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

up. On the other hand, it was our sincere desire to put our faces on the Porte of the Shah
and see his beautiful presence. We thought that it would be an appreciated service to be
a slave at the Porte of the Shah. Thus we left our country and came.” Then the Shah said,
“Why was it necessary to put the country in the fire?” The leader of the rebels answered
this question as follows: “We dared to loot and plunder because we wanted to get
revenge of the oppressions to which we had been exposed and to add more men to the
rebellion.” The Shah said, “This answer is not acceptable. You say you love us! While
you know that the relationship between Sultan Bayezid and I is just like the relationship
of a father and a son, did you not realize that your movement would damage our
relationship with the Ottoman Sultan? How did you especially dare to plunder our
caravan? Plundering caravans is the job of robbers. What you did is not compatible with
what you say, and falsifies your words.” Then he could not find anything to say. Ismail
continued, “And with which sultan’s permission did you put this hat on your head?” He
replied, “It is the sign of gazā!” The Shah said, “It is up to the permission of sultans to
put on such hats. Moreover, when did you become gāzi? Is it gazā to spill the blood of
Muslims?” On concluding the conversation with this severe reproof, by a sign of the
Shah the leader of the rebels and his vizier were put into the boiling caldrons. Other begs
of rebellious group were also put to death. 1377
Hoca Saadeddin mentions an interesting event in this context. On disapproving
of the leader of rebel’s vestry, gāzi hat (otaga) Ismail turned toward one of his leading
commanders Dev Sultan and said, ‘You can take this otaga if you like!’ Dev Sultan put
1377 HSE, pp. 66-8. The conversation between the Shah and leaders of the rebels is cited also by SLZ. But
his account is nothing but a replication of HSE’s account. See pp. 455-7.
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