. 429.
1318 “Aslında Paşa’nın gerçek amacı Sultan Ahmed’le buluşarak onun saltanat tahtına oturmasıyla ilgili
ilk hazırlıkları yapmak ve de yeni padişahı iş başına getirmekti.” HSE4, p. 49.
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