Kanuni Sultan Süleyman’ın İkinci Doğu Seferi ve Sefer Rûznâmçe Defteri (955-956 / 1548-1549) (C. 2)

"In 1520, following the death of his father, Sultan Selim I, Suleiman I, known in modern historiography as “Suleiman the Magnificent” (Kanuni), ascended the throne. During his long reign, which lasted 46 years, the Ottoman Empire trans- formed into a universal and global power, establishing itself as a world state of unparalleled stature. Among his primary objectives, Suleiman the Magnificent focused on two main fronts: initiating a renewed ghaza (holy war) campaign against the Western world and completely eliminating the Safavids in the East, who had emerged as an alternative political entity to the Ottoman Empire. In 1534, during the first long-term campaign against the Safavids (Iraqeyn Campaign), the de- sired outcomes were not fully achieved. Subsequently, influ- enced in part by the provocations of Alqas Mirza, the brother of Shah Tahmasp, who had sought refuge with the Ottomans, a new campaign was launched. This second campaign, legit- imized as a demonstration of the Ottoman Empire’s mission to serve as the “protector of the Islamic world,” commenced at the end of March 1548, with Sultan Suleiman personally leading a large army toward Iran. During this campaign, Sul- tan Suleiman was accompanied by his son, Şehzade Cihangir, along with prominent courtiers, including Rüstem, Ahmed, Mehmed, and Haydar Pashas. The army, estimated to consist of approximately 70,000 to 80,000 troops, also joined the expedition. Advancing with the advantages provided by a meticulously planned campaign organization initiated almost a year earlier, the army encountered occasional challenges posed by climate, geography, and certain field disadvantages. Following the Eskişehir-Konya-Kayseri route during the cold and rainy days of spring, the forces proceeded through Sivas, Erzincan , Erzurum, Erciş, and Bargiri, eventually reaching Khoy and then Tabriz via Marand. By the time they arrived, the summer heat was at its peak. After a long and exhausting campaign of approximately four months, the Sultan and his army arrived at the Safavid capital, Tabriz, only to find it abandoned. As in the previous campaign, Shah Tahmasp did not confront the overwhelming Ottoman forces, armed with superior firepower. Instead, he employed a scorched-earth strategy along the campaign route, destroying, depopulating, and depleting logistical resources to wear down the Ottoman army. In the summer of 1548, Tabriz was briefly captured, and Alqas Mirza was installed on the Safavid throne, estab- lishing, at least in appearance, a new Safavid administration aligned with the Ottomans under a Sunni framework. How- ever, the brief occupation of Tabriz was marred by adverse conditions, including famine, livestock deaths, and pressure from nearby Safavid forces. Challenges compelled Sultan Suleiman to decide to withdraw. At the end of July, the army departed from Tabriz, circled around the northwestern shore of Lake Urmia, and reached the vicinity of Van Castle by mid-August. Intensifying the siege, the Ottomans successfully captured the castle. The unresolved issue with the Safavids, along with the approaching winter, made it necessary for the army to winter in Aleppo. While Sultan Suleiman spent the winter of 1548-49 in Aleppo, he sent Alqas Mirza with some troops to the provinces of Iraq-i Ajam and Fars for raiding, and Ahmed Pasha was dispatched to the Georgian region. This second campaign against Shah Tahmasp also proved unsuccessful. Furthermore, it was revealed that Alqas Mirza, realizing he would not achieve his objectives, had made con- tact with his brother, Shah Tahmasp. Caught between the Ot- toman and Safavid armies, Alqas was eventually captured by his brother and executed. With his death, the main instigator of this second campaign against Iran was removed. In this campaign, the Ottomans captured Van, a crucial base for the Safavids, and solidified their control over the northeastern re- gion through the territories they seized along the Çoruh River. When Sultan Suleiman returned to Istanbul on December 11, 1549, after a costly and vast two-year campaign, the eco- nomic returns were minimal. However, he had succeeded in somewhat weakening the growing power of the Safavids in Anatolia. The ruznamçe series, led by the Ottoman financial bureaucracy to track daily revenue and expenditure for campaign organi- zation, provide precise and invaluable information for logisti- cal studies. Ruznamçes offer detailed insights into the financial and logistical aspects of military campaigns. Early examples of such records are rarely found in the Ottoman archives. The treasury ruznamçe register we have prepared for publi- cation is of great value, as it documents the daily revenues and expenditures recorded by the treasury during the 1548- 49 Eastern campaign. It not only holds significant historical importance but also serves as a representative of an early example that clearly showcases the excellence of Ottoman bureaucracy. This register appears to have been maintained within the framework of the treasury’s normal operations, also encompassing the expenses of the 1548-49 campaign. Ruznamçe register provides a detailed breakdown of the treas- ury’s assets in terms of cash and goods. It carefully records the revenues and expenditures during the campaign, noting the specific locations and dates of these entries with great attention to detail. This register, kept during the campaign, contains detailed breakdowns of the income and expenditure items. As a result, it clearly reveals the sources of the revenues and exactly where the funds were allocated. Based on the information provided by the ruznamçe register, it is possible to roughly calculate the total amount of cash and goods record- ed in the treasury during this two-year campaign, how much of it was spent, and the average monthly income and expend- iture. It allows for an assessment of whether the treasury faced any financial strain in terms of cash. The register is not only important for understanding the treasury’s operations but also provides highly detailed information about the historical events of the campaign. It offers insights into various aspects, such as the encounters with the Safavids, appointments made during the campaign, incoming ambassadors, the bureaucrat- ic and military personnel involved, soldier casualties and their belongings, the prices of supplies and animals purchased for the army, the types of currency in the treasury, and their value in akçe. These and many other details can be accessed through this register.