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

that his valuable activities were not mediated to his father as they were, but presented as
insubordination. 1473 One year later after Korkud’s open violation of the subordination,
Selim moved from Trabzon, once more disregarding insistent orders of the Porte.
Ottoman court historians usually tend to conceal Selim’s real intentions. They depict as
if Selim moved from Trabzon in order to kiss his father’s hands. 1474 Some more realist
historians mention his demands for another province in Rumelia, but presenting as if the
reason was the low income of Trabzon. 1475 A close examination of his movement from
Trabzon to his ascendance to the throne, however, leaves no doubt that Selim’s only
goal since the very beginning of his movement was to capture the throne. But, of course,
he always declared different reasons or pretexts. His strategy was cunningly planned and
gradual. 1476
1473
Ottoman court historians congruently argue that the statesmen in Istanbul created an obstacle between
Selim and this father. They constantly depicted Selim’s victories against heretics and Christians as
insubordination to the Sultan’s authority for they favored Ahmed for the throne. Thus Selim lost his hope
to express his true intentions and sentiments through mediation of these statesmen and decided to visit his
father personally. TNSB, p. 270. Müneccimbaşı writes, for example: “Vüzerā ve vükelānın ve devlet ileri
gelenlerinin çoğu güzel huylu ve mülāyim mizaçlı olduğundan Sultan Ahmed’in tarafını tutuyorlar, kötü
huylu, öfkeli ve sert bir mizāca sahip olan Sultan Selim’den çekiniyorlardı. Bir fırsat ve münāsebet
düştükçe huūr-ı hümāyunda Sultan Ahmed’in iyi taraflarını, Sultan Selim’in de kötü taraflarını söyleyib,
Bayezid Han’ın Sultan Ahmed’e karşı muhabbetini artırıp Sultan Selim’den soğutmaya çalışıyorlardı.
Hatta, Sultan Selim’in Sultan’a itāat üzere olmayıp dāvā-yı istiklāl ettiğini iddia ediyorlardı. Đddialarını
isbat için de, Sultan Selim’in devlet-i aliyye ile sulh hālinde bulunan kızılbaşlarla savaşmasını ve izinsiz
olarak Gürcülerin memleketlerini yağmalamasını delil olarak gösteriyorlardı. Sultan Selim’in ağzından
vüzerāyı tehdid eden bir de mektup uydurmuşlardı.” See MNB, p. 422.
1474
HSE4, p. 13. HSE says Selim sent to his father three successive letters demanding permission to visit
him. But his demands were rejected.
1475
This was, indeed, one of the first pretexts of Selim for departing from Trabzon. When decided to cross
Rumelia, he first attempted to prepare ground to leave Trabzon. For this purpose he wrote letters to his
father explaining his discontent with the province of Trabzon. (For one of these letters see ULCY1, pp.
75-76.) According to KPZ, Selim decided to visit his son in Kefe in order to relax himself. He wrote a
letter to Bayezid for permission. His request however was denied. Upon his second demand was also
denied Selim moved from Trabzon without permission. (See KPZ8b, p. 40.) Another contemporary source
narrates otherwise: he wished to visit his father and sent letters to the Porte. His three successive demands
were all rejected. (ANMB, p. 162.) Instead, the Porte ordered him to stay in his province and protect it.
This answer, however, did not satisfy Selim and he decided to depart from Trabzon in 1510. See ULCY1,
p. 78; ANMB, p. 162.
1476
The real incentive of Selim to rebel his father is best indicated in Şükrī’s Selim-nāme. It is written in
this versified history that one day Selim summoned his entourage and discussed the deteriorated situation
of the empire. He reminded his men of the defeat of the Ottoman army against Mamluks, inability of the
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