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

Dulkadir. 1679 Of course Taş-ili, the region from where Ahmed gathered most of his
fighters, was also on the table as an alternative. As we learn from the report of Karaca
Pasha to his patron Selim, he was invited to Taş-ili by Turkoman tribal leaders of the
region. According to this report, Ramazanoğlu sent a letter and suggested he come to
Taş-ili, but by leaving his properties (ağırlık) behind. If he (Ahmed) would come,
according to the plan of Ramazanoğlu, they would ally with Bulgar begs and kill those
Karaman begs who betrayed, gaining the obedience of the rest (of Karaman begs).
Karaca Pasha also informs Selim on that they sent a letter to the governors of Damascus
and Aleppo, demanding their allegiance. Their aim in searching the allegiance of
Mamluk governors was that if they could not resist in Taş-ili then they would flee
towards Damascus. 1680
Hoca Saadeddin states that during the flight of Prince Ahmed most of the
governors and begs deserted the prince and sought ways to find acceptance at the court
of Selim, while some others still remained with Ahmed. 1681 ‘Āli recites a similar
account,
Hizmetinde dāmen der-meyān ve da’vā-yı hulūsla can-feşān olan ümerā-i rūşināsān
dahī iki kısım olub, bir bölüği hātime-i kār ne sūretle bedīdār olacağını
bildiler. Envā’-ı inābetle rū-gerdān olub, rikāb-ı hümāyūn-ı şehriyārī takallübine
‘azīmet-kunān oldılar ve me’mūllerinden ziyāde ri’āyetler ile şād-kām oldılar.
Ammā bir kısmı ‘inādına musırr olub, ‘Ya taht ola, ya baht, ya tığ-ı saht ve ten-i
baht ber-taht’ diyüb Sultan Ahmed’den ayrılmadılar. 1682
1679 TNSS, p. 9.
1680 “... Ramazanoğlu haber gönderüb eğer Bulgar canibine gelürseniz cemi’ ağırluğunuz bırağub tenha
gelmek gerekdir ki Bulgar begleriyle muavenet edüb Karaman beglerinin hiyanet edenlerin kılıçdan
geçirüb mā-bākisin itaat itdürüb arka yardım alalım demişler. Dahi Şam ve Halep melik-i ümerāsına
ādem gönderilmiş ki, muavenet taleb ideler. Amma ol cānibe ādem göndermekden garaz, Taş’da karar
idemeyecek olursa Şam cānibini penāh tutuna. ...” TSA, document E 6399. At the court of Ahmed, fleeing
to Egypt was also discussed; even this idea gained the sympathy of the prince who sent a letter to Kansu
Gavri, the Mamluk ruler of Egypt. Nevertheless Gavri kindly turned down this request. See TNSS, p. 9;
Đsmail Hakkı Uzunçarşılı, “Memlūk Sultanlarının Yanına Đltica Etmiş Olan Osmanlı Hanedanına Mensup
Şehzādeler”, Belleten, cilt 17, sayı 68, p. 531.
1681 HSE4, p. 150.
1682 ALI, pp. 1060-61.
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