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

Kütahya seems to be the turning point in the political aspirations of Şahkulu. As referred
to in this study already, Ottoman reporters and historians need to indicate that after
capturing Karagöz Pasha, Şahkulu decided to execute him according to the suggestions
of the sipāhis of Teke. 1396 Defeating the Anatolian beylerbey of the Ottoman Empire,
Şahkulu strongly believed in gaining the control of the whole of western Anatolia for
himself. Indeed, immediately after this victory his attack on Prince Korkud’s province
and then his march on Bursa reflect Şahkulu’s big aspiration. Thus, it must have been
exactly this independent movement (from the Shah) that Ismail severely punished. 1397
6.4. CONCLUSION
Idris-i Bitlisī records that from the emergence of the rebellion to Ali Pasha’s death
50.000 people were killed from both sides, thousands of houses were plundered and
many people were enslaved. 1398 The rebellious qizilbashes successively defeated a
number of Ottoman armies, one of which was commanded by the beylerbey of Anatolia
and the other by the grand vizier. The Şahkulu rebellion deeply weakened the authority
of the Ottoman government in Anatolia. It also caused serious mass deportation. Apart
from the killed people, those who managed to flee from the sword of rebels took shelter
in the mountainous regions; they abandoned their fields, vineyards, gardens, and even
their homes. Accordingly agricultural production lessened seriously. As a result, the
rebellion severely damaged the economy of the Ottoman Empire. 1399
1396 See, for example, TSA, document E 5035.
1397 In the meantime, one should not disregard that the reliability of HSE’s account is at stake. It would not
be wrong to suppose that he exaggerated the treatment of Ismail against the rebels, because of well-known
reasons. Even so, Ismail’s discontent attitude toward the adherents of Şahkulu rebellion can not be denied.
1398 IDRS, p. 89.
1399 Compare ULCY1, pp. 73-74.
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