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

killed all of the qizilbash fighters, but arrested the brother of the shah 1429 , who was
imprisoned in Trabzon. ‘Ali also adds that they informed the Porte on developments. 1430
In this specific case, however, the accounts of two contemporary sources,
Kemalpaşazāde and Yusuf, seem to be more reliable. Although Ismail’s response to
Selim’s assaults in form of attacking the Province of Trabzon was not out of possibility,
the conditions must have discouraged Ismail from such offensive policies, for he was
recently forced to retreat from Dulkadir by the Ottomans. In addition, ‘Ali mistakenly
gives the date of this occurrence as 916/1511. 1431 As will be delineated in the following
paragraphs, this confrontation must have occurred before 1508.
Though not explained explicitly in the text of Selimnāme, it can be deduced from
the narration that Ismail’s army easily re-captured Erzincan. Selim, on the other hand,
immediately started preparation of an army to re-march on Erzincan. Selim’s only son,
Süleyman also attended this army. 1432 When Selim’s troops appeared in front of the city,
qizilbashes had already taken the position of war; 1433 two armies soon clashed each
other. If relied on Yusuf’s account, the second round too turned out in favor of Selim. 1434
He quite vividly describes how Selim’s soldiers and Selim personally chased qizilbash
fighters on rocky slopes of mountains near Erzincan.
Kızılbaş askeri akbehu’l-ahvāl üzere sınub kaçtılar. Ve kimi at yerağın terk idüb
baş kurtarmağa dağa çıkdı. Sipāh-i Rūm ardların alub ve Şehzāde bizzat piyāde
1429
Hammer states that this brother was Ibrahim. See HAM2, p. 370. As indicated above, first SLZ
mentions Ibrahim in this context.
1430
ALI, pp. 925-6. CLZ also vaguely indicates that Ismail’s intention to attack some fortress of the
province of Trabzon. See CLZ, pp. 85-6.
1431
ALI, p. 925.
1432
YSF, p. 26.
1433
YSF, p. 26.
1434
KPZ confirms this argument. “Erzincan nāhiyetinden dahī bir nice def’a ceyş-i bed-kīş-i Kızılbaşı
savaşla def’ itdi. Ol havālide olan vilāyetlerün ahalisi hümā-yı himāyetinde refāhīyet üzerine rahat olub
āsūde-bāl u hoş-hāl oldı. Ol hümā-himmetün sāye-i ri’āyetinde Erzenü’r-Rūma varınca merzbūm husūm-ı
şūm-kademün hücūm-ı kudūmundan me’mun ve mahsūn oldı.” KPZ8a, pp. 232-3.
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