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

ended with no victor. But the rebels managed to kill the highest bureaucrat of the
Ottoman state. 1355 The fate of Şahkulu is not clear. His death in the battlefield was
rumored. 1356 According to some hearsay, however, he was heavily wounded but not
killed. 1357 Kemalpaşazāde summarizes the situation: “Mezkūr paşa düşicek Şeytan Kulı
didikleri müfsīd-pelīd cenk içinde nā-bedīd oldı, yer delindi yere mi girdi, göğe mü çıktı,
kimse bilmedi.” 1358
Most probably to shadow his passive participation in the suppression of the
rebellion 1359 , Ahmed accuses, in his report to the Porte, Anatolian and Karaman sipāhis
for the defeat. 1360 Even so, his report includes a certain degree of truth regarding the
Anatolian and Karaman soldiers. In his letter, Ahmed says that the end of Şahkulu was
not clear: whether he was killed or had fled to the east. Then he asks the Porte: ‘Even if
Ali’ye çektiler kanlı kızıl nacağı.
Ali de küskün ol kötülük eyleyenden,
Soylu olan kaçar hilekārın övgüsünden” HSE4, pp. 62-3. Also see HR, p. 154.
1355 TSA, document E. 3062. Also see ULCY1, p. 72; KPZ8b, p. 54;
1356 According to HR, ALI and SLZ, he was killed in the battlefield. See HR, p. 155; ALI, p. 930; SLZ1, p.
454. Also regard, Tekindağ, “Şah Kulu Baba Tekeli Đsyanı”, Belgelerle Türk Tarihi Dergisi, 4, 1959, p.
58.
1357 Certain Hacı Mustafa wrote after the battle, “…Amma aralarında reisleri olan Şahkulu halife dedikleri
mülhide cenkde tüfenk dokundu öldü deyu mesāvi dahī varmış. Şimdiki hīnde Erzincan’a can attı gitti
derler…” TSA, document E. 6664.
1358 KPZ8b, p. 55. CLZ, HSE, and MNB repeat the same account. See CLZ, p. 137; HSE4, p. 63; MNB, p.
431. Prince Ahmed’s letter is not clear on Şahkulu as well: “…imdi eğer ol Şeytankulu dedikleri lain
düştüğü vaki ise hüvel matlub-ı ila cehennem ve bi’s’ el-mesir ve eğer düşmeyüb zir-u inhizam üzre şark
tarafına çıkub gitdi, dahi gitmedüğü takdirce beher hal onun def’i ne ile olur…” TSA, document E. 3062.
1359 For example, one of the contemporary sources depicts Ahmed’s position in a pejorative manner as
follows: In this side, while Ali Pasha was fighting with qizilbashes, Prince Ahmed was waiting with the
rest of army. His dream was that Ali Pasha would return victorious and they would prepare for taking over
the throne. But his dreams bitterly collapsed when he heard that Ali Pasha deceased. See ANMB, pp. 229-
30.
1360 Fisher, relying on the Italian sources, argues that many of Karamanian leaders participated in the
rebellion from the beginning. Their incentives were more political, however, than religious beliefs. See
FSH, p. 97. Nevertheless one should take this assertion with caution for none of Ottoman sources mention
Karamanian leaders participation in the rebellion in any stages of it.
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