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.
Hasan Beg Zádeh says, in his version of this story, that when Khalíl Páshá was marching against Ardabíl, Sháhín Gheráí deserted to the enemy, and betrayed the cause of the Osmánlís. In consequence of the information which he imparted to the kizilbáshes, they sent one or two emissaries into the Tátár camp, who circulated among the Tátárs that the Persians were in a state of entire defencelessness. This, of course, roused the Tátárs, and hurried them heedlessly onward. The words of Hákim Osmán had the same effect on, or they imparted impetuosity to the Osmánlís themselves, and the result was as we have related it, i. e. both the Osmánlís and Tátárs were defeated and routed. Among those who fell on this memorable occasion were the khán’s military judge and an Osmánlí sheikh of the name of Islám.
The news of this terrible disaster reached the royal camp during the night season: the troops in the camp were called to arms, and a council of war was held. Bákí Páshá, with his wise associates, advised to advance, without a moment’s delay, upon Ardabíl; “for,” said they, “if we retreat, the enemy will be encouraged and emboldened to pursue us, and will most certainly attack us, when every one will try to escape the best way he can. Our fate will resemble that which befell Jeghala Zádeh of former days.” This mode of address had the effect of animating the troops in the camp, when it was resolved to march forward by break of day, which they did.
The advance of the main army, under the commander-in-chief, towards Ardabíl, did not hinder the sháh, though the Osmánlís had manifested no want of firmness, from making some invidious remarks to those around him. He tauntingly asked, if the Romeilian strangers were not yet defeated? whilst, at the same time, he sent messenger after messenger with this message: “Come, let us make peace: you are coming with hostile intentions: your late defeat has been owing to your vain and premature haste.” With such words of bitter reproach as these did he fill his letters to the commanding general; and yet, at bottom, he was most anxious to conclude a peace. Last of all, on a day which blew a hurricane, one Búrún Kásim, a messenger from the sháh, entered the Osmánlí camp, and immediately presented himself before the commander-in-chief, who was at the time sitting in council with the other grandees of the army. “Why,” said the commander-in-chief to the ambassador of the kizilbáshes, “the red-heads, proud of the victory they have gained, have taunted us with disgraceful reproaches under the appearance of asking a peace: and if we retreat you are ready to fall upon us. Your professed desire of peace is hollow: which of your words can I believe?” Búrún Kásim, the sháh’s ambassador, stormed. “What,” said the intrepid vezír, but with a view of giving a facetious turn to the conversation, “is it customary, Kásim Beg, for the storm to blow so furiously in this country?” Kásim Beg was prevented from making a reply by Bákí Páshá, a man of knowledge and experience, as before hinted, who at this moment addressed the commander-in-chief thus: “No, my lord; this violent storm is only the effect of the wind of Búrún Kásim Beg’s nose.”27 This jocular answer of Bákí Páshá was not without its effect on the mind of Kásim Beg, who now changed his tone, and said he wished God might not visit Bákí Páshá with just vengeance. “Will you never,” said he, “leave off your devilish wit: your wish is, to leave us recorded in the history of romance.” The grand vezír and those about him could not refrain from laughing most heartily at hearing Kásim Beg, and looked astonished. Kásim was again filled with rage, but it evaporated into air. When Sháh Abbás heard of this ludicrous story he praised Bákí Páshá for his malicious wit, and sent him no fewer than three loads of handsome presents on account of his facetious craftiness. But to return. The Osmánlí main army on approaching Sarav, having had abundance of provisions, proposed presenting themselves before Ardabíl, now only one stage distant, the following day. One messenger after another, however, assured them that the city was abandoned, that the lamps near the tomb of Sheikh Súfí and all manner of valuables had been removed; in a word, that the whole of the sepulchres of all the former sháhs were deserted. Under these circumstances, it appeared to the Moslems to answer no good purpose to advance any farther; and after having considered the matter in every point of view, the commander-in-chief renewed the treaty which had been entered into at the time Nesúh Páshá was grand vezír. It was, therefore, settled and signed that the sháh of Persia was, in future, to send annually to the court of Constantinople a tribute of two hundred loads of silk, and one hundred loads of other rarities. The crafty sháh, as if he meant to show how pleased he was with this renewal of the treaty, sent eight hundred camel-loads of provision of various kinds to the Moslem camp, which were accordingly distributed among the troops. To the grand vezír alone he sent nine camel-loads of sweetmeats, of preserved fruits of various sorts, of lemons and oranges, of fine flour, of rice, and of sugar, each loaf of which weighed from five to ten wakiyet. To the ághá of the janissaries, to the grand vezír’s deputy, and to the other páshás and grandees of the army he sent two, three, or five similar loads of presents, each as he thought proper. All these loads of presents were sent as tokens of the sháh’s friendship, and were conveyed to their respective owners by Mirzá Mohammed Hasan, his ambassador to the Moslem camp. On the part of the grand vezír several royal presents were sent to the sháh in return, and the treaty, after receiving the commander-in-chief’s signature, was sent him, along with Mohammed Aghá, the jibbají báshí. The Persian sháh set at liberty the whole of the Osmánlí prisoners that had been seized, and that yet remained alive, who returned to the Osmánlí camp, which, on some of the first days of Dhu’l kadah, was removed from Serav, and the army marched towards Erzerúm. In the month of Dhu’l hijja the troops were all permitted to return to their respective homes, and the grand vezír went to Tocat, where he expected to winter; but he was deposed. In the following year, however, he was made lord high admiral of the Turkish fleet.