Hájí Khalífeh says, in his Fezlikeh, that this infamous emperor was, for some time, deprived of the use of his reason, and became quite remarkable for his strange gestures before people. He used to wander among the tombs, throw money into the sea to the fish, and scatter it on the roads; proofs sufficient of the derangement of his mind. This ághá too, he states further, in order to preserve the civil and religious institutions of the country free from confusion and outrage, wrote to the mufti, Isaád Effendí, and to the káímakám, Súfí Mohammed Páshá, with regard to the state of the emperor’s mind, assuring them that there remained no possible chance of ever bringing him again to his right senses. If prompt measures were not instantly taken, he maintained, the funds of the state would soon be totally annihilated. Accordingly, the household troops, under the pretence of paying them their wages, were collected and arranged in the manner before described; when Sultán Mustafa Khán, on the first of Rabia I., was deposed, as before observed, after a reign of only three months and ten days, and he retired into his former privacy.
Sultán Osmán Khán inaugurated.
On the first of Rabia I., after all the vezírs and other magnates of the state had assembled in royal diván, and after the household troops had been properly arranged, the ághá of the palace, Mustafa Aghá himself, shut the door of the emperor Mustafa’s apartment, and brought forth Sultán Osmán Khán, when he was instantly placed on the chair of state, and was solemnly inaugurated by the vezírs and nobles assembled. After this ceremony was once over, and the fact announced to the assembled multitude, they were allowed to retire.
The new emperor, in conformity to ancient custom, proceeded with great pomp to the Abí-eyúb, where he girded on his sword, visited the tombs of his ancestors, distributed alms among the poor and indigent, gave donations to his friends, such as royal bounty confers on such occasions, but which, in this instance, was rather too much for the imperial coffers to afford; for every inauguration cost, generally, three thousand yúks of money (3,000,000 dollars). Besides, on this as well as on the late former inauguration, the usual presents made to the army were sent to it. The son-in-law of the reverend mufti, Mohammed Effendí, viz. the kapújí báshí, Mustafa Aghá, was, on this occasion, the bearer of the royal gifts to the army, which he conveyed to the commander-in-chief. On his arriving at Diárbeker, the head-quarters of the grand army, he was honoured with the ágháship of the janissaries, and was afterwards raised to the government of Diárbeker itself.
Concerning Mohammed Gheráí.
On the very day of Osmán’s inauguration Mohammed Gheráí Khán, who had been incarcerated in the Seven Towers, found means of escaping from his place of confinement, and with a small party of Tátárs absconded. When this fact was noised abroad the káímakám, Mohammed Páshá, dispatched Hájí Súbáshí by water and Iskander Páshá by land in search of the fugitive. Hájí Súbáshí steered his course towards Varna, and happened to reach it before Iskander Páshá, who had directed his steps to the same place. Hájí apprized the inhabitants of the purport of his visit to Varna, and put them all on the alert. On the afternoon of the same day Mohammed Gheráí also reached it, and halted underneath a large tree in the fields. This was no sooner discovered than the inhabitants made an attempt at surrounding him and his party. Mohammed Gheráí, however, was determined not to allow himself to fall into their hands without making a struggle in his own defence, and therefore prepared to offer resistance. With an arrow from his bow he shot one of the janissaries, but afterwards yielded the contest and entered the City; when Iskander Páshá, who by this time had arrived at Varna, took him under his own charge, and conducted him back to Constantinople; and he was again confined within the Seven Towers, from which he had so lately made his escape. Iskander Páshá, it is to be observed, showed him nevertheless the respect due to his birth and rank.
Hasan Beg Zádeh relates this account somewhat differently, but the difference is not so great as to render it necessary to give his version of the story. It has been also said, that Mohammed Gheráí’s brother, Sháhín Gheráí, had fled to the court of Persia, but that when the sháh had told him of Osmán’s inauguration, he resolved on returning home. When Sháhín Gheráí was on the eve of setting out on his return to his own country, the sháh, it has been said, did him the honour of holding his stirrup and bridle till he mounted his horse. After taking his leave of the sháh, the latter called him back, and asked him if, in the event of the Osmánlí commanding general employing him against him, he would obey. “By all means,” was the reply. “Will you draw your sword and fight against my troops?” asked the sháh again. “Without doubt I will,” returned the undaunted Tátár prince. On hearing this heroic reply, the sháh shook his head at him. But the whole of this story seems to have been a sort of pleasant raillery. We must now return to the affairs of Khahíl Páshá’s expedition.
When the spring season arrived Khalíl Páshá removed from Diárbeker, where he had wintered; and, after collecting his forces in the plains of Choluk, directed his march towards Tabríz, by the roads of Bedlís and Wán. The sháh was stationed at Ardabíl. The khán and his Tátár army, leaving their winter-quarters, joined the grand army at Wán, where, after holding a council of war, it was agreed to march without delay upon Ardabíl. It is necessary to observe here, however, that sometime before this Karchúgheráí Khán had driven the whole of the people in the country towards Ardabíl, with the view of saving them from the advancing Osmánlí army.
Ján Beg, khán of the Tátárs, defeated.
After the Osmánlí grand army had appeared before Tabríz, a reciprocal intercourse was entered into by the two belligerent powers, with the view of effecting a cessation of hostilities and promoting a peace. The commissioner employed on the part of the Osmánlís was the defterdár, Hákim Aghá, who, when proceeding to Ardabíl, had perceived the governor of Tabríz, Karchúgheráí Khán, with a Persian army, employed in guarding an immense host of the country inhabitants and others, small and great, near Ardabíl; and therefore, on his return to the Osmánlí camp, recommended that a strong detachment of the Tátár army, and a division of the other cavalry, should instantly advance upon them and seize upon their property; they might easily, he said, vanquish any force which the enemy could oppose to them, and thus acquire immense spoil. The Tátárs and some of the other troops were elated by the prospect of booty. A council was held, in which the defterdár, Bákí Páshá, and some other intelligent officers, expressed their entire disapprobation of the proposed movement. They alleged, and wisely too, that an army which must first accomplish seven or eight stages, could not be in a very fit condition, all at once, either to give a battle or sustain an attack. They asked, moreover, what proof there was that the enemy was not sufficiently vigilant and strong? But his highness, the Tátár Khán, the grand vezír’s deputy, and Abáza Páshá, had been completely gained over to the other side of the question by Hákim Osmán’s representation; and a thirst for acquiring booty having infected the troops, every obstacle which could be mentioned was treated with contempt. The moment for enriching themselves had arrived; and why, they triumphantly asked, put off longer time? It was highly improper, and every way impossible, they maintained, that so much spoil as that which now offered itself, could be overlooked: nor would they fail in obtaining it, if they would but be true to themselves. Such were the arguments which the advocates for Hákim’s proposals advanced; and the commanding general himself was, at last, completely swayed over to their side. It was, therefore, agreed that a strong detachment should instantly advance. Accordingly his highness the Tátár Khán, and the whole of his troops; the governor of Diárbeker, Mustafa Páshá, Alája Páshá, governor of Wán; Osmán Páshá, governor of Sivás: Arslán Páshá, governor of Romeili, with ten sanjáks and their officers; and Abáza Mohammed Páshá, governor of Aleppo, set out. The command of this mighty detachment was intrusted to the beglerbeg of Diárbeker, Hasan Páshá. The turnají báshí, and a certain number of janissaries, were also attached to it, and all set forward in the utmost haste and precipitation. The rest of the janissaries caught the infatuation. The idea of acquiring wealth had filled their minds, and they were determined to have a share of the general spoil. They took their empty bags, in the hope of getting them filled, and off they set on their beasts of burden in the track of their brethren who had gone before them. So great, in fact, was the eagerness with which the royal army advanced in pursuit of the treasures they had promised themselves, that they accomplished the eight days’ journey in even less than two; having never once halted, except to feed. Those in front and those in the rear moved forward, alike without order and without subordination, towards Ardabíl, till they arrived in the plains of Sarav, where they first had a glimpse of the kizilbáshes, with whom they must contend for the prey. Karchúgheráí Khán, aware of the advance of the Osmánlís, had placed the greater part of his troops in ambuscade; whilst, at the same time, in order to deceive the Osmánlís, he showed, at some little distance, two small bodies, which at once attracted the attention of these ardent heroes. Next morning the Osmánlís, in their eagerness for conquest, and in their thirst for spoil, without order or government, and without taking any kind of precaution, commenced an attack. Those who had been placed in ambuscade now rushed forth upon the fatigued Moslems, when a most desperate battle, which lasted two hours, was fought; but the Osmánlís were at length obliged to give way. The commander, Hasan Páshá, Arslán Páshá, governor of Romeili, and Mustafa Páshá, governor of Diárbeker, fell in the bloody contest. Almají Mohammed Páshá and Rushvánlí Mustafa Páshá were made prisoners. The greater part of those whose horses were fatigued furnished food to the sword of the foe: many of the noble and heroic Tátárs met with the same fate; but the common horde of Tátárs fled. The khán himself continued firm, and fought with great bravery, till he was nearly surrounded by the enemy, when he too gave way. The janissaries were very active in supporting him, pouring in shots of musketry among those who had been endeavouring to seize him, and levelled many of them with the dust. It was owing entirely to their vigorous assistance that he escaped falling into the hands of the kizilbáshes, and got to a place of safety. The defeat of the Osmánlís was complete. The brave troops of Shám were unable to maintain their ground; five hundred of them had been made prisoners by Karchúgheráí Khán, and were murdered; their officers were sent to the sháh. In this sanguinary combat very many of the foe also perished. The ungracious sháh, during the whole of the bloody conflict, shut himself up within the city of Ardabíl, giving himself up to humble supplications; and would hardly believe the intelligence which announced the defeat of the Osmánlí army.