Shah Budak

Shah Budak (Turkish: Şah Budak; died 1500) was Beg of Dulkadir from October 1465 to April 1466 and 4 June 1472 to 1480. During the reign of his brother, Malik Arslan (r. 1454–65), Shah Budak took refuge in Mamluk Egypt. He took advantage of the discord between Malik Arslan and the Mamluks by provoking the Mamluk sultan to commission his brother's assassination. Malik Arslan was killed in October 1465, and Shah Budak rose to the throne afterwards. However, before the Mamluk forces could come to his aid, he was defeated by his other brother, Shah Suwar (r. 1466–72), who was backed by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II (r. 1444–46, 1451–81). Shah Suwar was engaged in continuous warfare against the Mamluk Sultanate, whereas Shah Budak took sides with the latter. Shah Suwar was caught by the Mamluk forces on 4 June 1472.

Shah Budak rose to the throne once again, and during his second reign, an initial challenge came from his nephew (Malik Arslan's son) Kilij Arslan Beg, who was in the service of the Aq Qoyunlu ruler Uzun Hasan (r. 1453–78). However, the Aq Qoyunlu were fended off by the Mamluks and later defeated by the Ottomans at the Battle of Otlukbeli on 11 August 1473, which rendered Kilij Arslan's ambition to topple Shah Budak unfeasible. Mehmed II sponsored another brother of Shah Budak, Bozkurt (r. 1480–1515), who vanquished Shah Budak and claimed the throne in 1480. Shah Budak escaped to Egypt. He was eventually favored by Mehmed II's successor Bayezid II (r. 1481–1512). Shah Budak's attempt to overthrow Bozkurt in 1489 was unsuccessful. The Mamluks banished Shah Budak to Upper Egypt.