Esbak Anadolu nâzırı Samuk Noyinzâde Toka Noyin'in oğlu ve Ulay Noyin'in kardaşı olup yirmi seneden ziyâde Anadolu nâzırı olarak teneffüz etmekle 716 zilhiccesinde müstakillen Anadolu hâkimi olmuşdur. Târîh-i Âl-i Selçûk, Târîh-i Sa'd-i Yezdî'de "Abışka" ve tevârîh-i Arabiyye'de "Aşbıka, Aşbıkâ" şeklinde muharrer olan İşboğa Noyin, Tatarlar arasında "İşbuka, Yeşbuka" ve el-yevm çiftliği "Yeşbegi Karyesi" demekle meşhûr olduğuna binâ'en "Abışka" ta'bîri tashîf edilmişdir.
İşboğa Noyin'in dâ'ire-i hükûmeti Erzurum, Ankara, Kastamonu [473] vilâyâtıyla mülhakâtından ibâret olup Ankara vâlîsi Devletşâh oğlu Tâceddîn Devletşâh, Sivas vâlîsi "Emîr Şeyh" demekle meşhûr olan Hâbil oğlu İzzeddîn Hasan, Kastamonu vâlîsi Tutaş oğlu Gıyâseddîn Mahmûd Beyler mukaddemen İşboğa'nın hengâm-ı nezâretinde nasb etdiği kimseler olduğu cihetle kendisine zamân-ı istiklâlinde mutâva'at etmişler idi.
Çünkü İşboğa Noyin âkil, umûrunda mutabassır, a'mâl-i askere kâdir, mezâlimden korkar, mütedeyyin, ihsânı mebzûl, Tatar ümerâsı içinde etvârı makbûl ve müdebbir tanınmış olduğu cihetle efkâr-ı âmmeyi, kulûb-ı hâssayı kendi lehine celb etmiş idi. Şemseddîn Uğurbay, Seyfeddîn Timurbay435 gibi iki bahâdır, kendisinin dâmâdı ve Togatimur gibi beyne'l-ümerâ şecâ'atle meşhûr bir oğlu var idi.
Diyârbekir vâlîsi Aktacî Sutay Noyin dahi bilâd-ı Horasân'ı istîlâ eden Bisuka Noyin gibi hükûmet-i İlhâniyye aleyhinde isyân etdikleri münâsebetle İşboğa Noyin bu hareketinde müteferrid bir hâlde değil idi. Binâ'en-aleyh hükûmet-i İlhâniyye'nin gavâ'il-i dâhiliyyesinden [474] bi'l-istifâde kendisine mu'ârız olan Yaranc Noyin'i Erzurum hudûduna Anadolu eyâletinden ihrâc ve teb'îd ederek mevki'ini tahkîm etmişdir.
Yaranc Bahâdır, Erzurum hudûdundan İşboğa ve Sutay Noyinler'in ahvâlini henüz on iki yaşında iken 717 muharreminde câlis-i taht-ı İlhânî olan Sultân Ebû Sa'îd Bahâdır Hân'a arz ve iş'âr eyledikde husamâ-yı ikbâline galebe ederek tasarrufât-ı umûr-ı hükûmeti yed-i iktidârına alan Çoban Noyin 717 cumâde'l-ûlâsında Yaranc Bahâdır'a Diyârbekir eyâletini ve kendi oğlu Timurtaş Bey'e eyâlet-i Rûmiyye'yi tevcîh ve ma'iyyetlerine birer kuvve-i askeriyye terfîk ve i'zâm eyledi.
Eyâlet-i Rûmiyye vâlîsi Emîr Timurtaş ile Yaranc Noyin müctemi'an gelip Sivas şehrini bi'l-muhâsara vâlîsi bulunan Emîr Şeyh Hasan Bey'in arz-ı mutâva'atı üzerine zabt ederek Tokat'a doğru geldikleri Amasya hâkimi İşboğa'nın ma'lûmu oldukda ma'iyyet-i askeriyyesiyle hareket ve Tokat ile Turhal arasında harbe mübâşeret etdiler. İşboğa Noyin, ihrâz-ı galebe ederek Timurtaşlılar'ı Sivas'a kadar ta'kîb etmekle ulemâ ve ümerâ bunların aralarını te'lîf ve İşboğa Noyin dahi Emîr Çoban'a inkıyâd eylediğini iş'âr etmiş idi.
718 saferinde Amasya eyâleti İşboğa Noyin uhdesinde ibkâ ve takrîr edilmiş, Timurtaş Bey dahi münhasıran Rûm eyâletine vâlî olmuşdur. Bu esnâda Amasya kâdı'l-kudâtı Nasreddîn Muhammed bin el-Garmînî [475] vefât etmekle yerine kadı-i sâbık Şemseddîn Muhammed bin el-Hallâtî Amasya kâdı'l-kudâtı olmuşdur.
Târîh-i Aynî'de mezkûr olduğu üzere bu sene Anadolu halkını kaht u galâ son derece tazyîk eylediğinden ölmüş insân, hayvân, kilâb etleri ekl edilmiş, bunlar dahi kesb-i galâ etmekle erbâb-ı fakr u zarûret def'-i cû' için evlâdını satıp para tedârik ederek lâşe eti almağa mecbûr olmuş, hükûmet gabn-ı fâhişe meydân vermemek için oğlana on dirhem, kıza sekiz dirhem fî'ât vaz' etmişdir.
719'da Sivas vâlîsi Emîr Timurtaş, Tutaş oğullarından emîr-i meşhûr Şemseddîn Timur Candâr Bey'i Kastamonu emîri Gıyâseddîn Mahmûd Bey'in üzerine taslît ederek onu ref' edib Timur Bey'i vâlî nasb etdiği gibi hükûmet-i İlhâniyye aleyhinde isyân eden Diyârbekir vâlîsi Yaranc Bahâdır'ı dahi tenkîl ederek kendisine dehâlet eden Aktacî Sutay Noyin'i Diyârbekir eyâletine nasb etdirip Anadolu'da nüfûzunu tahkîm ve ekser-i ümerâyı kendisine celb etmişdir.
Timurtaş Bey, kaht u galâya ma'rûz olan halka ibzâl-i nukûd ederek tehvîn-i zarûretlerine çalışıyor, herkesin gönlünü teshîr ediyor, ibtidâ kendisini mütereddidâne kabûl eden efkâr-ı umûmiyyeyi tamâmiyle kazanıyordu. Ikdu'l-Cümân'ın zabtı üzere Amasya vâlîsi İşboğa Noyin 720 saferinin evâ'ilinde vefât etmekle Amasya eyâleti dahi [476] Emîr Timurtaş'ın nüfûzu altına girmiş, müntesiblerinden Gümüşlüzâde Mahmûd Bey'i Amasya vâlîliğine nasb etdirmişdir.
In Modern English
He was the son of Toka Noyin, son of Samuk Noyin and former overseer of Anatolia, and the brother of Ulay Noyin. He served for more than twenty years as overseer of Anatolia and in Dhu'l-Hijja 716 [1317] became sole ruler of Anatolia. İşboğa Noyin, written "Abışka" in the Seljuk History and the History of Sa'd-i Yezdî and "Ashbıka, Ashbıkâ" in the Arabic histories, was called "İşbuka, Yeşbuka" among the Tatars and today his farm is known as "Yeşbeği Village"; the spelling "Abışka" should therefore be regarded as a corrupted reading.
İşboğa Noyin's sphere of government consisted of the provinces of Erzurum, Ankara and Kastamonu and the places attached to them. Since Tâceddin Devletşah, son of Devletşah and governor of Ankara, İzzeddin Hasan, son of Hâbil and governor of Sivas, known as "Emîr Şeyh", and Gıyâseddin Mahmud, son of Tutaş and governor of Kastamonu, were persons İşboğa had appointed earlier during his overseership, they had obeyed him in the period of independence as well.
İşboğa Noyin was intelligent, farsighted in his affairs, capable in military matters, shrank from cruelty, and was devout and generous; since he was known among the Tatar emirs as a cautious man whose conduct was admired, he had won public opinion and the hearts of the distinguished in his favor. Two brave men, Şemseddin Uğurbay and Seyfeddin Timurbay, were his sons-in-law; among the emirs he also had a son named Togatimur, famed for his bravery.
Since Aktacı Sutay Noyin, governor of Diyarbekir, like Bisuka Noyin who occupied Khorasan, rebelled against the Ilkhanid government, İşboğa Noyin was not alone in this action. Thereupon, taking advantage of the internal disorders of the Ilkhanid government, he drove Yaranc Noyin, who opposed him, out of the province of Anatolia to the border of Erzurum and strengthened his position.
From the border of Erzurum Yaranc Bahadır reported the situation of İşboğa and Sutay Noyin to Sultan Abu Sa'id Bahadur Khan, who had come to the Ilkhanid throne in Muharram 717 [1317] at only twelve years of age. Çoban Noyin, who had overcome his rivals and taken the management of state affairs into his hands, in Jumada al-awwal 717 [1317] gave the province of Diyarbekir to Yaranc Bahadır and the province of Rûm to his own son Timurtaş Bey, and sent them off with a military force attached to each.
Emir Timurtaş, governor of the province of Rûm, and Yaranc Noyin came together and besieged the city of Sivas; when its governor Emîr Şeyh Hasan Bey offered obedience, they took the city and came toward Tokat. Learning of this, İşboğa, ruler of Amasya, set out with his soldiers and gave battle between Tokat and Turhal. İşboğa Noyin won and chased the Timurtaş forces as far as Sivas. Thereupon the scholars and emirs mended matters between them; İşboğa Noyin had also announced his submission to Emir Çoban.
In Safar 718 [1318] the province of Amasya was left in İşboğa Noyin's charge and confirmed; Timurtaş Bey became governor of the province of Rûm only. At this time, when Nasreddin Muhammed bin el-Garmînî, chief judge of Amasya, died, the former judge Şemseddin Muhammed bin el-Hallâtî became chief judge of Amasya in his place.
As recorded in the History of al-Aynî, this year famine and high prices pressed the people of Anatolia extremely hard. The meat of dead people, animals and dogs was eaten; when these too became expensive, those in poverty and necessity were forced, in order to relieve hunger, to sell their children to find money and to buy carrion. To prevent excessive prices, the government set a price of ten dirhams for a boy and eight dirhams for a girl.
In 719 [1319-20] Emir Timurtaş, governor of Sivas, set the famed emir Şemseddin Timur Candâr Bey, one of the sons of Tutaş, to attack Gıyâseddin Mahmud Bey, emir of Kastamonu, removed him, and appointed Timur Bey governor. He also punished Yaranc Bahadır, governor of Diyarbekir, who had rebelled against the Ilkhanid government; by having Aktacı Sutay Noyin, who had attached himself to him, appointed to the province of Diyarbekir, he strengthened his influence in Anatolia and drew most of the emirs to himself.
Timurtaş Bey tried to ease the people who had suffered famine and high prices by distributing money, winning everyone's heart; he wholly won over the public opinion that had at first received him with hesitation. According to the record of Ikdu'l-Cümân, when İşboğa Noyin, governor of Amasya, died in early Safar 720 [1320], the province of Amasya also came under Emir Timurtaş's influence; Timurtaş had one of his men, Gümüşlüzâde Mahmud Bey, appointed to the governorship of Amasya.
Notes and Research
Old Words in the Text
- nâzır: official who oversaw the affairs of a region under Mongol rule; for İşboğa one speaks of the "overseer of Anatolia"
- esbak: former, previous
- tashîf: wrong reading or writing of a word
- mutâva'at: obedience, submission
- hengâm: time, occasion
- istiklâl: acting independently
- dâmâd: son-in-law
- gavâ'il-i dâhiliyye: internal disorders
- mutabassır: farsighted, one who looks to his affairs wisely
- kaht u galâ: famine and high prices
- gabn-ı fâhiş: cheating with an excessive price
- tenkîl: punishing, bringing into line
- kilâb: dogs
- lâşe: meat of a dead animal
İşboğa Noyin and the Mummy in the Amasya Museum
İşboğa Noyin's name is also mentioned in Amasya today together with the mummies in the museum. The Amasya Museum displays the mummies of eight people known to have lived in the Ilkhanid period. Among them are Prince Cumudar, overseer of Anatolia, İşbuğa Noyan, emir of Amasya, and the family of Pervane Bey, who ruled in Amasya. According to the museum director, the examination and endoscopy carried out in 2003 showed that the children died of disease, while İşbuğa and Cumudar were killed by strangulation. İşbuğa Noyan is said to have died in 1320; this agrees with the date of Safar 720 that Hüsameddin gives on the basis of Ikdu'l-Cümân. Hüsameddin says nothing about the manner of his death; the information that he was killed by strangulation rests on the museum official's statement.
The Governor-Generalship of Anatolia and Timurtaş
The events Hüsameddin relates appear in present-day academic studies as follows. Emir Çoban became the most powerful man in the state after Abu Sa'id Khan's accession, divided the provinces among his sons, and gave the governor-generalship of Anatolia to his son Timurtaş. These studies write that the former governor İrincin Noyan, who is said to have increased the reaction against Mongol rule by oppressing the people of Anatolia, was transferred to Diyarbekir. It is very probable that the emir Hüsameddin calls "Yaranc" and later "Iranc" is the same person as this İrincin Noyan: Hüsameddin too writes that Çoban gave Diyarbekir to Yaranc and the province of Rûm to his son Timurtaş. Although the names are written in different forms, the records agree with each other; still, since this identity is not stated explicitly in Hüsameddin, it should not be given as a firm judgment.
The studies write that Timurtaş was governor-general in Anatolia for twelve years, between 1315 and 1327; this information does not fully coincide with the date Hüsameddin gives in 717 [1317], and the starting year differs in the two accounts. In the revolt of 1319 begun against Çoban in Anatolia, it is related that the rebels defeated on the bank of the Zencan stream were captured and killed, and that emirs such as İrincin, Sutay's son and "Abuşka, nephew of Bektut" took part in this revolt. The relation of this Abuşka to Hüsameddin's İşboğa (Abışka) is not explained in these studies; no link other than the similarity of names could be established. Hüsameddin, however, writes that İşboğa died in Amasya in 720.
The Year of Famine
The news of famine Hüsameddin writes for 718 [1318-19] rests on the History of al-Aynî. Another academic study records that in 1314, when Emir Çoban besieged Konya, a locust plague in Anatolia caused a great famine. This record does not confirm Hüsameddin's report for 718; it only shows that Anatolia was struggling with famine in these years.
Yeşbeği Today
Hüsameddin writes that İşboğa's farm is today called "Yeşbeği Village". No information on this village was found in other sources.
Bibliography
Primary sources
- Abdîzâde Hüseyin Hüsâmeddîn Yasar, Amasya Tarihi, Amasya Belediyesi Kültür Yayınları, 2022, vol. 2, p. 382–383. amasya.bel.tr
Academic studies
- Ş. Cem Tuysuz, "İlhanlı Devletinin Anadolu Genel Valisi Temürtaş'ın Siyasi, Askeri ve Sosyal Hayatı", ATASOBED, 22/3, 2018, p. 1649–1675. https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/553643
- Faruk Sümer, "Karamanoğulları", TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, TDV İslâm Araştırmaları Merkezi, 2001. https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/karamanogullari
- "Ebû Said Bahadır Han", TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi. https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/ebu-said-bahadir-han
Other sources