Shah Budak (; died 1500) was Beg of Dulkadir from October 1465 to April 1466 and 4 June 1472 to 1480. During the reign of his brother, Malik Arslan (), Shah Budak took refuge in Mamluk Egypt. He took advantage of the discord between Malik Arslan and the Mamluks by provoking the Mamluk sultan to commission his brother's assassination. Malik Arslan was killed in October 1465, and Shah Budak rose to the throne afterwards. However, before the Mamluk forces could come to his aid, he was defeated by his other brother, Shah Suwar (), who was backed by the

Ottoman Sultan The sultans of the Ottoman Empire (), who were all members of the Ottoman dynasty (House of Osman), ruled over the Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental empire from its perceived inception in 1299 to Dissolution of the Ottoman Em ...

Mehmed II (). Shah Suwar was engaged in continuous warfare against the Mamluk Sultanate, whereas Shah Budak took sides with the latter. Shah Suwar was caught by the Mamluk forces on 4 June 1472. Shah Budak rose to the throne once again, and during his second reign, an initial challenge came from his nephew (Malik Arslan's son) Kilij Arslan Beg, who was in the service of the

Aq Qoyunlu The Aq Qoyunlu or the White Sheep Turkomans (, ; ) was a culturally Persianate society, Persianate,Kaushik Roy, ''Military Transition in Early Modern Asia, 1400–1750'', (Bloomsbury, 2014), 38; "Post-Mongol Persia and Iraq were ruled by two trib ...

ruler

Uzun Hasan Uzun Hasan or Uzun Hassan (; February or March 1425 – January 6, 1478) was a ruler of the Turkoman (ethnonym), Turkoman Aq Qoyunlu state and is generally considered to be its strongest ruler. Hasan ruled between 1452 and 1478 and presided ove ...

(). However, the Aq Qoyunlu were fended off by the Mamluks and later defeated by the Ottomans at the Battle of Otlukbeli on 11 August 1473, which rendered Kilij Arslan's ambition to topple Shah Budak unfeasible. Mehmed II sponsored another brother of Shah Budak, Bozkurt (), who vanquished Shah Budak and claimed the throne in 1480. Shah Budak escaped to Egypt. He was eventually favored by Mehmed II's successor Bayezid II (). Shah Budak's attempt to overthrow Bozkurt in 1489 was unsuccessful. The Mamluks banished Shah Budak to

Upper Egypt Upper Egypt ( ', shortened to , , locally: ) is the southern portion of Egypt and is composed of the Nile River valley south of the delta and the 30th parallel North. It thus consists of the entire Nile River valley from Cairo south to Lake N ...

Background

The Beylik of Dulkadir was founded by Zayn al-Din Qaraja (), a local Turkmen lord, as a client state of the

Mamluk Sultanate The Mamluk Sultanate (), also known as Mamluk Egypt or the Mamluk Empire, was a state that ruled Egypt, the Levant and the Hejaz from the mid-13th to early 16th centuries, with Cairo as its capital. It was ruled by a military caste of mamluks ...

, in southern

Anatolia Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...

and northern

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

. Qaraja eventually rebelled against the Mamluks and was executed in 1353. The conflict between the Dulkadirids and the Mamluks persisted with the consecutive rule of his sons Ghars al-Din Khalil () and Shaban Suli (), who were both assassinated on the orders of the Mamluk Sultan

Barquq Al-Malik Az-Zahir Sayf ad-Din Barquq (; born ) was the first Sultan of the Circassians, Circassian Mamluk Burji dynasty of Mamluk Sultanate (Cairo), Egypt ruling from 1382 to 1389 and 1390 to 1399. Born to a Christianity, Christian father in Cir ...

(). With the reigns of Shah Budak's grandfather, Mehmed (), and father, Suleiman (), the Dulkadirids attempted to forge amicable relations both with the Ottoman state and the Mamluk Sultanate by arranging marriages between their daughters and the sons of the Ottoman sultans. During Malik Arslan's () reign, the Dulkadirids were involved in the accession wars within the

Karamanids The Karamanids ( or ), also known as the Emirate of Karaman and Beylik of Karaman (), was a Turkish people, Turkish Anatolian beyliks, Anatolian beylik (principality) of Salur tribe origin, descended from Oghuz Turks, centered in South-Centra ...

as well as a struggle against the

ruler

().

Rise to power and first reign

During the rule of his brother, Malik Arslan, Shah Budak took refuge under the Mamluk Sultan Sayf al-Din Khushqadam (). Shah Budak encouraged the sultan to commission Malik Arslan's assassination with the hopes that he could rise to the throne. Khushqadam dispatched a

fedayeen Fedayeen ( ''fidāʻiyyūn'' "self-sacrificers") is an Arabic language, Arabic term used to refer to various military groups willing to sacrifice themselves for a larger campaign. Etymology "Fidayun" is the plural of "fidayi" ( ''fidāʻiyy'' ...

from

Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...

to the north. Malik Arslan was murdered in October 1465 at a mosque in Elbistan, during the

Friday prayer Friday prayer, or congregational prayer (), is the meeting together of Muslims for communal prayer and service at midday every Friday. In Islam, the day itself is called ''Yawm al-Jum'ah'' (shortened to ''Jum'ah''), which translated from Arabic me ...

. Shah Budak took over the throne by attaining the (diploma to rule) from the Mamluks. On 30 November 1465, the Dulkadirid ambassador arrived in Cairo confirming Shah Budak's accession. Khushqadam thus sent an honorary robe to the new ruler. Shah Budak instantly faced opposition from his subjects who accused him of

parricide Parricide is the deliberate killing of one's own parent, spouse, child, or other close relative. However, the term is sometimes used more generally to refer to the intentional killing of a near relative. It is an umbrella term that can be used to ...

and appealed to the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II () to install Shah Budak's claimant brother who he harbored, Shah Suwar (), in Elbistan. Shah Suwar had previously taken part in Mehmed II's campaigns and was made the

sanjak-bey ''Sanjak-bey'', ''sanjaq-bey'' or ''-beg'' () was the title given in the Ottoman Empire to a bey (a high-ranking officer, but usually not a pasha) appointed to the military and administrative command of a district (''sanjak'', in Arabic '' liwa’' ...

of Chirmen, located in

Thrace Thrace (, ; ; ; ) is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe roughly corresponding to the province of Thrace in the Roman Empire. Bounded by the Balkan Mountains to the north, the Aegean Sea to the south, and the Black Se ...

. On 4 December, Mehmed II appointed Shah Suwar as the

wali The term ''wali'' is most commonly used by Muslims to refer to a saint, or literally a "friend of God".John Renard, ''Friends of God: Islamic Images of Piety, Commitment, and Servanthood'' (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2008); John ...

(governor) of Bozok and Artukabad through a

firman A firman (; ), at the constitutional level, was a royal mandate or decree issued by a sovereign in an Islamic state. During various periods such firmans were collected and applied as traditional bodies of law. The English word ''firman'' co ...

, which formerly belonged to his father, Suleiman. Shah Suwar was further given Dulkadir and Bozok nomads under his authority, who had scattered over the region near Bozok (Yozgat) and

Tokat Tokat is a city of Turkey in the mid-Black Sea region of Anatolia. It is the seat of Tokat Province and Tokat District.

disgruntled by Shah Budak's reign or for other reasons. Backed by the Ottomans, Shah Suwar marched on his brother. Shah Budak proclaimed that any attack on him would be to the Mamluks. Hence, Khushqadam dispatched Berdi Beg, the governor of

Aleppo Aleppo is a city in Syria, which serves as the capital of the Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Governorates of Syria, governorate of Syria. With an estimated population of 2,098,000 residents it is Syria's largest city by urban area, and ...

, to come to Shah Budak's aid. Before the Mamluk forces could intervene, Shah Suwar defeated his brother near Zamantu Castle and reclaimed the throne, prompting Berdi Beg to return in April 1466.

Clashes with Shah Suwar

Shah Budak was a member of an army, under the command of Governor of

Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...

Berdi Beg, that reached the Dulkadirid realm in September 1467. In Turnadağ, near Göksun, on 4 October 1467, Shah Suwar led an unexpected attack, capturing Berdi Beg and killing several Mamluk commanders. Shah Budak took part in another campaign initiated by the new Mamluk Sultan Qaitbay (). This army was led by Uzbek, the governor of Damascus, and arrived in Aleppo, where it was joined by auxiliary troops. The Dulkadirid forces confronted the Mamluks on the left bank of the

Ceyhan River The Ceyhan River (historically Pyramos or Pyramus (), Leucosyrus () or Jihun) is a river in Anatolia in the south of Turkey. Course of the river The Ceyhan River (Pyramus) has its source (known as ''Söğütlü Dere'') at a location called '' ...

to the southwest of Marash in April 1469. The Dulkadirids were overpowered, and Shah Suwar's brother Mughulbay was killed in the battle. Shah Suwar fled to

Kars Kars ( or ; ; ) is a city in northeast Turkey. It is the seat of Kars Province and Kars District.� ...

through the mountains, with his forces stationed on the paths going to the town. In June 1469, when the Mamluk army was preparing to return to Egypt due to a shortage of subsistence, the Dulkadirids struck back. Though casualties were significant, Uzbek and Shah Budak were able to return to Egypt. Another army departed Cairo in February 1471. Its leader Emir Yashbak min Mahdi was further trusted with great authority such as the liberty to appoint and dismiss any official in Syria. The army once again included Shah Budak among its ranks and absorbed various auxiliary Turkmen forces when it reached Aleppo in May 1471. In June, the Mamluk forces seized control of Aintab from the Dulkadirids after a nine-day siege. Through the confession of a captive, the Mamluks discovered the location of the Dulkadirid forces in the region. They killed 28 enemy troops, including some of the Dulkadirids' foremost commanders. On 9 August, Shah Suwar sent a representative and many gifts to the Mamluk commander in Aintab to request peace. The negotiations were inconclusive, and after learning of Shah Suwar's flight to the south, Yashbak dispersed members of his retinue around the area, which forced Shah Suwar to retreat to Marash in August. One last expedition by Yashbak took back much of the lands the Mamluk Sultanate had lost to Shah Suwar, whose support from the Ottomans dwindled, prompting him to seclude himself in Zamantu Castle in inner Anatolia. Yashbak approached Zamantu on 22 May 1472, and following a series of failed negotiations based on Shah Suwar's conditions to surrender, he was finally caught and fettered.

Second reign

Shah Budak was enthroned while Shah Suwar and his other rival brothers were being transported to Cairo for their execution. Although many of Shah Budak's brothers were eliminated from the regnal competition, another challenge came from Kilij Arslan Beg, the son of Shah Budak's deceased brother, Malik Arslan. Kilij Arslan had settled in

Tabriz Tabriz (; ) is a city in the Central District (Tabriz County), Central District of Tabriz County, in the East Azerbaijan province, East Azerbaijan province of northwestern Iran. It serves as capital of the province, the county, and the distric ...

and entered the service of Uzun Hasan. He stood out as a military personnel in the latter's campaigns, including the war with

Abu Sa'id Mirza Abu Sa'id Mirza ( Chagatay/; 14248 February 1469) was the ruler of the Timurid Empire during the mid-fifteenth century. Born a minor prince of the Timurid dynasty, Abu Sa'id quickly established himself as the most prominent among his warring re ...

in 1469 and the siege of

Ahlat Ahlat (; ) is a town in Turkey's Bitlis Province in Eastern Anatolia Region. It is the seat of Ahlat District.Pir Ahmed and Kasım in the

Karamanid The Karamanids ( or ), also known as the Emirate of Karaman and Beylik of Karaman (), was a Turkish people, Turkish Anatolian beyliks, Anatolian beylik (principality) of Salur tribe origin, descended from Oghuz Turks, centered in South-Centra ...

realm and made an effort to facilitate arms trade through the

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice, officially the Most Serene Republic of Venice and traditionally known as La Serenissima, was a sovereign state and Maritime republics, maritime republic with its capital in Venice. Founded, according to tradition, in 697 ...

. His army, under the command of Bektashoghlu Umar Beg and Kilij Arslan, was part of the vanguard forces that passed through the Ottoman or Dulkadirid domains. Aq Qoyunlu forces thus penetrated the Ottoman realm and reached the Karamanid lands, ransacking

Tokat Tokat is a city of Turkey in the mid-Black Sea region of Anatolia. It is the seat of Tokat Province and Tokat District.

along the way, whereas Uzun Hasan struck from the east and seized Kahta and Gerger, demanding that Shah Budak submit. In response to Shah Budak's call for Mamluk aid, an Egyptian army led by Yashbak repelled the Aq Qoyunlu forces, who had taken control of

Malatya Malatya (; ; Syriac language, Syriac ܡܠܝܛܝܢܐ Malīṭīná; ; Ancient Greek: Μελιτηνή) is a city in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey and the capital of Malatya Province. The city has been a human settlement for thousands of y ...

, to the opposite side of the

Euphrates The Euphrates ( ; see #Etymology, below) is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of West Asia. Tigris–Euphrates river system, Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia (). Originati ...

. The Ottoman victory at Otlukbeli against the Aq Qoyunlu the following year eliminated threats from the east, as well as Kilij Arslan's wish to take over. Having secured his reign, Shah Budak continued to reemphasize his allegiance to Qaitbay, such as his bestowal of lavish presents on him in Aleppo in the fall of 1478, when Shah Budak was traveling in Syria with his sons and one of his nephews (Shah Suwar's son). Shah Budak later sent an aid of a thousand cavalry to his brother Bozkurt, whose wife and son were captured by the sanjak-bey Mihaloghlu Ali Bey in response to Bozkurt's raid in the region of

Sivas Sivas is a city in central Turkey. It is the seat of Sivas Province and Sivas District.İl Beledi ...

. With Shah Budak's troops, Bozkurt attacked Ali Bey near Çiğnem Stream, forcing him to flee to a nearby fortress. Afraid of the repercussions of his animosity with an Ottoman official, Bozkurt traveled to

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

to appeal to Mehmed II. The latter, wishing to restore the Ottoman influence over the Dulkadirids, made Bozkurt the sanjak-bey of Chirmen. Mehmed II strove to enthrone Bozkurt after he received an unfriendly response from Qaitbay when he brought up his earlier promise of leaving his realm to the Ottomans in exchange for their help against Shah Suwar. The Mamluks, on the other hand, were in a vulnerable position following their defeat by the Aq Qoyunlu ruler Yaqub () in Ruha in November 1480. In this conflict, Yashbak was executed. Mehmed II thus gave Bozkurt the

sanjak A sanjak or sancak (, , "flag, banner") was an administrative division of the Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans also sometimes called the sanjak a liva (, ) from the name's calque in Arabic and Persian. Banners were a common organization of nomad ...

of Kırşehir. Bozkurt marched on Shah Budak with auxiliary Ottoman forces. He initially faced defeat as some of the Turkmens under him switched sides. The Ottoman forces led by Bayezid's fled to Sis, where they were massacred by the city's Mamluk governor, Sakalsizoghlu Yusuf, who sent their heads to Cairo, where Qaitbay organized a game of jereed to be played with them. Mehmed II allowed Bozkurt a larger army under his command, which finally defeated Shah Budak near the Çiğnem Stream, though contemporary historians did not disclose the date of the encounter between the brothers. In March 1480, Shah Budak requested admittance to the Mamluk territory near Aleppo from its governor. Ibn Tulun recorded Shah Budak's arrival in

on 14 February 1481; he had lost the throne sometime before this date. When Uzbek, the governor of Damascus, was in the region tasked with countering the fall of Ruha, he did not lend a hand to restore Shah Budak's rule and instead imprisoned him at the

Citadel of Damascus The Citadel of Damascus () is a large medieval fortified palace and citadel in Damascus, Syria. It is part of the Old city of Damascus, Ancient City of Damascus, which was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. The location of the curr ...

. Contemporary chronicler Sayrafi described Qaitbay's contentment from Shah Budak's imprisonment due to his failure to defend the Mamluks.

Attempt to regain the throne

In 1485, the governor of Damascus, Kachmas, liberated Shah Budak without the sultan's permission and granted him horses, money, and an honorary robe, deploying him to the Damascene army. Although not detailed by the Syrian historian Ibn Tulun, Kachmas likely intended to use Shah Budak to overthrow Ala al-Dawla Bozkurt, whose relation with the Mamluks had taken a bad turn. However, Kachmas soon changed his mind and returned Shah Budak to prison. On 26 September 1487, Shah Budak managed to escape prison with the help of his wife and slaves, who often visited his chambers. He traveled to the Bagras Mountains, where allied Turkmen lords assisted him in passing the

Taurus Mountains The Taurus Mountains (Turkish language, Turkish: ''Toros Dağları'' or ''Toroslar,'' Greek language, Greek'':'' Ταύρος) are a mountain range, mountain complex in southern Turkey, separating the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coastal reg ...

in the direction of the Ottoman lands. The Ottoman ruler Bayezid II welcomed him and appointed him as the sanjak-bey of Vize, which was a warning to Ala al-Dawla that the Ottomans could attempt to depose him. Ala al-Dawla's revolt against the Ottomans prompted Bayezid to take action. He declared Shah Budak to be the legitimate ruler of Dulkadir by granting him a diploma and providing him with the assistance of Hiziroghlu Mehmed Pasha and Mihaloghlu Iskender Bey, the sanjak-beys of Little Rum (Amasya and Sivas) and Kayseri, respectively. Shah Budak first arrived in Kırşehir, where he caught the leader of the town's garrison Shahruh, who was the son of Ala al-Dawla. Shah Budak blinded Shahruh in retribution for the treatment his son Feyyaz had received in 1484. Shah Budak's forces largely originated from the Ottomans, rather than allied Turkmens. He succeeded in occupying a portion of the Dulkadirid domains, which elicited powerful opposition from his brother. Qaitbay learned of the conflict in March 1489. In May, Mamluk forces left Cairo to help Ala al-Dawla's resistance against Shah Budak, which facilitated the eventual ouster of Shah Budak. Shah Budak took his son Feyyaz with him and escaped to Syria and later to Cairo, where he begged Qaitbay for forgiveness. Qaitbay instead exiled him to

in November 1489. Shah Budak died in 1500.

Family

Shah Budak's sons included Shah Qubad Feyyaz and Zayn al-Din Malik Arslan. The latter was made the na'ib (viceroy) of

Homs Homs ( ; ), known in pre-Islamic times as Emesa ( ; ), is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is Metres above sea level, above sea level and is located north of Damascus. Located on the Orontes River, Homs is ...

by the Mamluks and was killed in 1516.

References

Bibliography

* * * * {{Anatolian Beys 1500 deaths 15th-century births 15th-century Dulkadirid rulers Prisoners and detainees of the Mamluk Sultanate Governors of the Ottoman Empire by sanjak 15th-century governors of the Ottoman Empire