Birinci Kılıç Arslan'ın dâmâdı olan Güdül Bey'in ahfâdından Şücâ'eddîn Tuli Bey bin Türkânşâh'ın mahdûmu olup 619 hudûdunda Amasya vâlîsi olmuşdur.
Bundan akdem kadı-i Sivas olan Muhyiddîn Muhammed bin Alî bin Ahmed et-Temîmî el-Halebî, Tabakât-ı İbni Şigâr el-Mevsılî'de mezkûr olduğu üzere bir fâzıl-ı şî'î-mezheb, feylesof-ı bâtınî-meşreb, gayet natûk, sihr ü nîrencât ve şa'beze gibi fünûn-ı garîbede mâhir olduğu münâsebetle Sultân Alâ'eddîn Keykubâd'a tekarrüb ederek Sivas kazâsını yakalamışdı.
Meşhûr İshâk Kefersûdî, Şîrâz'da bundan usûl-i şî'ayı, sihr ü nîrencâtı tahsîl ederek hüsn-i nazarını celb etmekle hakîm-i mumâ-ileyhin kadı-i Sivas olduğu esnâda Sivas'a gelip orada ikâmet ve üstâdının nüfûz ve himâyesi altında usûl-i şî'ayı avâm arasında neşr ederek iktisâb-ı şöhret ediyordu.
621 saferinde vefât eden kadı-i Sivas Muhammed Temîmî'nin nüfûzu zâ'il oldukda İshâk Kefersûdî'nin neşr etdiği makâlât-ı muzahrefenin te'sîrât-ı muzırrası zâhir olup ihtifâya mecbûr olduğu cihetle Sivas'dan firâr edib Amasya etrâfında bulunan kurâya ve agleb-i ihtimâle göre Kedağra (Köprü) kurâsına ilticâ etmiş idi.
Mufassal Kurûn-ı Cedîde Târîhi'nde Avrupa müverrihlerinden naklen Ahmed [355] Midhat Efendi diyor ki: "İshâk Kefersûdî, Amasya'dan zuhûr ederek Bizans imparatorluğunu işgâl eden meşhûr Komennus â'ilesi efrâdından İsak nâmında bir prens olup ihtidâ ederek İshâk nâmıyla iştihâr etmiş, Amasya'da bir Rûm krallığı teşkîl etmek gayretinde bulunmuşdu."
Çünkü Komennus â'ilesi Amasyalı oldukları cihetle bunlardan birkaç kimse Amasya'da Jutati'us Komennus'un hükûmetini i'âde, Komennus krallığı teşkîl etmeğe pek ziyâde gayret ve bu uğurda mükerreren isyân ederek Amasya hükûmetini iz'âc etmişler idi. Bu â'ileden Yovanis Komennus bin Nikolas bin Jutati'us, ehl-i salîbin Amasya'yı istîlâsı esnâsında ve Mihlis Komennus 538'de ve Davidis Komennus dahi bunlardan sonra hurûc ederek her üçü de tenkîl edilmiş idi.
Amasya vâlîsi Halifet Gâzi zamânında meşâhîr-i fuzalâdan Fahreddîn Alî bin Muhammed el-Buhârî Amasya'da tedrîs-i ulûma hasr-ı himmet eylediği cihetle talebe-i ulûm u ma'ârif kesretle vürûd ediyordu. Bunların te'mîn-i istirâhati için Halifet Gâzi, Güdül Mahallesi'nde³⁷² bir medrese-i âliye binâ ve ittisâlinde gâyet musanna' bir türbe-i bedî'a inşâ ve müderrisliğini Bedreddîn İbrâhim el-Kimârî'ye tevcîh ve 622'de evkâfını tanzîm ederek fâzıl-ı müşârün-ileyhin hizmet-i neşrini teshîl ve ulûm ve ulemâya muhabbet ve hürmetini ibrâz etmişdir. [356]
Sultân Alâ'eddîn Keykubâd, aksâ-yı şarkda zuhûr eden Cengiz Hân'ın âlem-i İslâma verdiği dehşeti, Harezmîler'e karşı ibrâz eylediği şiddeti, Irâk-ı Arab'a kadar bütün şarkî Asya'yı istîlâ ederek gösterdiği kudreti işidiyor, Cengiz Hân'ın satveti Anadolu'ya doğru tekarrüb etdikçe endîşeye düşüyordu.
Bu cihetle Keykubâd Hân Anadolu'da vahdet-i idârenin menâfi'-i siyâsiyyesini takdîr ederek Erzurum'da hükûmet eden Selçûkîler'den Tuğrul Hân evlâdının vücûdunu muzır görüyor, Amasya vâlîsi Emîr Mübârizeddîn Halîfe Alp'ı Karahisâr'ın şark taraflarını istîlâya me'mûr ediyor, tedrîcî bir sûretde Erzincân'a tekarrüb ederek tedârikâtını ikmâle çalışıyor idi.
Çünkü Erzurum'a hem-hudûd olan İbarlar (Avarlar, Gürciler) mühim bir kudret-i askeriyyeye mâlik olmakla beraber Hristiyân oldukları münâsebetle Trabzon'da müteşekkil Rûm Komennus krallığı nüfûzuyla hareket etmekde idiler. Bu krallığın siyâset-i mugfilânesi, Konya Selçûkîleri'ne mütemâyil olduğu hâlde Erzurum Selçûkîleri'ni dâ'imâ Konya Selçûkîleri aleyhine tahrîk ve Gürciler'i de Erzurum Selçûkîleri aleyhine teşvîk ederek muhafaza-i mevcûdiyyet ediyordu.
Gürciler 622'de Celâleddîn Harezmşâh'a karşı altmış bin mevcûdlu muntazam bir ordu çıkartarak isbât-ı vücûd edib harben mağlûb oldukları cihetle Sultân Alâ'eddîn Keykubâd, Gürciler'in şu mağlûbiyetinden [357] bi'l-istifâde Erzurum taraflarını istîlâ ederek Rûmlar'ın şeytanet-i siyâsiyyesine hâtime vermek ve hudûd-ı Selçûkiyye'yi tehdîd eden bir kuvveti ya'nî Erzurûmîler'i kendisine mu'în ittihâzıyla Gürcistân'a yürümek azminde bulunuyor idi.
624'de Tibet hükümdârı Şıdırku (Şıdurgu Hân³⁷³)'ın beş yüz bin neferden mürekkeb büyük bir ordusunu târumâr eden şarkî Asya'nın hükümdâr-ı mutlakı Cengiz Hân³⁷⁴ vefât ederek yerine üçüncü oğlu Oktay Ka'ân³⁷⁵ Asya hükümdârı olup Harezm şâhlarıyla meşgûl olduğundan Konya hükûmetinin harekât-ı askeriyyesi zamânı hulûl etmiş idi.
Binâ'en-aleyh Sultân Alâ'eddîn Keykubâd Hân 625'de ma'iyyetine aldığı bir kuvve-i askeriyye ile Sivas üzerinden Erzincân'a hareket ve Amasya vâlîsi Emîr Mübârizeddîn Halîfe Alp dahi ma'iyyet-i mevcûdesiyle Keykubâd Hân'ın [358] ordusuna iltihâk etmekle Erzincân'ı, ba'dehû Kemâh'ı zabt ve müte'âkiben Erzurum'u istîlâ edib Tuğrul evlâdını kaldırmış ve ibrâz-ı hizmet eden Amasya vâlîsini Erzurum vâlîliğine ve Emîr Kamereddîn el-Hâdim'i de Amasya vâlîliğine nasb ederek avdet etmişdir.
In Modern English
He was a descendant of Güdül Bey, son-in-law of Kılıç Arslan I, and the son of Şücâeddîn Tuli Bey bin Türkanşah. Around 619 [1222] he became governor of Amasya.
Before him, Muhyiddîn Muhammed bin Ali bin Ahmed et-Temîmî el-Halebî was judge of Sivas. According to what is said of him in the Tabakât of İbn Şigâr el-Mevsılî, he was a scholar of the Shiite school, a philosopher of Bâtınî inclination, an excellent speaker, and a master of strange arts such as sorcery, talismans (nîrencât) and conjuring. For this reason he had drawn close to Sultan Alâeddîn Keykubad and obtained the judgeship of Sivas.
The famous İshak Kefersudî had learned Shiite method, sorcery and talismans from this man in Shiraz and had won his favour. While the said sage was judge of Sivas he came to Sivas and settled there; under his teacher's influence and protection he was gaining fame by spreading the Shiite method among the people.
When the influence of the judge of Sivas, Muhammed Temîmî, who died in Safer 621 [1224], came to an end, the harmful effects of the corrupt words that İshak Kefersudî had spread came to light. Obliged to hide, he fled from Sivas and took refuge in the villages around Amasya, most probably the villages of Kedağra (Köprü).
Ahmed Midhat Efendi, quoting European historians in the Mufassal Kurûn-ı Cedîde Târîhi, says: "İshak Kefersudî, who came out of Amasya, was a prince named Isaac from among the members of the famous Komnenos family that had seized the Byzantine Empire; he had become a Muslim and was known by the name İshak; he had tried to found a Greek kingdom in Amasya."
For since the Komnenos family was from Amasya, several of its members had made great efforts to restore the government of Jutati'us Komnenos in Amasya and to found a Komnenos kingdom, and in this cause had repeatedly rebelled and disturbed the government of Amasya. Of this family, Yovanis Komnenos bin Nikolas bin Jutati'us rose during the Crusaders' occupation of Amasya, Mihlis Komnenos in 538 [1143-44], and Davidis Komnenos after them, and all three were suppressed.
In the time of Halifet Gazi, governor of Amasya, the famous scholar Fahreddîn Ali bin Muhammed el-Buhârî devoted himself to teaching knowledge in Amasya, and students of learning and culture flocked there. For their comfort Halifet Gazi had a higher madrasa built in the Güdül quarter and constructed beside it a very solidly built, beautiful tomb. He gave the professorship to Bedreddîn İbrahim el-Kimârî, and in 622 [1225] he arranged its endowments and so eased the said scholar's work of spreading knowledge; thus he showed his love and respect for learning and scholars.
Sultan Alâeddîn Keykubad heard of the fear that Genghis Khan, who had appeared in the far east, had cast over the Islamic world, of his violence against the Khwarazmians, and of the power he displayed by invading all of eastern Asia as far as Iraq-i Arab; as Genghis Khan's awe drew nearer to Anatolia he grew anxious.
For this reason Keykubad Hân, bearing in mind the political benefits of unity of administration in Anatolia, regarded the existence of the line of Tuğrul Hân, among the Seljuks who ruled in Erzurum, as harmful; he was ordering the emir Mübârizeddîn Halîfe Alp, governor of Amasya, to occupy the eastern parts of Karahisar, and, approaching Erzincan step by step, was trying to complete his preparations.
For the Iberians (Avars, Georgians), neighbours of Erzurum, though they possessed a considerable military force, were Christian and so acted under the influence of the Greek Komnenos kingdom founded in Trebizond. This kingdom, though inclined toward the Konya Seljuks, always incited the Erzurum Seljuks against the Konya Seljuks, and preserved its existence by encouraging the Georgians against the Erzurum Seljuks.
In 622 [1225] the Georgians had put an army of sixty thousand regular troops into the field against Celâleddîn Khwarazmshah to prove their existence, but had been defeated in battle. Sultan Alâeddîn Keykubad intended to take advantage of this defeat of the Georgians to occupy the Erzurum region, to put an end to the political cunning of the Greeks, and to march on Georgia, making an ally of a power that threatened the Seljuk borders, namely the people of Erzurum.
In 624 [1227] Genghis Khan, the absolute ruler of eastern Asia, who had scattered the great army of five hundred thousand of the Tibetan ruler Şıdırku (Şıdurgu Hân), died, and his third son Oktay Kaan became ruler of Asia; since he too was occupied with the Khwarazmshahs, the time for military action by the government of Konya had come.
Thereupon Sultan Alâeddîn Keykubad Hân set out in 625 [1228] for Erzincan by way of Sivas with a military force he had taken with him. The emir Mübârizeddîn Halîfe Alp, governor of Amasya, joined Keykubad Hân's army with the forces under him. Thus they took Erzincan and then Kemah; immediately afterwards they occupied Erzurum and did away with the sons of Tuğrul. He appointed the governor of Amasya, who had rendered service, as governor of Erzurum and the emir Kamereddîn el-Hâdim as governor of Amasya, and returned.
Notes and Research
Old Words in the Text
- ahfâd: grandsons, descendants
- mahdûm: son
- fâzıl: a learned, virtuous person
- bâtınî-meşreb: of the view that believes in the hidden meaning of the word
- natûk: talkative, eloquent
- sihr ü nîrencât, şa'beze: sorcery, talismans, conjuring
- makâlât-ı muzahrefe: ornate, deceptive words
- ihtifâ: hiding
- agleb-i ihtimâl: great probability
- tedrîs: teaching
- talebe-i ulûm u ma'ârif: students of learning
- medrese-i âliye: higher madrasa
- musanna': skilfully made
- evkâf: waqfs
- satvet: awe, frightening power
- vahdet-i idâre: unity of administration
- siyâset-i mugfilâne: deceptive, stalling policy
- şeytanet: cunning
- mu'în ittihâz etmek: to take as an ally
- ma'iyyet: the force accompanying one, retinue
Who Was Halifet Gazi
Halifet Gazi was a Danishmendid emir who entered Seljuk service after the extinction of the principality. His father's name was Tuli (Suli in some readings) and his grandfather's name was Türkanşah; in the endowment deed his uncle İbrahim bin Tuli bin Türkanşah is named among the witnesses. His place and date of birth are unknown. After Keykâvus I's conquest of Sinop he was appointed commander of the Black Sea coastal guard, and in the time of Alâeddin Keykubad I, in 619 (1222), governor of Amasya. Hüsameddin gives a year close to this date. He then took part in Keykubad's campaign against the Mengujekids and after the victory became governor of Erzurum. In 1232 he fell as a martyr in the campaign against the Georgians, and his body was brought to Amasya and buried in the tomb known by his name. A Persian medical book was translated into Turkish in his name (Hekim Bereket's work Lübâbü'n-nühab, in its Persian title Tuhfe-i Mübârizî), and a book on the sports practised in Anatolia at the beginning of the thirteenth century was written.
The Madrasa and the Tomb
The place Hüsameddin calls the "Güdül quarter" is today the Şamice quarter. In his footnote too he writes that Güdül was Halifet Gazi's ancestor and that the quarter has been called Şamice since about 835 [1431-32]. The madrasa and the tomb still stand side by side today in the Şamice quarter, on Torumtay Street. Among the people it is called "Hilfet Gazi".
There is a discrepancy over the date of the building. Hüsameddin says the madrasa's endowments were arranged in 622 (1225); this date agrees with the surviving endowment deed. From the madrasa's inscription, however, it is understood that the building was constructed in 606 (1209-10); that is, the endowment arrangement is sixteen years after the building. There is also disagreement over the age of the tomb: the common opinion places it in the first quarter of the thirteenth century, while some researchers think it may have been built in the middle of the twelfth century, around 1145-46. According to the Danişmendname the madrasa was converted from a church into a madrasa; reused material was employed in the building. The tomb has an octagonal body, two storeys, a dome inside and a pyramidal conical roof outside; its lower storey cannot be entered today. The madrasa was repaired after the earthquake of 1647 and was thoroughly renewed in 1888 by Hacı Osman Hilmi Efendi, mufti of Amasya. Its south wall and east section partly survive.
The Shiite Judge and İshak Kefersudî
The İshak Kefersudî whom Hüsameddin describes is the person known in history as Baba İshak. He was the disciple and foremost successor of Baba İlyas; he began the revolt by arming the Alevis living in the Kefersud region near Hısn-ı Mansûr in Adıyaman. The Babâî revolt, the greatest popular uprising in Anatolian Seljuk history, is placed in the sources between 1237 and 1240. Baba İlyas was killed in Amasya Castle, and the rebels later reached Amasya. In this entry Hüsameddin mentions only Kefersudî's early years and his taking refuge around Sivas and Amasya.
The information that Kefersudî learned the Shiite method in Shiraz as a student of Muhammed Temîmî, and that he came to Sivas and settled there during his teacher's judgeship of Sivas, rests on the Tabakât that Hüsameddin cites. The claim that Kefersudî was a prince of the Komnenos family and tried to found a Greek kingdom in Amasya is a view that Ahmed Midhat Efendi relates from European historians. In the pages examined no record confirming this view was found. The sources examined present Kefersudî as a disciple of Baba from the Kefersud region; these two accounts do not agree with each other.
On the Erzurum Campaign
Hüsameddin places the taking of Erzurum in 625 [1228]. In the Seljuk sources, at this date Keykubad did away with the Mengujekids and then moved to take Erzurum from Cihan Şah, son of his uncle Tuğrul Şah. When Cihan Şah recognised the Ayyubid ruler al-Malik al-Ashraf as his suzerain, the sultan had to turn back in the face of the military force the Ayyubids sent. The joining of Erzurum to Keykubad's state is given as 627 (1230). In the Battle of Yassı Çemen of the same year Celâleddin Khwarazmshah was defeated. In 1232, during the Mongol incursion, Keykubad entered Georgian lands together with Mübârizeddin Çavlı, subaşı of Erzurum; the campaign in which Halifet Gazi fell as a martyr also belongs to this year.
Hüsameddin writes that Keykubad took Erzincan, Kemah and Erzurum in 625 and did away with the sons of Tuğrul. In the sources examined, however, the campaign of 1228 ended inconclusively through the Ayyubids' intervention, and the joining of Erzurum to Keykubad's state is given as 1230; this two-year difference does not agree with Hüsameddin's account. The appointment of Halifet Gazi to the governorship of Erzurum is placed in the sources after the campaign against the Mengujekids. No information was found in the sources examined about the governorship of Amasya of the emir Kamereddîn el-Hâdim, whom Hüsameddin mentions.
The details about Genghis Khan's death and the size of the Georgian army have not been compared with other sources in this study. No record could be found either for the accounts of Fahreddîn Ali el-Buhârî, Bedreddîn İbrahim el-Kimârî, Muhyiddîn et-Temîmî and the revolts of the Komnenos family in Amasya.
Bibliography
Primary sources
- Abdîzâde Hüseyin Hüsâmeddîn Yasar, Amasya Tarihi, Amasya Belediyesi Kültür Yayınları, 2022, vol. 2, p. 341–342. amasya.bel.tr
Academic studies
Books
Other sources