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

Ahmed began to behave as if he had been the ruler of Anatolia during the
lifetime of Bayezid II. 1560 The Sultan warned him several times but Ahmet didn’t heed
his words . 1561 As indicated above, Ahmed mainly rested on tribal forces which had long
been, indeed, the chief opponents to the Ottoman rule in Anatolia under the banner of
Karamanid dynasty until Mehmed II annexed Karaman. After the Karaman rule,
nomadic Turkoman tribes of the Taurus region such as Turgut and Varsak continued
their opposition whenever an opportunity emerged. 1562 Ahmed was playing a dangerous
game; his allies were principal opponents of the Ottoman regime by nature. As Uluçay
already presented a number of examples, Ahmed deemed these tribal forces the most
trusted troops of his army 1563 and allocated provinces to these tribal leaders in his own
name. 1564
On the other hand, the Janissaries’ coup d’etat succeeded in Istanbul. Pro-Ahmed
statesmen were either disqualified or pacified. On Şevval 16, 917 (January 6, 1512), the
second vizier Mustafa Pasha became the grand vizier in place of Hersek-zāde Ahmed
Pasha, Sinan Pasha became vizier, Yunus Pasha the beylerbey of Rumelia, and
Dukakinoğlu Ahmed Pasha the beylerbey of Anatolia. Hasan Pasha, the former
beylerbey of Rumelia, was assigned to the governorship of Semendire but he refused this
1560 For example, as ULCY indicated, Ahmed assigned a certain Ali Beg to the governorship of Niğde in
late December 1511. See ULCY2, p. 121, footnote 8. Also consider IDRS, p. 95.
1561 KPZ8b, p. 60.
1562 For example, when a certain Mustafa, pretending to be the member of Karaman dynasty, rose up in
1500, these tribal forces did not hesitate to join him. For further analysis of the issue, see Chapter III and
Chapter V in the present study.
1563 In a Şaban 11, 917 (November 3, 1511) dated edict of Ahmed, which was written in Yenişehir
addressing Tugutoğlu Musa Beg, Turgudoğlu Musa Beg is ordered to come to join the army of Ahmed
since he is needed. Ahmed assures Musa Beg on granting him a satisfactory reward: “...Đnşaallahü’l-aziz
her birinizü ulûfeden ve dirlikden gereği gibi mahzuz ve behremend kılub hoşnud ve razı eyleyem.
Vallahu’l-azîm bu ahd ü peymana muhalefet etmeyem...” TSA, document E 2667, published in ULCY2,
pp. 121-2.
1564 See ULCY2, pp. 121-2. Also see HSE4, 80.
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