Babai Revolt

Quick Facts: Who was Babai Revolt?

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Babai Revolt

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A major thirteenth-century rebellion in the Sultanate of Rum led by Baba Ishak.

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Origins & Early Life

The Babai revolt was a thirteenth-century rebellion that took place in the southeastern territories of the Sultanate of Rum starting in 1239 and lasting for three years. The revolt was spearheaded by Baba Ishak, who led the Turkomans against the authority of the Sultanate. Gıyasettin had ceded power to his ministers, notably Sa'd al-Din Köpek, who was suspicious of a rebellion by Afshar immigrants who had settled in Anatolia, migrating from Persia after the Mongol invasion. He accordingly imprisoned the suspects which led to their movement towards Aleppo within the Nizari Ismaili state. He had the leaders from Khwarazm imprisoned.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

The revolt began in 1239 around Samsat (now in Adıyaman Province) and spread quickly to Central Anatolia. Baba Ishak, who led the revolt, was a follower of Baba Ilyas, the qadi (judge) of Kayseri. He declared himself Amir al-Mu'minin, Sadr al-Dunya wa l-Dīn, and "Messenger of God." Although the Seljuk governor of Malatya tried to suppress the revolt he was defeated by the revolutionaries around Elbistan (in modern Kahramanmaraş Province). The revolutionaries captured the important cities of Sivas, Kayseri and Tokat in Central and North Anatolia. The governor of Amasya killed Baba Ishak in 1240, but this did not mean the end of the revolt.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The revolutionaries marched on Konya, the capital. The sultan saw that his army could not suppress the revolt, and he hired mercenaries of French origin. The revolutionaries were defeated in a decisive battle on the Malya plains near Kırşehir. Bābā Eliyās al-Khorāsānī († 1240) was an influential mystic from Greater Khorasan, who was the murshid of Aybak Bābā who in turn was the murshid of one of the leading actors of the Babais Rebellion, namely Baba Ishak as well. Eventually, Bābā Eliyās Khorāsānī was held responsible for the insurrection organized by Bābā Ishāq Kafarsudī, and consequently executed by Mubāriz’ud-Dīn-i Armāğān-Shāh, the supreme commander-in-chief of the armies of Rum.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1239: 1239 Milestone — The Babai revolt was a thirteenth-century rebellion that took place in the southeastern territories of the Sultanate of Rum starting in 1239 and lasting for three years.
2. 1240: 1240 Milestone — The governor of Amasya killed Baba Ishak in 1240, but this did not mean the end of the revolt.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Babai Revolt

True or False: “The Babai revolt was successfully suppressed immediately after Baba Ishak's death in 1240.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): Although the governor of Amasya killed Baba Ishak in 1240, the rebellion continued and the revolutionaries marched on Konya.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Babai Revolt