Celali rebellions

Lore & Background

Banditry increased by the end of the 16th century, and the Ottomans could not respond militarily due to wars with the Habsburgs and Safavid Iran. Garrisons of 30 to 40 men were set up after 1578 to suppress banditry. Nomadic and mercenary warriors always outnumbered the standing army, and after the Battle of Lepanto in 1571 this gap widened. The suppression of the timar and sipahi systems, inflation, and unemployed military forces contributed to the rebellions. Sipahis stripped of their timar after the Battle of Keresztes became bandits. Karayazıcı, an Ottoman official, rose as a leader among these rebels.

Reader's Guide

The Celali rebellions significantly impacted Anatolia, with cities sacked, populations displaced, and widespread violence. Primary sources include Simeon of Poland, Arakel of Tabriz, İbrahim Peçevi, Eremia Chelebi, Kâtip Çelebi, Mustafa Naima, and Hüseyin Hüsâmeddin Yasar. Armenians wrote long colophons about the rebellions. The rebellions were fueled by inflation, debasement of the akçe, rising taxes, the Little Ice Age, famines, and population pressure. Kuyucu Murad Pasha suppressed the rebellions from 1606 to 1608, killing 80,000 Celali by 1608. The rebellions ended as weaker Celali were defeated and stronger ones were incorporated into the Ottoman system.

Did You Know?

• The word Celali means 'belonging to Celal' and derives from Bozoklu Celal, who rebelled in 1519.
• Kuyucu Murad Pasha was nicknamed 'well-digger' for the mass graves he created during his campaign against the Celali from 1606 to 1608.
• Arakel of Tabriz wrote about allegations of cannibalism during a famine from 1607 to 1608.
• The Celali rebellions never had a unified command and sought local power rather than changes across the Ottoman Empire.