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

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disclaim their tendency since the other prince could punish them. There are a number of<br />

letters in TSA archives reflecting this situation. Many local governors and qādis sent<br />

letters to Prince Selim presenting their obedience but at the same time expressing their<br />

excuse for cooperating with Ahmed. They informed the new sultan about the situation<br />

they were in. If they had not followed Ahmed’s orders, he would have realized their real<br />

intention and punished them. Within these conditions, they had no other choice but to<br />

pretend as if they had been adherents of Ahmed. 1701<br />

The civil war seriously distorted the running of the governmental mechanism. No<br />

official could take himself from playing a part in the struggle of princes for this would<br />

be the most vital decision to determine their future within the Ottoman state machinery.<br />

Thus, the primary concern of the state agents was to take position on the right side. But<br />

being on the right side was depended on the efforts of the adherents as well.<br />

Consequently, once they chose a side, that is, a prince, they had to work with utmost<br />

enthusiasm for the future of their candidate. The natural consequence of this was, of<br />

course, intensified partisanship among the bureaucrats, soldiers, scholars, and other state<br />

agents and representatives.<br />

The most devastating results of such chaos and confusion among the members of<br />

the askerī class or the ruling class arguably appeared on the wellbeing of the re’āya, the<br />

tax-paying subjects. The malfunction of the governmental apparatus paved way to<br />

corruption in the official spheres. Thus, the condition of the subjects worsened further.<br />

How this corruption contributed to the creation of a fertile ground to produce qizilbash<br />

rebellions has already been demarcated. Idrīs, for example, calls attention to the point<br />

1701<br />

See, for example, the letter of Sultan Musa, the governor of Kastamonu. TSA, document E 2667. Also<br />

consider TSA, documents E 6376, E 6205.<br />

502

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