To a considerable part of this man’s life and conduct we have already adverted. We have related how he succeeded to the command of the insurgents whom his brother, Karah Yázijí (Scrivano, literally the Black Writer) had headed: how he defeated and slew Hasan Páshá at Tokat. These things are well known; and it is not to be denied, that it was only when it was found impracticable to overcome him by arms that the tempting offer of the government of Bosnia made him at least feign submission. Many were the enormities which this man committed, and his success was wonderful. When he went to Belgrade, as observed in a former section of this work, he sent his lieutenant to Bosna Serái. This deputy, whose name was Kúrd Ketkhodá, had imbibed the spirit of his superior; for he perpetrated the most dreadful acts of tyranny and savage oppression throughout the country of Bosnia. So terrible and so numerous were the base deeds of this execrable fellow, that the inhabitants determined on resistance. It was not long ere an opportunity offered for putting their determination into practice. Having one day seized on a servant belonging to some tanners he put him in chains, and this so roused the resentment of the inhabitants that they all rushed towards his palace and set fire to it. One Khulpil, an apprentice, slew Kúrd Ketkhodá himself, and the whole of his mansion perished with him. The people of Banialúka also, with one consent, drove out of their city such of his creatures as were in it.
As to Delí Hasan himself, he appeared at one time worthy of confidence, and at another the very reverse. Most of the men who had accompanied him from Asia perished in the late war, and those of them who returned with him to Bosnia met with no kind reception there. The inhabitants could not endure the sight of them, and therefore appointed to themselves a leader from among their own emírs, whose name was Sefer. They also wrote to the commander-in-chief, Mohammed Páshá, declaring they were resolved to oppose the tyrants who had come among them; and they kept their word; but in their first attack on Delí Hasan and his barbarians they were worsted. However, gaining experience by their disaster, they were better prepared for a second attempt, in which they were completely triumphant. They not only defeated the barbarians, but seized on the whole of Delí Hasan’s baggage. Delí Hasan escaped with his life with great difficulty by swimming across the deep river which passes Izvernik, and sent Sháh-verdí, his acting lieutenant, to the commander-in-chief at Belgrade with a complaint against the Bosnians. Sháh-verdí, however, never once thought of returning to tell him what success he had met with. The commander-in-chief, more generous than his ambassador, sent him an officer to console him, and afterwards succeeded in persuading the government of Constantinople to appoint him to the jurisdiction of Temisvar in lieu of that of Bosnia.
Continuation of the account of the war carried on against the heretics.—The Sháh reduces Reván.
We come now to relate, that though the sháh’s troops had been repulsed before Reván in their first attempts against that city, they at last prevailed. The sháh having again resumed his operations against Reván, pressed the besieged exceedingly, and afterwards sent a messenger to the inhabitants, calling upon them to capitulate. The Revánís, however, were not so disposed, and in their zeal slew the messenger, in order to convince the sháh how determined they were. The sháh was exasperated at this, collected his whole force against their city, and redoubled his efforts; and in consequence of his having succeeded in destroying the aqueducts which conveyed water under-ground into the city, he by this means subjected them to a famine of water, a most dreadful privation. They, however, managed to collect so much of this necessary element in wells and ditches within the city, as in some measure to assuage their thirst, and were thus enabled to maintain their defiance of the enemy. Finding, however, that continued resistance only augmented their danger; that their resources were daily becoming less, and that they were wholly cut off from receiving any succour whatever from the Moslem army, they became totally dispirited. Exertion and deaths weakened them so much that the enemy at length, by one vigorous assault, took the city. Many of the Sunnís were made prisoners by the conquerors, but the greater part of them perished by their swords. Thus fell Reván, after a siege of seven weeks. At the commencement of the siege the number of the inhabitants amounted to five or six thousand. One thousand five hundred of this number died in defence of their city, and about five hundred were carried off by death. About one half of the whole became traitors, so that, in fact, only five hundred, at most, was the whole strength of Reván when it fell into the hands of the red-heads.
The Sháh conquers Shirwán.
According to the celebrated historian, Hasan Beg Zádeh, Ketábjí Omar Páshá succeeded Khádem Hasan Páshá as governor of Shirwán; but he having been deposed, the government was conferred on Mahmúd Páshá, son of Jeghala Zádeh Sinán Páshá. Alája Atlú Hasan Páshá, who had distinguished himself by his bravery and heroism in the wars in Hungary, being appointed to the government of Erzerúm, sent thither one Mustafa Chávush, a relation of his wife, a most extraordinary man, as his deputy, but this man from the severity of his conduct excited the people of Erzerúm, proverbial for their ferocity, to acts of violence. They stoned and banished the poor deputy out of the city, and grasped the whole of his property. The governor himself, on hearing of these outrages, went to Shirwán, but the inhabitants were determined that neither he nor his deputy should enter their city; they however delivered back the things they had seized. Hasan Páshá had no alternative left him but to send a representation of the case to the court of Constantinople, whence he received a letter, appointing him to the government of Shirwán. This new appointment, it would seem, was made before Mahmúd Páshá, also a vezír’s son, and governor of Shirwán, was apprized of his having been superseded by Hasan Páshá. Hasan Páshá, however, having spent about a month before he thought of proceeding to his new government, died ere he commenced the journey, and Mahmúd was confirmed in his superiority of Shirwán. It has been said been said that his death had been occasioned by a poisonous draught administered to him at a feast at which he had been present.
The Kuzil báshes at this time advanced on Shumakhai and took it, and shortly afterwards Shirwán met with the same fate. Mohammed Effendí, who was academical lecturer of Karah Bágh, relates that Sháh Abbás spared neither young nor old, but subjected all to a general slaughter with a recklessness not to be described. Mahmúd Páshá happened to be at Shumakhai when it was attacked, but made his escape to Greece.
Kars is besieged.—Other acts of hostility by the red-heads.
Hasan Beg Zádeh relates, that when Sháh Abbás had laid siege to Reván, or shortly after, Sheríf Mohammed Páshá, having obtained the promise of personal security, went to wait on the sháh, who in the most cowardly and barbarous manner slew him. It was during the time the sháh was engaged in reducing the above-mentioned city, that a division of the Persian army, under the command of Emír Gunah Khán, was sent to reduce the fortress of Akcha Kalla. Emír Gunah Khán having succeeded in the taking of Akcha Kalla without fighting a single battle, drove the whole of the Armenian peasantry in that quarter to Ispahan. The country around Reván, having fallen into the hands of the enemy, was conferred on this heretical chief.
After the sháh had accomplished the reduction of Reván, he led his forces against Kars, and laid siege to it. The warriors of Kars, and about four hundred Osmánlís, who had escaped thither from Reván, the greater part of whom were wounded, were animated by such a spirit of valour as vigorously to resist the invading host. The perverted sháh was completely enraged; and sent them word, that when he took the place he would not spare one of them.