| Alvand Mirza Beg | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Sultan of the Aq Qoyunlu | |
| Reign | 1497–1504/5 |
| Predecessor | Sultan Murad |
| Successor | Ismail I (Safavid Iran) |
| Died | 1504/5 Mardin |
| Father | Yusuf Bayandur |
Alvand Mirza Beg was an Aq Qoyunlu prince, who was a contender for the throne between 1497 and 1504/5.
He was the second son of Yusuf Bayandur, who was the grandson of Uzun Hasan. In 1478 he was appointed as the governor of Shiraz by Sultan Khalil. [1] After the death of Ahmad Beg, he came to power in Azerbaijan. In 1500-1501, he became the ruler of a part of the divided Aq Qoyunlu state.
Alvand Beg was supported by Gazi Bey Bayandur and Kazim Bey Purnak. His first action was to drive his brother Mahammad out of Yazd. Mahammad Beg fled to Isfahan. In the following battle, Alvand Beg was defeated and retreated to Tabriz. After this event, Sultan Murad was summoned from Shirvan by Eybe Sultan's brothers. He came from Shiraz to Isfahan and captured Mahammad in the year 1499, exiling him to Tabriz. Alvand Beg and Murad made peace in Abhar, as a result of which Diyarbakir (Eastern Anatolia) and Azerbaijan went to Alvand Beg, while Lower Mesopotamia, Persian Iraq, and Fars remained under Sultan Murad.
After receiving news of Shah Ismail's victory over the Shirvanshahs, Alvand Beg arrived in Nakhchivan from Tabriz with a large army. He sent Muhammad Garajan, a military leader, to Ganja and Karabakh to prevent the Qizilbash from crossing the Kura River. However, the Qizilbash managed to cross the Kura River and annihilate the army sent by Alvand. Despite sending a letter requesting to return to Shah Ismail's service, he received a refusal. Consequently, he was sent to prepare for battle at the Sharur plains. [2] Yet, in the Battle of Sharur in 1501, Alvand Beg faced defeat. [3] In the same year, Ismail entered Tabriz and declared himself Shah, [4] [5] establishing the foundation of the Safavid state with Tabriz as its capital. Alvand Beg managed to escape to Erzincan for his safety.
Uzun Hasan or Uzun Hassan was a ruler of the Turkoman Aq Qoyunlu state and is generally considered to be its strongest ruler. Hasan ruled between 1452 and 1478, and would preside over the confederation's territorial apex when it included parts or all of present-day Iraq, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Iran, Transcaucasia and Syria.
Muzaffar al-Din Jahan Shah ibn Yusuf was the leader of the Qara Qoyunlu Oghuz Turkic tribal confederacy in Azerbaijan and Arran who reigned c. 1438 – 1467. During his reign he managed to expand the Qara Qoyunlu's territory to its largest extent, including Eastern Anatolia, most of present-day Iraq, central Iran, and even eventually Kerman. He also conquered neighbouring states. He was one of the greatest rulers of the Qara Qoyunlu. He was also allegedly fond of drinking and entertainment. During his reign Jahan Shah had the Gökmedrese and Muzafferiye theological schools constructed in his capital city Tabriz.
Farrukh Yasar was the last independent Shirvanshah of Shirvan (1465–1500). In 1500, the first Safavid ruler, Ismail I, decisively defeated and killed Farrukh Yasar during his conquest of the area. Descendants of Farrukh Yasar continued to rule Shirvan under Safavid suzerainty, until 1538, when Ismail's son and successor Tahmasp I appointed its first Safavid governor, and made it a fully functioning Safavid province.
The Aq Qoyunlu or the White Sheep Turkomans was a culturally Persianate, Sunni Turkoman tribal confederation. Founded in the Diyarbakir region by Qara Yuluk Uthman Beg, they ruled parts of present-day eastern Turkey from 1378 to 1503, and in their last decades also ruled Armenia, Azerbaijan, much of Iran, Iraq, and Oman where the ruler of Hormuz recognised Aq Qoyunlu suzerainty. The Aq Qoyunlu empire reached its zenith under Uzun Hasan.
Abu NasrQara Yusuf ibn MohammadBarani was the ruler of the Qara Qoyunlu dynasty from c.1388 to 1420, although his reign was interrupted by Tamerlane's invasion (1400–1405). He was the son of Qara Mahammad Töremish, a brother-in-law to Ahmad Jalayir.
Jalal al-Din Davani, also known as Allama Davani, was a theologian, philosopher, jurist, and poet, who is considered to have been one of the leading scholars in late 15th-century Iran.
Amir Isfahan is the second son of Qara Yusuf after Pirbudag, brother of Qara Iskander. He was the judge of Baghdad in 1433-1445.
The siege of Tabriz took place in 1501 just after the Safavids had defeated the Aq Qoyunlu in the Battle of Sharur. In the preceding battle the Safavids were able to defeat the Aq Qoyunlus that had an army which was 4 times bigger than the Safavid army. After the siege Ismail I chose Tabriz as his capital and proclaimed himself Shahanshah of Iran.
Yaqub b. Uzun Hasan, commonly known as Sultan Ya'qub was the ruler of the Aq Qoyunlu from 1478 until his death on 24 December 1490. A son of Uzun Hasan, he became the ruler of the dynasty after the death of his brother Sultan Khalil. The borders of Aq Qoyunlu dynasty remained stable during his reign. In his book Alam-Aray-i Amini, Fazlallah Khunji Isfahani praised him as a decent successor of Uzun Hasan. Ya'qub received praise from other historians for supporting poets and scientists.
Qara Mahammad was a bey of the Qara Qoyunlu and father of Qara Yusuf.
Mawsillu was a Turcoman tribe active in Aq Qoyunlu and the Safavid Empire.
Sultan Khalil Mirza was a sultan of the Aq Qoyunlu State, ruling from 6 January 1478 to July 1478.
Qazi Isa Savaji was a Persian bureaucrat from the Savaji family, who was among the leading figures during the reign of the Aq Qoyunlu rulers Uzun Hasan and Ya'qub Beg.
Jalal ad-Din Ali ibn Qara Yoluq Osman, or Ali Beg was the sixth bey of the Turkoman tribal federation of the Aq Qoyunlu from 1435 to 1438.
Sharaf al-Din Shah-Mahmud Jan Daylami Qazvini, better known as Mahmud Jan Daylami was an Iranian bureaucrat from the Daylami family, who occupied high offices under the Aq Qoyunlu and the Safavids.
Sufi Khalil Beg Mawsilu was a Turkoman military officer from the Mawsillu clan, who served the Aq Qoyunlu. He was one of the leading figures during the reign of Sultan Ya'qub Beg, and played a pivotal role in the succession struggle that took place after the latter's death. He put Ya'qub's eldest son Baysunghur on the throne, ruling as the virtual ruler of the realm until he was defeated and killed by his rival, Sulayman Beg Bijan.
Baysunghur was the ruler of the Aq Qoyunlu from 1490 to 1493. He was the son and successor of Ya'qub Beg. He had little power during his short reign, serving as a figurehead, while real power was in possession of his tutor and commander Sufi Khalil Beg Mawsilu in 1490–1492, and then under another commander, Sulayman Beg Bijan in 1492–1493. Baysunghur was killed in 1493 by his cousin Rustam Beg, who succeeded him.
The Battle of Sharur occurred in July 1501. It ended with a decisive victory for the Safavid army. After this victory, the way of the Safavids to Tabriz was opened. Alvand Mirza disappeared from the political scene.
Sultan Murad was the last sultan of the Aq Qoyunlu from 1497 to 1508. After losing his kingdom to the Safavid Shah Ismail I, he fled to Diyar Bakr, where he was eventually killed by Shah Ismail's Qizilbash soldiers at the end of 1514.
The battle of Khoy is considered to be the decisive battle between the sons of Uzun Hasan, Sultan Khalil and Sultan Yaqub, which ended the battle for the throne on August 14, 1478. Although the battle began with the victory of Sultan Khalil, it ended with the victory of Sultan Yagub and Sultan Khalil was killed.After entering Tabriz, Sultan Yaqub decided to pardon most of Khalil's supporters.
