Jánbulát Oghlí seeks refuge in Constantinople.—Kalander commits new depredations.
Kalander Oghlí, after having sustained the defeats and disappointments formerly mentioned, and knowing that Murád Páshá had passed on to Aleppo, again resolved on mischief. After leaving Ancora, finding himself kept in awe by Tekelí, he passed into Anatolia, and proceeded to the neighbourhood of Brúsa. Here he was joined by Kanalí Oghlí, the chief of a sanják in that country, a disaffected villain, with a number of others of similar character, amounting to very near a thousand; and here he again commenced his usual depredations.
Jánbulát Oghlí Alí Páshá, of whose history and fortunes we have already spoken, finding nowhere any asylum to which he might flee for safety, took his winding-sheet on his shoulders, as it were, and resolved on returning to Turkey. With this view he went to the vicinity of Eskí-sheher with a certain number of volunteers, whence he sent a humble letter by one Haidar Beg, his fraternal uncle, to the court of Constantinople.
About the time Jánbulát Oghlí came into the vicinity of Brúsa, Kalander Oghlí sent some of his principal adherents to meet him, and to assure him that he also had repented, and inviting him to come and take counsel with him, and proceed together in company. Jánbulát Oghlí accepted of the invitation and went; but Kalander Oghlí had changed his tone and said, “Do not you separate from me, and you shall see me take ample revenge on our opponents: this is the very moment for accomplishing it.” Jánbulát Oghlí, not relishing the views and intentions of his entertainer, purposed with himself to escape secretly from him; and with this view he one night cut a hole in the wall of the apartment in which he lodged, and getting out, hastened off with all dispatch towards Constantinople, taking only a few of his nearest relations along with him. More disaffected fellows, who had accompanied him to Brúsa, joined themselves, when they found he had absconded, to the infamous Kalander Oghlí, who, when he first went to that quarter, found himself surrounded with serious difficulties. Having been thus strengthened, however, by the levends who had accompanied Jánbulát Oghlí, he marched on Brúsa, to which he set fire, and robbed and spoiled several other places besides. This daring robber, however, was soon obliged to decamp. Nukásh Hasan Páshá, with a body of troops, was ordered to attack him on one side, and vezír Yúsuf Páshá to do the same on the other. But he did not wait their arrival. On leaving Brúsa he set out towards Mikhalij, and continued his route till he was opposed by the Lake of Ulú-ábád. This lake is surrounded on the south by very steep rocks, which extend northwards, along the river, to the Mediterranean Sea. The infamous robber, on approaching this lake, perceived that it formed the natural boundary between Brúsa and the countries of Mikhalij, Garem-asta, and Pighala. At the foot of this lake was an ancient bridge, which was the only passage by which the rebel could cross. On the opposite side, however, there was a fortified castle; but how to get across the bridge with safety to himself and followers, and make his way to a narrow gap which he knew to exist somewhere in the mountains or range of rocks on the south of the lake or river, was to him the subject of the utmost concern. He prepared, however, to take it at all hazard; but finding the castle was in the hands of the people of Garem-asta, his courage failed him, and without attempting any farther the execution of his plan, he proceeded to a place in the neighbourhood called Chatalú, where he remained till the commencement of the feast which follows the Mohammedan lent: when, as he thought, he might succeed better. On the arrival of this festival, the garrison, intent on celebrating it, began to do so on the first evening, and left the castle exposed and defenceless. The villain taking advantage of this neglect on the part of the garrison, crossed the bridge, and entered the country of Garem-asta, where he unfurled the standard of rebellion, traversed the country, and took possession of the town of Mikhalij. His pursuers, at least one of them, Nukásh Hasan Páshá, following hard after him, reached Ulú-ábád, where he encamped. The rebel and his followers no sooner discovered this to be the case, than they fell back upon the bridge by which they had passed in the manner described, and effectually prevented Nukásh from crossing. The rebels took good care not to disturb any of the towns and villages in this neighbourhood: they were therefore all quiet, and took no part against them; and winter coming on, Nukásh, on account of its severity, was unable to act against them.
In the meantime, a reinforcement under the command of the governor of Silistria was sent off to join the dispirited Nukásh. The rebels met this reinforcement at Gunan, where they gave them battle. In this engagement, Ahmed Páshá, governor of Silistria, fought with such ardent and daring bravery, that there was not a part of his body which remained unhurt, and he was, at last, obliged to be carried from the field of battle, and soon afterwards he expired. The orthodox Moslems lost the day: and the victorious rebel-chief marched into the districts of Aydin and Sarúkhán, with fire and sword, and passed through Caramania, when he was joined by some of his former associates, who brought him a considerable increase of strength, and thus this detestable rebel, who but very lately had only a few followers, became now a most formidable enemy.
On the arrival of spring, the troops, who had been dispersed into winter-quarters, began to assemble at Aleppo, around their celebrated chief, Murád Páshá. As it was of the utmost importance that the treasurer, Etmekjí Zádeh Ahmed Páshá, who was to carry funds for the use of the army, should, for safety sake, accompany back the Romeilian troops, he was appointed to take the command of these troops, and to conduct them to Aleppo. The rebel, Kalander Oghlí, so lately victorious, was at this time in Caramania; and knowing that Etmekjí Zádeh was a person unskilled in war, he determined, as soon as he learned that he was on his way, to intercept him, and, if possible, seize the money he was carrying to the grand army. Etmekjí Zádeh was apprized, however, of his intentions, and sent the troops and the money by the way of Ancora; both of which reached the commander-in-chief in safety.
Jánbulát Oghlí meets with a happy reverse of fortune.
Jánbulát Oghlí, whom we lately spoke of as on his way to Constantinople, after having escaped the snares which the notorious Kalander Oghlí had laid for him, arrived at Bazarjik on the 9th of Ramazán. His uncle, Haidar Beg, and his deputy, Hasan, whom he had sent to the court of Constantinople with letters of submission, arrived there on the 21st of the same month, and soon afterwards appeared before the emperor, to whom they expressed themselves thus: “We are come to confess our misdeeds, and to receive the punishment due to them. Our lives are in your hand.” Their crimes were forgiven, and Jánbulát Oghlí’s deputy was sent back to his master with the emperor’s letter of forbearance and grace; whilst his uncle, Haidar Beg, was allowed to remain in the metropolis. The bostánjí báshí was sent back to Nicomedia with the galley in which he had brought Haidar Beg, to take in Jánbulát Oghlí, and convey him to Constantinople. It is remarkable that it was at the very time that this galley arrived at Nicomedia to receive Jánbulát Oghlí, that he had been inveighled by Kalander Oghlí. The bostánjí báshí, not finding him at Nicomedia, and being anxious of discharging his duty, ignorant alike of what had become of him, and of the trap which had been laid for him, he and his bostánjís set out for Brúsa in search of him, where they met him as he was fleeing from Kalander Oghlí, from whose snares he had made his escape in the manner we have already described. His deputy advanced towards him, put his majesty’s letter of clemency into his hand, when all of them proceeded to the galley, on board which they embarked, and reached Constantinople about the end of Ramazán. Jánbulát Oghlí, in conformity to the promise which had been given to him after he had been introduced into the royal presence, was again received into favour. He remained about a whole week in the imperial gardens, and went every day to converse with his majesty. Not long afterwards he was created beglerbeg of Temisvar, and sent off to take charge of his government. After having, for the space of two years, sustained this high rank and office, he began again to manifest the baseness of his nature. His innate scorpion-like disposition developed itself in the acts of tyranny and oppression which he perpetrated on the inhabitants, whom he robbed and spoiled without mercy. The people seeing themselves thus subjected to this merciless plunderer, determined on ridding themselves of him, and raising a tumult, threatened to murder him. Alarmed by these symptoms of revenge, he fled to Belgrade, where he remained in prison till the grand vezír, Murád Páshá, returned to Constantinople, and sent orders to cazí Zádeh Alí Páshá, protector of the frontiers, to put him to death.