Şâdî Pasha (Second Term)

In Modern English

He is the son of İshak Pasha of Amasya, the former grand vizier. At the beginning of Dhu al-Hijja of the year 922 he became governor of Amasya. Coming swiftly, he entered Amasya at the end of Dhu al-Hijja. Mehmed Çelebi also began the inquiry.

For the Celâlîs' daring to enter Amasya and do harm was not only because of their large numbers. It stemmed rather from the Kızılbaş who were working secretly inside the city.

But Kutb of Tabriz, the moment he heard that the beylerbeyi and inquiry official Şâdî Pasha and Mehmed Çelebi were coming, had fled and hidden. In the inquiry that was conducted it was understood that Kutb, Gıyâs and his servant Gencelî İbrahim had invited the Celâlîs and that the secret Shiites had helped in deed.

On the tenth day of Muharram of the year 923, Koca Mîr Gıyâseddin-i Şîrâzî, who for fifteen years had shown arrogant power at Amasya and had held sway through Sultan Ahmed's favor, was executed together with his servant İbrahim and many of the Shiites.

Hüseyin and İskender Beys, of the palace gatekeepers, who were charged with seizing Kutbeddin Îsâ of Tabriz, with difficulty found him and brought him out of a Kızılbaş's house at Merzifon. The said person was brought to Amasya in disgrace. He was hanged in Rabi' al-Akhir of the year 924 before the eyes of the people, who were pained by the vile acts he had committed. Seydî Ali Efendi of Amasya, who had studied in Iran, was also sent to the kadılık of Gümülcine.

Şâdî Pasha went to the Varay and Turhal side, where the Celâlî brigands were most numerous, and suppressed the brigands. He destroyed many of them and had their baggage plundered. He made the whole surroundings of Amasya a safe place. He had those who were of the brigands hanged.

At this time there were many scholars at Amasya. Of these, Bahşî Halife, professor of the Atabey Madrasa, was a scholar respected in the eyes of all the people for his good character, learning and maturity. İskilipli Cafer Efendi, professor of the Yörgüç Pasha Madrasa, Musliheddin Efendi of Amasya, professor of the Büyük Ağa Madrasa, and Şirvanlı Abdulmuhsin Efendi, professor of the Küçük Ağa Madrasa, gave lessons open to all.

The kadı of Amasya Şemseddin Ahmed Efendi, famous as "Eyhem," was dismissed and went to Istanbul. Mü'eyyedzade Abdülkerim Efendi became kadı of Amasya in his place. To the muftiship of Amasya Gıyâseddin İbrahim Çelebi, famous as "Paşa Çelebi," who was a nephew of Ak Şemseddin Efendi, was appointed and came from Istanbul.

In Safar of the year 924 it spread that Sultan Murad, son of Sultan Ahmed, had come from Iran and proclaimed his sultanate in the neighborhood of Karahisâr-ı Şarkî, and that many people had sworn allegiance to him. This rumor considerably alarmed Sultan Selim.

In Rabi' al-Awwal of the same year Sultan Selim ordered Şâdî Pasha, beylerbeyi of Amasya, to go in person with the force at hand to Karahisâr-ı Şarkî and investigate the truth of the rumor. Şâdî Pasha took Sofizade Mehmed Ağa, who knew Sultan Murad very well, and went to Karahisâr-ı Şarkî. He joined Kâsım Bey, bey of Karahisar.

Sofizade Mehmed Ağa was the son of Abdî Ağa, who had been Sultan Ahmed's chief of couriers at Amasya, and a friend of Sultan Murad. He knew Sultan Murad well. Şâdî Pasha seized many brigands and showed them to Mehmed Ağa. He found a look-alike, cut off his head and sent it to Istanbul.

Sultan Selim, after making inquiries of those who saw and recognized the head of prince Murad, had it buried in the Karacaahmed Cemetery at Üsküdar. But the rumor that Sultan Murad was alive circulated everywhere.

In the Solakzade History it says: "Prince Murad, four years after fleeing to Iran, came to Amasya in the guise of a dervish and fell ill. Through a farrier, after recovering under the protection of Sabuncuoğlu İbrahim Çelebi, one of Sultan Ahmed's men and of the rich of Amasya, he went to Üsküdar. He died there."

In any case Sultan Selim was suspicious of this rumor; he found those who knew the grave of prince Murad, had the head dug up, and had that farrier brought from Amasya and shown it. The farrier, probably in order to satisfy the sultan, confirmed that the head belonged to prince Murad. Sofizade Mehmed Ağa was summoned and joined the corps of çaşnigirs (royal tasters). He was called "Belâlı Mehmed Ağa."

In my view it is entirely true that prince Murad Bey came from Iran to Amasya in the year 922, was protected by Sabuncuoğlu İbrahim Çelebi, and claimed the sultanate around Karahisâr-ı Şarkî. But that he was captured and beheaded in the year 924, or that he died at Üsküdar, is contrary to the truth. Sultan Selim's suspicion was very well placed.

For there are two historical proofs that would deny that Sultan Murad was killed or died. The first is the Shiites' obstinate attacks and shows of strength, against such fierce pursuit by the Ottoman government, which continued from 922, even down to the date 940. Had there not been a prince of weight at their head, this resistance would not have lasted so long.

The second is a historical note that came into my hands. At the end of the book Mesâbîh, registered under number 1189 in the Fatih Library, read this historical note carefully:

تم كتاب المصابيح على يد العبد الضعيف النحيف المحتاج إلى رحمة هللا ابن موالنا حضر لطف هللا بلغهما هللا
غاية ما يتمناه فى يوم الخميس عشرين من شهر ربيع الثانى سنة ثالثين وتسعمائة هجرية ألجل األمير األعز
األكرم سلطان مراد بن األجل المغفورالمرحوم غيب هللا بن المغفورالمبرور ظاهربن طاهر ديوزاناوى.

This note is an Arabic phrase meaning: "The book Mesâbîh was completed by the weak, thin and needy servant in need of God's mercy, Lütfullah son of Mevlânâ Hızır, on Thursday the twentieth of the month of Rabi' al-Akhir of the year 930 of the Hijra, for the most dear and most honored emir Sultan Murad; may God bring both of them to the furthest of what they hope for. This Sultan Murad is the son of the most exalted, forgiven, the late Gaybullah; Gaybullah is the son of the forgiven, the blessed Zâhir; Zâhir is the son of Tâhir, the Dîvzânâvî."

This historical note shows with complete clarity that the one who wrote this book Mesâbîh was Hızır Efendizade Lütfullah, one of the scholars. He wrote it for Sultan Murad. He finished it on Thursday the twentieth of Rabi' al-Akhir of the year 930. There are four points here that are evidently deliberately concealed:

1- Who is "Gaybullah," shown as Sultan Murad's father?

2- Who is "Zâhir," said to be his father?

3- Who is "Tâhir," who is understood to be his father?

4- Where is "Dîvzânâ," to which he is attributed?

As I understand it, these names are indirect expressions and concealments made on purpose in order not to identify Sultan Murad. "Gaybullah" will be an allusion to Sultan Ahmed, who is the late one. He is called "the most exalted, forgiven, the late."

"Zâhir," shown as Gaybullah's father, will be an allusion to Sultan Bayezid II. For in the language of the sharia the sultan will be "Zâhir" (the manifest one), not hidden. He too is called "forgiven, the late."

"Tâhir," shown as Zâhir's father, will be an allusion to Fatih Sultan Mehmed II. For in the Prophet's blessed words the conqueror of Istanbul is praised as "what a fine emir, what a fine army." One who has been the object of the Prophet's praise is regarded as tâhir (purified), sacred and forgiven by God.

Dîvzânâvî: the old name of the village now famous as "Zânâ," near the city of Amasya in the northeast direction, is "Dîvzânâ." That Sultan Ahmed once had a farm and a mosque here is established by waqf records. A person attributed to this place may have been called "Dîvzânâvî."

The writer of this book, "İbn Mevlânâ Hızır Lütfullah," is a historical figure who explained these allusions to me. This person will be the son of "Mevlânâ Hızır son of İdrîs," who was the teacher of Sultan Murad son of Sultan Ahmed while at Amasya. From the expression "Bellagahümallah" (may God bring both of them) it is understood that Hızır Efendi was alive in the year 930.

If this understanding of mine is right, it is established that prince Sultan Murad was alive in the year 930 and that the head cut off in 924 did not belong to the prince. From this it is understood that at the head of the Celâlî brigands who attacked Amasya in the year 922 and obstinately tried to enter was Sultan Murad.

It follows that prince Murad, seeing that it was not possible to enter Amasya and be protected, wandered around Karahisâr-ı Şarkî and Sivas, tried to find supporters there by claiming the sultanate, and moved with the force he received from Shah İsmail.

Because the followers of the Armenian Celâl Halife, or rather the partisans of prince Murad Bey, concentrated around Sivas, Darende and Arapkir and carried out operations and did harm there, Sivas had gained importance.

Because of this importance the center of the province of Rum was moved to Sivas, and Şâdî Pasha, beylerbeyi of Amasya, became beylerbeyi of Sivas in Jumada al-Awwal of the year 924. The province of Amasya was separated off as a sanjak center, and "Uzun Rüstem Bey" was appointed to the sanjak bey's office.

Notes and Research

Old Words in the Text

• vâlî: governor, administrator of a province
• hasârât: damages, ruin
• ihtifâ: hiding
• vakûrâne: behaving with a show of gravity and arrogance
• rezîlâne: basely, in a humiliating manner
• ders-i âm: a lesson open to all, a public lesson
• ma'zûlen: having been dismissed from office
• bey'at: swearing allegiance with an oath of loyalty
• şâyi'a: rumor
• kuvve-i mevcûde: the military force at hand
• çâşnîgîr: the official in the palace kitchen who tasted the food and looked after the sultan's table
• kayd-ı târîhî: a note written at the end of a book giving the date and the writer's information (colophon)
• kinâye, ta'miye: describing a person indirectly and covertly without naming him openly
• mu'annidâne: obstinately, resisting
• tahassün: taking refuge, being protected

Şâdî Pasha's Second Term

That Şâdî Pasha was dismissed in Sha'ban 921 and that Sultan Selim pardoned him at Damascus and sent him again to Amasya was narrated in the previous entry. The inquiry in this entry appears in Hüsameddin's book as a second investigation conducted to uncover the secret Kızılbaş circle behind the Celâlî raid. In the same period an important change also took place in the administrative structure of the sanjak of Amasya: according to one study, while the center of the province of Rum appears as Amasya in a kadı appointment register of 1513, in the summary accounts register of 1520 it appears as Sivas. The same study writes that, as disturbances increased around Sivas, Darende and Arapkir as a result of Safavid incitement, Sivas gained importance, that the center was therefore moved from Amasya to Sivas, and that Şâdî Pasha became beylerbeyi of Sivas in Jumada al-Awwal 924 (May 1518). This agrees exactly with Hüsameddin's account. Another source, however, states that the center was Sivas from 1526 on; that is, there is a small disagreement among the sources over the exact date of the transition.

In an article examining the Kızılbaş movements at Amasya, it is written that the rising of Celâl, nicknamed "Şah Veli," who rose at Bozok in 1519 with a mahdi claim, was suppressed with great difficulty by the forces of the beylerbeyi of Rum, Şâdî Pasha, and that after this rising those who rose in Anatolia were called "Celâlî." The same study notes that although the rising came out with a religious discourse, it was essentially a reaction to centralizing policies and the pursuit of the Kızılbaş. Hüsameddin, for his part, uses the name "Celâlî" more for the brigands who attacked the surroundings of Amasya; whether the two usages exactly coincide is not clear.

The Question of Prince Murad

Prince Murad (1495-1519) is the son of Prince Ahmed. One entry writes that Murad joined Nur Ali Halife's broad campaign in Anatolia in 1512, that when the Safavid support did not materialize the plan was abandoned and he settled in Iran, and that he died of natural causes on 16 October 1519 at Kashan or Isfahan. The Kashan-or-Isfahan alternative shows that there is a disagreement among the sources. In this case the identity of the person beheaded at Karahisâr-ı Şarkî in 924 remains open.

Hüsameddin's own thesis is different: he argues that the head cut off in 924 did not belong to Murad and that Murad stayed alive until at least 930. He bases this view on two proofs: the resistance of the Shiites that lasted until about 940, and a note at the end of a copy of the Mesâbîh in the Fatih Library, which is said to have been written in the name of Sultan Murad. Whether this note is conclusive evidence of Murad's identity is disputed. Resolving the names "Gaybullah, Zâhir, Tâhir" as Sultan Ahmed, Bayezid II and Fatih is Hüsameddin's own interpretation, and no second source confirming it was found in the places I read. Moreover, cautious expressions such as "in my view" and "will be" are seen in Hüsameddin's own lines. The sources I read write that Murad died in Iran; Hüsameddin's thesis should therefore be read as a historian's valuable but unproven interpretation.

Another noteworthy point is Hüsameddin's matching of the name "Dîvzânâ" with today's village of Zânâ. This matching is made on the claim that it rests on waqf records; I could not confirm it separately among the sources.

The Sanjak of Amasya and Rüstem Bey

With Şâdî Pasha's move to Sivas, Amasya ceased to be the center of the province of Rum and became a sanjak center. Among the beylerbeyis of Sivas, Şâdî Pasha is mentioned in 1518 and Lala Sinan Pasha in 1521. According to the text, the appointment of Uzun Rüstem Bey to the sanjak of Amasya is the subject of the next entry.

Bibliography

Primary sources

• Abdîzâde Hüseyin Hüsâmeddîn Yasar, Amasya Tarihi, Amasya Belediyesi Kültür Yayınları, 2022, vol. 3, pp. 497–499. amasya.bel.tr

Academic studies

• "Amasya'da Kızılbaşlık Hareketlerinin Toplumsal Yansımaları", DergiPark. https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/3505577
• "İshak Paşa", TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi. https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/ishak-pasa

Other sources

• Adnan Gürbüz, "Sivas'ın İdarî Yapısı" (the move of the center of the Rum Province from Amasya to Sivas). https://acikerisim.fsm.edu.tr/xmlui/bitstream/handle/11352/508/Gürbüz.pdf
• "Rum Eyaleti" entry. https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rum_Eyaleti
• "Şehzade Murad (Şehzade Ahmed'in oğlu)" entry. https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Şehzade_Murad_(Şehzade_Ahmed'in_o%C4%9Flu)