HİSTORİCAL ADVENTURE OF BABA İLYAS (ELİAH) KHORASSANİ’S THOGHTS AND PLANS OF PROMATİON FROM SHEİKDOM TO SHAHDOM
Abstract
In Ancient Turkic empires, from time to time there were attempts of power changes between dynasty members and some of these attempts were successful (Among the Xiongnu, Modu (Boghatïr) overthrew his father Tuman (209 BC); among the Gokturks, Bilgä Qaghan overthrew Inäl Qaghan (716); among the Uyghurs, Tun Bagha Tarqan overthrew his stepfather Bögü Qaghan (779); among the Great Seljuks, Alp Arslan overthrew his brother Suleiman (1063); among the Anatolian Seljuks, Suleiman II overthrew his brother Ghiyath al-Din Kaykhusraw I (1196) and Ghiyath al-Din Kaykhusraw overthrew his nephew Kilij Arslan III (1205); and among the Ottomans, Selim the Grim overthrew his father Bayezid II (1512). According to the Turkic concept of state, these attempts were generally evaluated among the rights of dynasty members and these were considered normal incidents. However, during the reign of Ghiyath al-Din Kaykhusraw II (1237-1246), twelth ruler of the Anatolian Seljuk Sultanate, there were attempts of changing the power made by two different people outside the dynasty, being contrary to the Turkic concept of state. One of these attempts was made by Amir Sa’d al-Din Köpek who was a member of the state organization, and the other attempt was made by Baba Ilyas of Khorasan who was from the ordinary people. Among these, Sa’d al-Din Köpek based his attempt to a false pretence of “being a member of the dynasty”, while Baba Ilyas of Khorasan emerged with another false pretence and motive of “prophethood”. Even though both of these attempts were failed when both of them were about to succeed, these incidents caused physical and moral devastation that would continue to affect political and social life for centuries.
