Death of Shah Ismail, The Founder of The Safavid State
Şefaattin DenizThis article meticulously examines Shah Ismail's journey from his final winter encampment to his demise, drawing insights from Safavid historical sources. The primary goal is to pinpoint the exact location and dates of his death, integrating these findings into existing literature. The investigation began with identifying and translating references to Shah Ismail's death from key Persian sources. His This work final days along the Ardabil-Tabriz route were retraced, revealing that his passing occurred in Mankutay within the Sayın Gediği region, affirming the continued existence of this settlement. Born in Ardabil in July 1487, Shah Ismail's early life was marked by tragedy, leading him to assume leadership of the Safaviyya sect at a remarkably young age. He established the Safavid State based on Twelver Shiism when he was 13 to 14 years old. Shah Ismail worked diligently to consolidate his creation, balancing the Qizilbash tribes, Tajik bureaucrats, and Arab scholars with notable success. Until the pivotal Battle of Chaldiran in 1514, he maintained control over a significant portion of Iranian territory. On March 11, 1524, after his final winter stay in Nakhchivan, Shah Ismail ventured to Sheki for hunting and political matters. During his return journey, he traversed Moghan to Goktepe, briefly staying at the base of Savalan Mountain. Falling ill in Tabriz, the seat of his rule, he established camp in the Sayın Pass. Consumed by excessive alcohol consumption, Shah Ismail succumbed to severe internal organ damage and breathed his last on May 23, 1524, in Mankutay near Sayın Gediği. Following funeral arrangements overseen by Allame Emir Jamaluddin Muhammad Esterabadi, Shah Ismail was interred in the Safi-ad-Din Mausoleum in Ardabil. Various chronograms have been proposed to pinpoint the date of his death.
Safevî Devleti’nin Kurucusu Şah İsmail’in Ölümü
Şefaattin DenizBu makalenin temel amacı; Safevî kaynaklarından hareketle Şah İsmail’in son kışlağından ölümüne kadarki süreci irdeleyip vefat yerini ve ölümü üzerine düşürülen tarihleri tespit edip literatüre kazandırmaktır. Çalışmaya Farsça ana kaynaklardan Şah İsmail’in ölümü ile ilgili bahisleri tespit edip tercümesi yapılarak başlanmış, ardından Şah İsmail’in son zamanlarını geçirdiği Erdebil-Tebriz hattında seyahatler yapılmıştır. Sayın Gediği havalisindeki Mankutay’da öldüğü ana kaynaklardan tespit edildikten sonra bu yerleşim yerinin varlığını sürdürdüğü tespit edilmiştir. Şah İsmail Temmuz 1487’de Erdebil’de dünyaya gelmiş, dedesi Cüneyt, babası Haydar ve ağabeyi Ali’nin öldürülmesinden sonra henüz çok küçük yaşlarda iken Safeviyye tarikatının başına geçirilmiş son derece sıkıntılı bir sürecin ardından 13-14 yaşlarında iken On İki İmam Şiiliğine dayalı olarak Safevî Devleti’ni kurmuştur. Kızılbaş oymaklar, Tacik bürokratlar ve Arap ulema arasında bir denge kurmak suretiyle inşa ettiği sistemi geliştirmeye gayret etmiş, bunda büyük ölçüde başarılı olmuştur. 1514 Çaldıran Savaşı’na kadar neredeyse tüm İran coğrafyasını egemenliği altına almıştır. Şah İsmail 11 Mart 1524’te Nahcıvan’da son kışlağını yaptıktan sonra hem avlanmak hem de siyasi problemleri çözüme kavuşturmak amacıyla Şeki’ye gitmiştir. Dönüşte ise Moğan’dan geçerek Göktepe’ye gelmiş, Savalan Dağı’nın eteklerinde bir müddet kalmıştır. Erdebil’de birkaç gün kaldıktan sonra taht merkezi Tebriz’e doğru yola çıkan Şah İsmail burada rahatsızlanınca Sayın Geçidi’nde ordugâh kurulmuştur. Zamanının çoğunu sürekli içki içerek geçiren Şah İsmail yoğun alkolün sonucu iç organlarının tahrip olması yüzünden 23 Mayıs 1524 tarihinde Sayın Gediği yakınlarında bulunan Mankutay’da hayata gözlerini yummuştur. Allame Emir Cemaleddin Muhammed Esterabadî nezaretinde cenaze işlemlerinin tamamlanmasının ardından Erdebil’e götürülüp Safiyüddin Türbesi’ne defnedilmiştir. Ölümü için pek çok tarih düşürülmüştür.
Shah Ismail, the founding figure of the Safavid State, remains one of the most enigmatic historical personas in the Turkish-Islamic world. His tumultuous reign, spanning twenty-three years from 1501 to 1524, is the crux of ongoing historical debates, primarily owing to his intricate political and sectarian activities. Shah Ismail's enduring legacy is palpable in the collective consciousness of Turks in Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Iran, manifesting in folk poetry, minstrels' verses, political controversies, and varying interpretations by historians.
Despite Shah Ismail's prominence as a subject of numerous academic inquiries, narratives, and novels, surprisingly, the circumstances surrounding his death have largely evaded scholarly scrutiny. Even in works that make reference to him, details regarding the site of his demise are often glossed over without critical examination of other sources. Therefore, this article endeavors to delve into the final days of Shah Ismail's life, exploring the date and cause of his death, his burial, the chronograms that have sought to immortalize this event, and his multifaceted character and generosity. This examination centers on the foundational sources of Safavid history. The inception of this article involved the meticulous identification of Safavid sources that mention Shah Ismail's death, along with the notation of pertinent locations. Subsequently, a series of journeys retracing his steps along the Ardabil-Tabriz route, where he spent his last days, marked the commencement of the writing process. The focal point was the precise determination of the place of his passing.
The state founded by Shah Ismail and the dynasty to which he belonged derived their name, Safavids, from Safi-ad-Din, the sect's original founder. Upon capturing Tabriz, Shah Ismail issued coins and khutbahs in his name, but the paramount significance lay in establishing the state based on the Twelve Imam sect. According to the sect's creed, any government or ruler not descending from Ahl al-Bayt was deemed an oppressor and usurper. Safavid historians thus endeavored to affirm Shah Ismail's seyyid lineage, anchoring his legitimacy in the lineage of the Ahl al-Bayt through Musa Kazim, the seventh imam of Shia.
The Safavid State was chiefly characterized by the Kizilbash tribes, who constituted its military backbone. Among these, the Shamites, Ustajites, Qajars, Tekelites, Afshars, and Zulkadites held pivotal roles and made indelible marks on history. Notably, the succession of Haydar, Ali, and Ismail to leadership within the sect following Sheikh Junayd illustrated that it was the tribal chiefs, rather than the sheikhs, who exerted real leadership. This becomes particularly evident when considering that Ismail was a mere thirteen years old at the time of the Safavid State's establishment.
Shah Ismail's dominance extended across nearly the entire Iranian realm until the pivotal Battle of Chaldiran in 1514. On March 11, 1524, following his final winter sojourn in Nakhchivan, he embarked on a journey to Sheki, driven by hunting pursuits and the resolution of pressing political matters. Upon his return, he traversed Moghan to Göktepe and spent some time at the base of Savalan Mountain. After a brief stay in Ardabil, Shah Ismail embarked on his routeto Tabriz, the seat of his rule. However, his health deteriorated, leading him to establish a camp in Sayın Pass. Tragically, Shah Ismail, who had spent a considerable portion of his time indulging in alcoholic beverages, succumbed on May 23, 1524, in Mankutay near Sayın Gediği, his internal organs ravaged by the effects of intense alcoholism. Following the completion of the requisite funeral procedures under the vigilant supervision of Allame Amir Jamaluddin Muhammad Esterabadi, the funeral prayer was conducted with the participation of scholars, virtuous individuals, seyyids, prominent statesmen, and notables. Shah Ismail's remains were then transported to Ardabil by thirty specialized forces and sword-wielding disciples, interred in Sheikh Safi-ad-Din's mausoleum, where his ancestors rested.
Safavid historians strived to depict Shah Ismail as a leader who treated his followers with compassion and justice. However, their own accounts reveal instances of large-scale massacres, especially during the conquest of various Iranian territories, notably Tabriz. Shah Ismail was a formidable presence both on the battlefield, displaying mastery with sword and shield, and in discourse, showcasing his eloquence. He possessed a notable talent for poetry, with a particular affinity for Turkish verse under the pseudonym Hatayî. His disinterest in amassing wealth, gold, or silver was complemented by his generous personality. Often, his treasury stood empty, and his devotion to hunting was unwavering. He restricted his hunting endeavors to lions, rewarding those who reported lion sightings with horses, and, for tiger sightings, a horse without a saddle.
