Eretna
Eretna | |||||
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Sultan | |||||
Jalayirids | |||||
Tenure | 1336–1343 | ||||
Predecessor | Hasan Buzurg | ||||
Successor | Declared independence | ||||
Died | February–August 1352 Kayseri, Eretnids | ||||
Burial | Köşkmedrese, Kayseri | ||||
Consort |
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Issue |
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House | Eretnid | ||||
Father | Taiju Bakhshi or Jafar | ||||
Mother | Tükälti | ||||
Religion | Islam |
Ala al-Din Eretna (
Early life and background
The
The growing influence of Chupan, a Mongol general, who Eretna was likely serving at the time,[3] prompted various commanders such as Qurumushi and Irinjin to conspire a revolt.[9] Eretna's elder brothers, Emir Taramtaz and Suniktaz, also joined this revolt, possibly because Chupan refused to grant them important positions due to his Sunni belief that conflicted with the Shiite sect espoused by the brothers.[9] In May–June 1319, the revolt was crushed near Zanjan River.[10] The same year, Taramtaz and Suniktaz were executed by Ilkhan Abu Sa'id for joining the rebellion of Qurumushi and Irinjin.[11] Eretna migrated to Anatolia following his brothers' deaths[12] and the appointment of his new master Timurtash as the Ilkhanid governor of the region by Abu Sa'id[3] and his father, Chupan.[13]
Rise to power
Similar to other emirs, Eretna's master Timurtash eventually rebelled against the Ilkhanate in 1323,
Eretna was later involved in a plot against the Ilkhan in 1334 but received a pardon and returned to Anatolia from the Ilkhanid court in Iran.
Hasan Buzurg left Eretna as his deputy in Anatolia when he departed east to oppose the Oirat chieftain Ali Padshah's attempt to occupy the Ilkhanid throne. Eretna was officially appointed as the governor of Anatolia by Hasan Buzurg following his victory against Ali Padshah.[14] However, shortly after, in 1338, Hasan Kuchak (r. 1338–43) gained power in the former Ilkhanid domains in the east.[19] Hasan Kuchak was the son of Timurtash and had effectively become the pretender to his father's legacy. He defeated the Jalayirids near Aladağ and pillaged Erzincan.[20]
Due to constant upheavals in the east, Eretna started seeking the protection of a new and stronger regional power. An old rival to the
Eretna's attempt to be on good terms with the Chobanids was hindered by Hasan Kuchak's capture of Erzurum and siege of Avnik. Eretna still insisted on his obedience to Suleiman Khan, although by 1341, he had gained enough power to be able to issue his coins in his own name.[22] He first declared his independence in 1341 as it was when he first used the title sultan in his coins.[23] Though, he did not hesitate to send his ambassadors to Cairo to secure Mamluk protection and his status as a na'ib (viceroy) amidst political turmoil within the Mamluks. This elicited a new expedition by Hasan Kuchak in Eretna's lands.[23][24]
Choosing to stay in Tabriz, Hasan Kuchak dispatched his army to Anatolia under Suleiman Khan's command. This force included experienced commanders such as Abdul, the son of Bayanjar,[c] Yaqub Shah, and Qoch Hussain. Eretna promptly gathered an army of Mamluk forces, Mongols, and local Turks. The battle took place in the plain of Karanbük (between Sivas and Erzincan) in September–October 1343. Eretna initially faced defeat. While Suleiman Khan's forces were busy with looting and pursuing the remainder of enemy, Eretna hid behind a nearby hill and led a final attack when Suleiman Khan appeared with a small number of troops, with the rest of his forces disorganized. The Chobanid army disintegrated when Suleiman Khan fled the scene. Eretna's victory was unexpected for most actors in the region.[26] This victory resulted in the Eretnid annexation of Erzincan and several cities further east, also marking the beginning of Eretna's independent reign.[27] Fortunately for Eretna, Hasan Kuchak was murdered by his own wife, who feared the discovery of her extramarital affairs with Yaqub Shah, imprisoned by Hasan Kuchak for his alleged flaws at the Battle of Karanbük. This prevented any retaliation for Eretna's earlier victory.[28]
Reign
After the battle and Hasan Kuchak's death, Eretna assumed the title
Eretna was a fluent
Eretna benefited from the support of the significant population of Mongol tribes in Central Anatolia (referred to as Qara Tatars in sources) in asserting his rule. He thus highlighted his succession to the Mongol tradition despite his Uyghur origin.[36] When he stopped referring to an overlord after 1341–2 and issued his own coins, he utilized the Uyghur script, which was also used for Mongolian,[1] to underline the Mongol heritage he sought to represent.[37] According to historian Andrew Peacock, "Eretna's coinage reflects the complicated and uncertain position of rulers of medieval Anatolia, who experimented with different forms of legitimacy in a period when established modes, even the much vaunted concept of Chinggisid legitimacy, seem to have broken down."[34] In spite of that, instead of the Mongols, who were numerous in the region from Kütahya to Sivas, Eretna appointed mamluks (slave-soldiers) and local Turks in administrative positions, fearing the rebirth of Mongol rule.[38] Eretna was still not totally successful in the long run, as his descendants would be evicted from the throne by Kadi Burhan al-Din (r. 1381–98), who highlighted his maternal Seljuk descent but also depended on the military support of some of the Mongol tribes.[34]
Despite the existence of some texts that described his character and skills, there is a scant number of surviving literary works that were dedicated to his and his descendants' rule. One such text was a short Persian tafsir (exegesis) in al-As'ila wa'l-Ajwiba by Aqsara'i commissioned by the Eretnid emir of Amasya, Sayf al-Din Shadgeldi (died 1381). Another instance was an astrological almanac (taqwīm) created for the last Eretnid ruler Ala al-Din Ali in 1371–2.[34] There are also no surviving mosques, madrasas, caravanserais, hospitals, or bridges dated back to Eretna's rule, with the exception of tombs.[39]
Eretna passed away in February,
Family
Eretna's wives included Suli Pasha (died 1339),[41] Togha Khatun[d] and Isfahan Shah Khatun.[41][33] He was known to have had three sons: Hasan, Muhammad, and Jafar. The oldest son,[41] Sheikh Hasan was the governor of Sivas[33] and died in December 1347[33] or January 1348[40] due to sickness shortly after he wed an Artuqid princess.[40] Eretna's successor and youngest son, Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad I was born to Isfahan Shah Khatun, who was a relative of the Jalayirid ruler Hasan Buzurg.[41]
Notes
- ^ Also spelled Eretne, Artanā, Ärätnä, or Ärdäni.
- ^ The messianic claims of Timurtash were attested by various contemporary sources, who gave him such titles. He strictly maintained the Islamic laws in the region and oppressed the non-Muslims.[16]
- ^ Bayanjar was a Mongol emir loyal to the seventh Ilkhan, Ghazan. He was related to Subutai.[25]
- ^ Ibn Battuta wrote about having met her in Kayseri.[33]
References
- ^ a b Peacock 2019, p. 182.
- ^ a b Spuler & Ettinghausen 1971.
- ^ a b c d e f g Cahen 1965.
- ^ Bosworth 1996, p. 234; Masters & Ágoston 2010, p. 41; Nicolle 2008, p. 48; Cahen 1965; Sümer 1969, p. 22; Peacock 2019, p. 51.
- ^ a b Bosworth 1996, p. 234.
- ^ Sümer 1969, p. 22.
- ^ Bosworth 1996, p. 234; Nicolle 2008, p. 48; Cahen 1965.
- ^ Nicolle 2008, p. 48.
- ^ a b Sümer 1969, p. 84.
- ^ Sümer 1969, p. 85.
- ^ Sümer 1969, p. 23.
- ^ a b Sümer 1969, p. 93.
- ^ a b c d Peacock 2019, p. 50.
- ^ a b c Melville 2009, p. 91.
- ^ Peacock 2019, p. 92.
- ^ Peacock 2019, pp. 249–250.
- ^ a b c Melville 2009, p. 92.
- ^ Sümer 1969, p. 92.
- ^ Sümer 1969, p. 101.
- ^ Melville 2009, p. 94.
- ^ Melville 2009, p. 94–95.
- ^ Melville 2009, p. 95.
- ^ a b Sinclair 2019, p. 89.
- ^ Sümer 1969, p. 104.
- ^ Sümer 1969, p. 67.
- ^ Sümer 1969, p. 105.
- ^ Sinclair 1989, p. 286.
- ^ Sümer 1969, pp. 104–105.
- ^ a b Sümer 1969, p. 110.
- ^ Uzunçarşılı 1968, p. 164.
- ^ Sümer 1969, p. 111.
- ^ Sümer 1969, p. 113.
- ^ a b c d e f g Göde 1995.
- ^ a b c d Peacock 2019, p. 62.
- ^ a b Melville 2009, p. 96.
- ^ Peacock 2019, p. 51.
- ^ Peacock 2019, p. 61.
- ^ Sümer 1969, p. 115.
- ^ Sümer 1969, p. 114.
- ^ a b c Sümer 1969, p. 121.
- ^ a b c d Uzunçarşılı 1968, p. 175.
Bibliography
- OCLC 35029627.
- OCLC 495469475.
- Göde, Kemal (1995). "Eretnaoğulları". TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, Vol. 11 (Elbi̇stan – Eymi̇r) (in Turkish). Istanbul: ISBN 978-975-389-438-8.
- Masters, Bruce Alan; Ágoston, Gábor (2010). Encyclopedia of the Ottoman Empire. Infobase. OCLC 227205977.
- Melville, Charles (12 March 2009). "Anatolia under the Mongols". In Fleet, Kate (ed.). The Cambridge History of Turkey (1 ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 51–101. ISBN 978-1-139-05596-3. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
- Nicolle, David (2008). The Ottomans: Empire of Faith. Thalamus. OCLC 455106992.
- Peacock, Andrew Charles Spencer (17 October 2019). Islam, Literature and Society in Mongol Anatolia. Cambridge University Press. OCLC 1124923987.
- Sinclair, T. A. (31 December 1989). Eastern Turkey: An Architectural & Archaeological Survey. Vol. II. Pindar Press. OCLC 16887803.
- Sinclair, Thomas (6 December 2019). Eastern Trade and the Mediterranean in the Middle Ages: Pegolotti's Ayas-Tabriz Itinerary and Its Commercial Context. Taylor & Francis. OCLC 1119073048.
- Spuler, Bertold & Ettinghausen, Richard (1971). "Īlk̲h̲āns". In OCLC 495469525.
- Sümer, Faruk (1969). "Anadolu'da Moğollar" [Mongols in Anatolia] (PDF). Journal of Seljuk Studies (in Turkish). Ankara: Institute of Seljuk History and Civilization (published 1970). ISBN 9789751753601. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- Uzunçarşılı, İsmail Hakkı (20 April 1968). "Sivas - Kayseri ve Dolaylarında Eretna Devleti" [State of Eretna in Sivas - Kayseri and Around]. Belleten (in Turkish). 32 (126). Turkish Historical Association: 161–190. ISSN 2791-6472. Retrieved 28 October 2023.