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

would be the next sultan, their established order would continue. On the other hand
Selim was dynamic, rigorous, enterprising, and warlike. They knew that during the reign
of Selim they would either loose their position or have to work harder. 1516
A passage in the Selimnāme of Idrīs-i Bitlisī succinctly explains the two pillars of
Selim’s strategy in his struggle with his father and brothers. Idrīs says that when Selim
approached to Edirne demanding to meet with his father, Bayezid declined his request
and ordered him to return. But Selim insisted on his demand. According to Idrīs’ re-
formulation, Selim based his claim for the throne on two pillars: first, the Porte had
given up rigorous gazā policy, which had always been the core of the traditional policy
from their ancestors. 1517 The Sultan had to stimulate gāzis and launch cihād campaigns
in order to enlarge the realm of Islam. This the tradition of the Prophet (sünnet), was the
strict order of the God on certain portion of Muslims (farz-ı kifāye) 1518 . On the other
hand, the warrior-gāzis began to loose their enthusiasm and skill since they never
engaged war; especially the young soldiers who never participated in a gazā were
neither tasting the heroism and the religious enthusiasm of a holy war nor progressing
their skills and abilities to fight. Selim accused the Porte, as reported by Idrīs, for they
renounced traditional policy of the dynasty. 1519
Selim’s second criticism pointed toward the viziers, if not toward the Sultan, was
regarding their passive attitude in qizilbash affairs. Selim carefully constructed his line
of argument in such a manner that, on one hand, he called the attention of the statesmen
(erkān-ı devlet) to the rising power of Ismail and his deadly enmity regarding the
1516 See, for example, CLZ, pp. 105-106.
1517 Consider also HSE4, p. 11.
1518 That is the strict order of God on Muslims, but not on every individual. If some portion of Muslims
fulfils this order, then the others will not be responsible. If no one would fulfill, then the whole Muslim
society would be punished for it.
1519 IDRS, pp. 90-91. Also regard HSE4, pp. 11-12.
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