Mehmed II, commonly known as Mehmed the Conqueror, was twice the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from August 1444 to September 1446 and then later from February 1451 to May 1481.
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.
Uthman Beg or Osman Beg was a late 14th and early 15th-century leader of the Turkoman tribal federation of Aq Qoyunlu in what is now eastern Turkey, Iran, Azerbaijan and Iraq.
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.
The Battle of Otlukbeli or Otluk Beli was fought between Aq Qoyunlu and the Ottoman Empire on August 11, 1473.
Sara Khatun was an influential woman of the Aq Qoyunlu state, as the political adviser of her son, Uzun Hasan. She was a successful and well-respected diplomatic mediator.
The Battle of Chapakchur was a decisive battle fought between Qara Qoyunlu under the leadership of Jahan Shah and Aq Qoyunlu under the leadership of Uzun Hasan. Jahan Shah was defeated by Uzun Hasan in a battle near the sanjak of Çapakçur in present-day eastern Turkey on October 30, 1467.
The siege of Trebizond was the successful siege of the city of Trebizond, capital of the Empire of Trebizond, by the Ottomans under Sultan Mehmed II, which ended on 15 August 1461. The siege culminated a lengthy campaign on the Ottoman side, which involved coordinated but independent manoeuvres by a large army and navy. The Trapezuntine defenders had relied on a network of alliances, which would provide them with support and a workforce when the Ottomans began their siege. Still, it failed when Emperor David Megas Komnenos most needed it.
Battle of Otlukbeli Martyrs' Monument is a war memorial in Otlukbeli district of Erzincan Province, eastern Turkey. Opened in 2008, it is dedicated to the fallen soldiers in the Battle of Otlukbeli (1473), with both belligerents, Ottoman Empire and Aq Qoyunlu, being Muslim Turk states.
Gevherhan Hatun was an Ottoman princess, the daughter of Mehmed the Conqueror and Gülbahar Hatun. She was the sister of Sultan Bayezid II.
Theodora Megale Komnene, also known as Despina Khatun, was the daughter of John IV of Trebizond and Bagrationi who married the Aq Qoyunlu ruler Uzun Hasan in 1458. She became the mother of Halima Alamshah Hatun who became the mother of first Safavid king, Shah Ismail I.
Shah Budak was Beg of Dulkadir from October 1465 to April 1466 and 4 June 1472 to 1480. During the reign of his brother, Malik Arslan's, 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, who was backed by the Ottoman Empire ruled by Mehmed II. 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.
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.
Sayf al-Din Malik Arslan was Beg of Dulkadir from 28 August 1454 until his death. Malik Arslan was one of his predecessor Suleiman Beg's numerous sons. Malik Arslan first competed with his uncle Feyyaz for the throne and was favored by the Mamluk Sultan Sayf al-Din Inal. Later into his reign, Malik Arslan was involved in the succession wars within the Karamanids. He ransacked the region wishing to retake Kayseri but was crushed by the Aq Qoyunlu ruler Uzun Hasan. In September 1465, Malik Arslan ceded Harpoot to Uzun Hasan, who had taken advantage of the worsening relations between Malik Arslan and the Mamluks. Malik Arslan was assassinated on the orders of Khushqadam with incitement from Malik Arslan's rival brother Shah Budak, who replaced him.
Alvand Mirza Beg was an Aq Qoyunlu prince, who was a contender for the throne between 1497 and 1504/5.
Ughurlu Muhammad Beg or Ughurlu Mehmed was a prince of the Aq Qoyunlu, son of Uzun Hassan and Jan Khatun. As the eldest son to Uzun Hasan, he governed the city of Shiraz and desired to be the ruler of the Aq Qoyunlu after the death of his father. Nevertheless, his stepmother Seljuk Shah Khatun, another wife of Uzun Hasan, prevented this. She always slandered Ughurlu Muhammad to Uzun Hasan to favor her own son, Khalil. Afterwards, he rebelled against his father and took refuge to the Ottoman Empire. Mehmed the Conqueror welcomed him and got him married to his daughter Gevherhan Hatun. Ahmad Beg was born from this marriage. Mehmed II gave him Sivas to rule, but was killed near Erzincan in the year 1477.
Ahmad Göde or Gövde Ahmad, born Sultanzade Ahmed and commonly known as Ahmad Beg or Sultan Ahmad, was a ruler of the Aq Qoyunlu.
Suleiman Beg was the ruler of Dulkadir from 1442 until his death. During the reign of his father's, Nasir al-Din Mehmed, he served as the wali (governor) of Kayseri. His reign was relatively uneventful. His major accomplishment was the arrangement of the political marriages of his daughters to the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II and the regnant Mamluk Sultan Sayf al-Din Jaqmaq. Towards the end of his reign, Suleiman was involved in the internal struggle of the Aq Qoyunlu and led an unsuccessful siege on Çemişgezek. He had numerous offspring, among whom four sons would consecutively rule the state. He was succeeded by Malik Arslan.
Shah Suwar was the ruler of Dulkadir from April 1466 to 4 June 1472. Upon the assassination of his brother, Malik Arslan, he competed for the throne against his other brother Shah Budak, who took over with the support of the Mamluk Sultanate. Shah Suwar was welcomed by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, who appointed him to a number of positions in his realm. Six months into Shah Budak's reign, Shah Suwar defeated him and instead became the new ruler in April 1466. The Mamluks fiercely disputed his reign. The Sultans Khushqadam and Qaitbay launched multiple consecutive campaigns to subdue him. Shah Suwar initially triumphed over the Mamluks and expanded his territory, occupying the entirety of the Ramadanid realm.
Crusades of the 15th century are those Crusades that follow the Crusades after Acre, 1291–1399, throughout the next hundred years. In this period, the threat from the Ottoman Empire dominated the Christian world, but also included threats from the Mamluks, Moors, and heretics. The Ottomans gained significant territory in all theaters, but did not defeat Hospitaller Rhodes nor advance past the Balkans. In addition, the Reconquista was completed and heretics continued to be suppressed.
