Şahkulu

Şahkulu, also known as Karabıyıkoğlu, (died July 2, 1511) was the leader of the pro-Shia and pro-Safavid uprising in Anatolia – the Şahkulu Rebellion – directed against the Ottoman Empire in 1511. He was viewed as a Messiah and Prophet by his followers.[1] His death in battle signified the end of the uprising. He is buried in Amasya.

In popular culture

A fictionalized version of Şahkulu appears in the Canadian (Ubisoft) video game Assassin's Creed: Revelations from 2011, where he is called Shahkulu and serves as an antagonist. In the game, he joins the game's Templar Order at an early age, after being left orphaned by the Ottomans. He survives the Shahkulu Rebellion and is partnered with fellow Templar Manuel Palaiologos, a titular Byzantine heir, in an effort to revive the Byzantine Empire under the Templar banner. He is killed by the game's protagonist, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, in Derinkuyu, Cappadocia in March 1512, where Shahkulu and Manuel are raising an army. He is also included in the game's multiplayer aspect as a character named 'the Renegade'.

References

  1. Caroline Finkel (19 Jul 2012). Osman's Dream: The Story of the Ottoman Empire 1300–1923. Hachette UK. p. xxi. ISBN 9781848547858.