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

as the āmir and the great commander of Acem, the usurping Darius 1855 of the time, and
the malevolent Dahhāk 1856 of the age. The whole paragraph runs,
[After the doxology] But to proceed. This excellent address hath been issued on
our part, we who are the Refuge of the Caliphate, the slayer of the infidels and
polytheists, the extirpator of the foes of the Faith, the humbler of the Pharaohs’
pride, the tarnisher of the Khākān’s crowns, the King of those who fight and
strive for Religion, whose pomp is as that of Feridun, whose Court is as that of
Alexander, whose justice and equity is as that of Keyhusrev, that Dārā of noble
descent, Sultan Selim Shah, son of Sultan Bāyezid, son of Sultan Muhammad
Khan, to thee, who art the ruler of the Persians, the most mighty general and
puissant leader, the Dahhāk of the time, the Dārāb of the combat, the Afrāsiyāb
of the age, the famous Amīr Ismail. 1857
After this paragraph, further reference to the Qor’anic verses, which declares the
status of human being as the deputy of God on the earth, is made. Then Selim affirms
that in order to fulfill this divine mission it is compulsory to follow the path of the
Prophet Mohammad, which provides the peace and salvation in both worlds. If this is so,
it is required for all Muslims in general but especially for the just sultans to obey the
following divine order: “O believers, be you God’s helpers!” 1858 ; and to work faithfully
to diminish the harms of whosoever does not obey the rules of God and tears the drape
of the religion.
The letter of Selim describes Ismail’s position with an analogy that when the
forest is devoid of lion, jackal enters the forest as if it was a hero. He then recounts
Ismail’s wickedness driving him to war: he opened the doors of torture and oppression
1855 Probably Darius III (ca. 336-330 B.C.E.), who was defeated three times by Alexander the Great. Selim
is obviously alluding to current Ottoman-Safavid confrontation. See also William H. McNeill and Marilyn
Robinson Waldman (eds.), The Islamic World, New York, London, Toronto: Oxford University Press,
1973, p. 339. An English translation of Selim’s first letter is published in this book. (See Ibid, pp. 338-
342.) Nonetheless, the source is not specified. Furthermore, the text published here shows remarkable
differences from those copies recorded in Feridun Beg, IDRS, CLZ, and other cited Ottoman sources.
1856 A mythological king of Iran, notorious for his blood-thirstiness. Here again there is an allusion to
‘tyranny’ and ‘blood-thirstiness’ of Shah Ismail against the ‘just rule’ of Selim.
1857 Here I preferred the translation of Edward G. Browne. See BRW, pp. 13-14.
1858 Kur’an, LXI/13.
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