Khoy Khoy (, ) is a city in the Central District (Khoy County), Central District of Khoy County, West Azerbaijan province, West Azerbaijan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. Occupied since Medes, Median times, ...

Mardin Mardin (; ; romanized: ''Mārdīn''; ; ) is a city and seat of the Artuklu District of Mardin Province in Turkey. It is known for the Artuqids, Artuqid architecture of its old city, and for its strategic location on a rocky hill near the Tigris ...

Bingöl Bingöl (; ; ), known as Çapakçur before 1944, is a city in Turkey. It is the seat of Bingöl Province and Bingöl District,) or Abu al-Muzaffar Jahan Shah was the leader of the

Qara Qoyunlu The Qara Qoyunlu or Kara Koyunlu (, ; ), also known as the Black Sheep Turkomans, were a culturally Persianate, Muslim Turkoman "Kara Koyunlu, also spelled Qara Qoyunlu, Turkish Karakoyunlular, English Black Sheep, Turkmen tribal federation tha ...

Oghuz Turkic tribal confederacy in

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...

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 The Eastern Anatolia region () is a geographical region of Turkey. The most populous province in the region is Van Province. Other populous provinces are Malatya, Erzurum and Elazığ. It is bordered by the Black Sea Region and Georgia in th ...

, most of present-day

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

, central

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

, and even eventually

Kerman Kerman (; ) is a city in the Central District (Kerman County), Central District of Kerman County, Kerman province, Kerman province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. History Kerman was founded as a def ...

. 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 Tabriz (; ) is a city in the Central District (Tabriz County), Central District of Tabriz County, in the East Azerbaijan province, East Azerbaijan province of northwestern Iran. It serves as capital of the province, the county, and the distric ...

.

Early life

Jahan Shah was the son of

Qara Yusuf ''Abu Nasr'' Qara Yusuf ibn Mohammad Barani ( 1356 – 1420) was the ruler of the Qara Qoyunlu dynasty (or "Black Sheep Turkomans") from 1388 to 1420, although his reign was interrupted by Tamerlane's invasion (1400–1405). He was the son of ...

. He had several brothers, some of whom ruled the Qara Qoyunlu before him:

Pirbudag Pirbudag (1403/1404October 1418, reigned 1411October 1414) was the first ruler of Qara Qoyunlu as an independent sultanate. Life Pirbudag was the eldest son of Qara Yusuf, born around 1403 during his father's captivity, together with Ahmad Jal ...

(r.1411–1414),

Ispend bin Yusuf Ispend bin Yusuf (Persian: اسپند میرزا Azerbaijani: اسپند بن یوسف), referred to during his reign as the Amir Isfahan, was the second son of Qara Yusuf after Pirbudag, brother of Qara Iskander. He was the judge of Baghdad in 1 ...

,

Iskander The 9K720 Iskander (; NATO reporting name SS-26 Stone) is a Russian mobile short-range ballistic missile system. It has a range of . It was intended to replace the OTR-21 Tochka in the Russian military by 2020. The Iskander has several differ ...

(r.1421–1429, 1431-1436), Abu Said (r.1430). Jahan Shah was sent to retake

Soltaniyeh Soltaniyeh () is a city in the Central District (Soltaniyeh County), Central District of Soltaniyeh County, Zanjan province, Zanjan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. History Soltaniyeh, located some ...

and

Qazvin Qazvin (; ; ) is a city in the Central District (Qazvin County), Central District of Qazvin County, Qazvin province, Qazvin province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is the largest city in the provi ...

just before his father's death.

During reign of Qara Iskander

Around 1420 Jahan Shah married the daughter of

Alexios IV of Trebizond Alexios IV Megas Komnenos or Alexius IV (; – 1429), Emperor of Trebizond from 5 March 1417 to 26 April 1429. He was the son of Emperor Manuel III and Gulkhan-Eudokia of Georgia. Reign Alexios IV had been associated in authority and given t ...

and

Theodora Kantakouzene Theodora Komnene Kantakouzene (; – after 1390) was Empress of the Empire of Trebizond as the consort of Emperor Alexios III Megas Komnenos from their marriage in 1351 until her retirement after her husband's death in 1390. Family Theodora is ...

, part of the agreement being that Alexius would continue paying to the Qara Qoyunlu the tribute that Trebizond had formerly paid to

Timur Timur, also known as Tamerlane (1320s17/18 February 1405), was a Turco-Mongol conqueror who founded the Timurid Empire in and around modern-day Afghanistan, Iran, and Central Asia, becoming the first ruler of the Timurid dynasty. An undefeat ...

. During the reign of his brother

Qara Iskander Qara Iskandar (; ) ruled the Qara Qoyunlu or Black Sheep Turkoman (ethnonym), Turcoman tribe from 1420 to 1436. His struggles with the Timurid dynasty, Timurid ruler Shah Rukh show that he was a brave leader, but he was not able to continue develo ...

(1420–36), as a potential rival to the throne, Jahan Shah’s life was not safe and he took refuge with his other brother Ispend who was ruling

Baghdad Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...

. In 1436 he obtained the help of the

Timurid Timurid refers to those descended from Timur (Tamerlane), a 14th-century conqueror: * Timurid dynasty, a dynasty of Turco-Mongol lineage descended from Timur who established empires in Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent ** Timurid Empire of ...

ruler

Shah Rukh Shah Rukh or Shahrukh Mirza (, ''Šāhrokh''; 20 August 1377 – 13 March 1447) was the ruler of the Timurid Empire between 1405 and 1447. He was the son of the Central Asian conqueror Timur (Tamerlane), who founded the Timurid dynasty in 1370 ...

to defeat Qara Iskander and seize the throne for himself. Having been helped to power by Shah Rukh he ruled at first as a vassal of the Timurids. He was also adopted by Goharshad Begum and crowned on 19 April 1438, along taking epithet "Muzaffar al-Din".

Campaigns against Georgia

In 1440, King

Alexander I of Georgia Alexander I the Great (, ''Aleksandre I Didi'') (1386 – between August 26, 1445 and March 7, 1446), of the Bagrationi house, was king ('' mepe'') of Georgia from 1412 to 1442. Despite his efforts to restore the country from the ruins left by ...

refused to pay tribute to Jahan Shah. In March Jahan Shah responded by invading Georgia with 20,000 troops, destroyed the city of

Samshvilde Samshvilde ( ka, სამშვილდე, ) is a ruined fortified city and archaeological site in Georgia, in the country's south, near the homonymous modern-day village in the Tetritsqaro Municipality, Kvemo Kartli region. The ruins of the ...

and sacked

Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი, ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), ( ka, ტფილისი, tr ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia ( ...

before returning to Tabriz. He was accompanied by Shaykh Ibrahim, father of future

Shaykh Junayd Shaykh Junayd (died 4 March 1460; ) was the hereditary leader of the Safavid order, a Sufi order based in Ardabil in northwestern Iran. He was the son of Shaykh Ibrahim, grandson of Shaykh Ali Safavi, father of Shaykh Haydar and grandfather o ...

. He also mounted a second military expedition against Georgia in 1444. His forces met those of Alexander’s successor, King

Vakhtang IV Vakhtang IV ( Georgian: ვახტანგ IV) (c. 1413 – December 1446), of the Bagrationi dynasty, was a king (''mepe'') of Georgia who reigned from 1433 to his death, associated to the throne of his father Alexander I from 1433 to the lat ...

at

Akhaltsikhe Akhaltsikhe ( ka, ახალციხე ), formerly known as Lomsia ( ka, ლომსია ), is a small city in Georgia's southwestern region () of Samtskhe–Javakheti. It is the administrative center of the Akhaltsikhe Municipality and ...

, but the fighting was inconclusive and Jahan Shah returned to

Tabriz Tabriz (; ) is a city in the Central District (Tabriz County), Central District of Tabriz County, in the East Azerbaijan province, East Azerbaijan province of northwestern Iran. It serves as capital of the province, the county, and the distric ...

once more.

Conquest of Baghdad

Jahan Shah’s brother Ispend, who had ruled over Baghdad and its environs for twelve years, died in 1445 and he bequeathed the government of the state to his nephew Alvand Mirza since his son Fulad Mirza was too young at the time. However most of the emirs preferred Fulad. He decided to organise a military expedition against Baghdad with the backing of some of the emirs, who had sought refuge with him. After a siege of seven months, Baghdad was captured on 9 June 1446. He also appointed his nephews Alvand Mirza, Rustam, Tarkhan and Mahmud to jointly govern

Mosul Mosul ( ; , , ; ; ; ) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. It is the second largest city in Iraq overall after the capital Baghdad. Situated on the banks of Tigris, the city encloses the ruins of the ...

. He appointed his son Mirza Muhammad to govern

Baghdad Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...

in his name.

Reign

Upon the death of the Timurid ruler

Shah Rukh Shah Rukh or Shahrukh Mirza (, ''Šāhrokh''; 20 August 1377 – 13 March 1447) was the ruler of the Timurid Empire between 1405 and 1447. He was the son of the Central Asian conqueror Timur (Tamerlane), who founded the Timurid dynasty in 1370 ...

in 1447, Jahan Shah became an independent ruler of the Qara Qoyunlu, and started to use the titles of

sultan Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be use ...

and

khan Khan may refer to: * Khan (surname), including a list of people with the name * Khan (title), a royal title for a ruler in Mongol and Turkic languages and used by various ethnicities Art and entertainment * Khan (band), an English progressiv ...

. At the same time, the Timurid Empire took advantage of the struggles among the Turkoman princes and captured the cities of Sultaniya and

Qazvin Qazvin (; ; ) is a city in the Central District (Qazvin County), Central District of Qazvin County, Qazvin province, Qazvin province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is the largest city in the provi ...

. Peace was made when

Sultan Muhammad bin Baysonqor Sultan Muhammad (1418 – 1452) was the Timurid ruler of Persia and Fars from around 1447 until his death. He was the son of Baysunghur son of Shah Rukh. During the last years of Shah Rukh's reign, Sultan Muhammad raised a revolt in the wes ...

was married to a daughter of Jahan Shah. However, he retook lands he lost from

Mirza Babur Shahzada Mirza Muhammad Babur Bahadur Baig (1796 – 13 February 1835) also known as Mirza Babur was a Mughal prince and son of Mughal emperor Akbar II Akbar II (; 22 April 1760 – 28 September 1837), also known as Akbar Shah II, was the ...

. In 1452-1453, Jahan Shah seized the opportunity of the death of

Sultan Muhammad bin Baysonqor Sultan Muhammad (1418 – 1452) was the Timurid ruler of Persia and Fars from around 1447 until his death. He was the son of Baysunghur son of Shah Rukh. During the last years of Shah Rukh's reign, Sultan Muhammad raised a revolt in the wes ...

, Timurid Governor of Fars, to further expand East and South, taking Savah, Qumm,

Isfahan Isfahan or Esfahan ( ) is a city in the Central District (Isfahan County), Central District of Isfahan County, Isfahan province, Iran. It is the capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is located south of Tehran. The city ...

,

Shiraz Shiraz (; ) is the List of largest cities of Iran, fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars province, which has been historically known as Pars (Sasanian province), Pars () and Persis. As of the 2016 national census, the popu ...

and

Yazd Yazd (; ) is a city in the Central District of Yazd County, Yazd province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. At the 2016 census, its population was 529,673. Since 2017, the historical city of Yazd is rec ...

. He was seconded by his son Pīr Būdāq, who became governor of Shiraz. In the summer of 1458, Jahan Shah advanced as far as

Herat Herāt (; Dari/Pashto: هرات) is an oasis city and the third-largest city in Afghanistan. In 2020, it had an estimated population of 574,276, and serves as the capital of Herat Province, situated south of the Paropamisus Mountains (''Se ...

, leading to the occupation of Herat for six months, but finally had to turn back because of a revolt by his son Hasan Ali and also because Abu Said's march on Tabriz. Hasan Ali was kept in Maku prison for a while for his rebellious nature. He was defeated in winter 1458. But this time, his son Pirbudag rebelled, who was soon joined by Hasan Ali in Fars. However, he was spared at the request of his mother and replaced by

Mirza Yusuf Mirza Yusuf (; ) died 22October 1469, ) was the last sultan of the Qara Qoyunlu, also known as the Black Sheep Turkomans, to have significant authority. During reign of Jahan Shah Mirza Yusuf was a son of Jahan Shah. He was appointed as governo ...

, another son of Jahan Shah. Pirbudag was sent to govern Baghdad, his other sons Qasim beg was assigned to

Kerman Kerman (; ) is a city in the Central District (Kerman County), Central District of Kerman County, Kerman province, Kerman province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. History Kerman was founded as a def ...

with Hasan Ali being imprisoned again. However, Pirbudag again rebelled, now controlling Baghdad. He was defeated in 1464 and was executed by Mirza Muhammad.

Conflict with the Aq Qoyunlu

Conflict with Jahangir

From around 1447 Jahan Shah was involved in a struggle against the

Ak Koyunlu The Aq Qoyunlu or the White Sheep Turkomans (, ; ) was a culturally Persianate,Kaushik Roy, ''Military Transition in Early Modern Asia, 1400–1750'', (Bloomsbury, 2014), 38; "Post-Mongol Persia and Iraq were ruled by two tribal confederations: ...

who had always been sworn enemies of the Qara Qoyunlu. First of these battles happened when Alvand Mirza rebelled and fled to

Jahangir Nur-ud-din Muhammad Salim (31 August 1569 – 28 October 1627), known by his imperial name Jahangir (; ), was List of emperors of the Mughal Empire, Emperor of Hindustan from 1605 until his death in 1627, and the fourth Mughal emperors, Mughal ...

, chief of Ak Koyunlu. Jahan Shah demanded his rebellious nephew, but Jahangir refused to hand him over. Jahan Shah invaded

Erzincan Erzincan (; ), historically Yerznka (), is the capital of Erzincan Province in eastern Turkey. Nearby cities include Erzurum, Sivas, Tunceli, Bingöl, Elazığ, Malatya, Gümüşhane, Bayburt, and Giresun. The city is majority Turkish Sunni w ...

and sent his commander – Rustem beg to subdue Jahangir. Hopeless Jahangir sent his mother

Sara Khatun Sara Khatun () was an influential woman of the Aq Qoyunlu state, as the political adviser of her son, Uzun Hasan (r. 1457–1478). She was a successful and well-respected diplomatic mediator. Early life According to historian John E. Woods, S ...

to Mamluk Egypt while Jahan Shah started to support his half-brother Sheikh Hasan. While Sheikh Hasan was killed by

Uzun Hasan Uzun Hasan or Uzun Hassan (; February or March 1425 – January 6, 1478) was a ruler of the Turkoman (ethnonym), Turkoman Aq Qoyunlu state and is generally considered to be its strongest ruler. Hasan ruled between 1452 and 1478 and presided ove ...

, brother of Jahangir; Jahan Shah hasted to offer peace to

Ak Koyunlu The Aq Qoyunlu or the White Sheep Turkomans (, ; ) was a culturally Persianate,Kaushik Roy, ''Military Transition in Early Modern Asia, 1400–1750'', (Bloomsbury, 2014), 38; "Post-Mongol Persia and Iraq were ruled by two tribal confederations: ...

, in return to accept their submission. Jahangir accepted and also wed his daughter to Mirza Muhammad.

Conflict with Uzun Hasan

Uzun Hasan did not acknowledge his elder brother's submission and rebelled against him, capturing Amid in 1457. Jahangir fled to Jahan Shah. Uzun Hasan was also supported by

Safavids The Guarded Domains of Iran, commonly called Safavid Iran, Safavid Persia or the Safavid Empire, was one of the largest and longest-lasting Iranian empires. It was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often considered the begi ...

, their leader

Shaykh Junayd Shaykh Junayd (died 4 March 1460; ) was the hereditary leader of the Safavid order, a Sufi order based in Ardabil in northwestern Iran. He was the son of Shaykh Ibrahim, grandson of Shaykh Ali Safavi, father of Shaykh Haydar and grandfather o ...

being brother-in-law to Uzun Hasan. He was replaced by Shaykh Jafar – his uncle. Jahan Shah set out from Tabriz with a great army on 16 May 1466, and came to the basin of

Lake Van Lake Van (; ; ) is the largest lake in Turkey. It lies in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey in the provinces of Van Province, Van and Bitlis Province, Bitlis, in the Armenian highlands. It is a Salt lake, saline Soda lake, soda lake, receiv ...

. While there, he was furious to learn that Uzun Hasan was raiding his lands with 12,000 cavalry. Meanwhile, Uzun Hasan, suspecting that Jahan Shah was planning to attack him, had carefully guarded the mountain passes. Envoys went back and forth between them, but because of Jahan Shah’s heavy demands, an agreement could not be reached. Having advanced as far as

Muş Muş (; ; ) is a city in eastern Turkey. It is the seat of Muş Province and Muş District.İl Beled ...

, Jahan Shah had to postpone his attack because of the onset of winter. As his troops began to complain, he decided to withdraw to a winter residence. Uzun Hasan caught his army by surprise and totally defeated them in a sudden attack. Mirza Yusuf and Mirza Muhammad was captured on 30 October or 11 November 1467 at the Battle of Chapakchur. Jahan Shah was killed in battle while fleeing. and with his death the great era of Qara Qoyunlu history came to an end. He was succeeded by his son Hasan Ali. Jahan Shah had been buried in southern part of Blue Mosque,

Tabriz Tabriz (; ) is a city in the Central District (Tabriz County), Central District of Tabriz County, in the East Azerbaijan province, East Azerbaijan province of northwestern Iran. It serves as capital of the province, the county, and the distric ...

.

Legacy

In the year 1462, Abd al-Razzaq described Jahan-shah's rule in the following terms: "Owing to the benevolent administration (''husn-i 'inayat va lutf-i atifat'') of Mirza Jahan-shah, Azarbaijan was a highly thriving state. That well-meaning sovereign was anxious to practice justice, to secure prosperity of the country, and to treat his subjects honourably. The capital, Tabriz, by its numerous population and the prevalence of tranquility, emulated Egypt (''misr-i jami''). The rumours of the good behaviour of that felicitous king spread throughout the world. The inhabitants of his God-protected kingdom, indifferent to the arrows of events, enjoyed peace". Jahan Shah, along with being a poet, promoted culture, learning and architecture. Using the pseudonym "''Haqiqi''", Jahan Shah wrote poetry in

Azerbaijani Turkic Azerbaijani ( ; , , ) or Azeri ( ), also referred to as Azerbaijani Turkic or Azerbaijani Turkish (, , ), is a Turkic language from the Oghuz sub-branch. It is spoken primarily by the Azerbaijani people, who live mainly in the Republic of A ...

and Persian. In 1447 he married his daughter to a descendant of the famous mystic Shah Nimatullah Vali whom the Shia revered as a saint and a worker of miracles.

Architecture

Jahan Shah is known for several architectural contributions through western Iran. The Northern Iwan of

Darb-e Imam The Darb-e Imam (; ) is a Twelver Shi'ite Imamzadeh complex located in the Dardasht quarter of Esfahan, in the province of Isfahan, Iran. The complex comprises two shrines, a mosque, a mausoleum, and a royal cemetery. The complex was added ...

is attributed to him. He commissioned and dedicated the monument in 1453, two years after conquering the city. The gate is considered as "a masterpiece of tile decoration", and "among the finest specimens of such work in Persia". It has a monumental inscription in Persian recording the rule of Jahanshah and the local governorship of his son Moḥammad: ''“When the ruler of the greatest domain, lord of the mightiest realm, and sovereign protector of the world Abu’l-Moẓaffar Mīrzāda Jahānšāh, may God perpetuate his stewardship, entrusted the government of this province to the care and direction of the prince, the support of the pillars of the religion of Moḥammad Abu’l-Fatḥ Moḥammadī...”''. Jahanshah is also known for renovation work on the Eastern entrance iwan of the

Jameh Mosque of Yazd The Jāmeh Mosque of Yazd (; ) is a Friday mosque (''jāmeh'') located in the city of Yazd, in the province of Yazd, Iran. Built on the site of a 9th-century CE fire temple, the mosque was completed during the 14th and 15th century CE and reno ...

in 1457. The portal has a central dedication in the name of Jahanshah: ''"the structure of this lofty arch (taf) was restored during the reign of . . . Abu’l-Muzaffar Sultan Jahanshah, Nizam al Dawlah wa’l-Din al-Hajj Qanbar, in Dhu’l-Hijjah 861."'' It is thought that the contribution was specifically related to the ''

muqarnas Muqarnas (), also known in Iberian architecture as Mocárabe (from ), is a form of three-dimensional decoration in Islamic architecture in which rows or tiers of niche-like elements are projected over others below. It is an archetypal form of I ...

'' of the portal. The Blue Mosque in

Tabriz Tabriz (; ) is a city in the Central District (Tabriz County), Central District of Tabriz County, in the East Azerbaijan province, East Azerbaijan province of northwestern Iran. It serves as capital of the province, the county, and the distric ...

was started in through a foundation established by the wife of Jahanshah, and was completed during the reign of the Āq Qoyunlu in the 1480s.

18th century portrait by Abu'l-Hasan Mostawfi Ghaffari

An imaginary portrait of Jahan Shah, attributed to the Persian painter

Abu'l-Hasan Mostawfi Ghaffari Abu'l-Hasan Mostawfi Ghaffari () was an 18th-century Iranian painter and historian from the Ghaffari family of Kashan. Besides several European-style paintings, he is also known to be the author of the ''Golshan-e Morad'', a book covering the his ...

and dated 1780 or 1795, is located in the

Louvre Museum The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...

(Louvre MAO 599) and labelled by the museum ''"Portrait de Mirza Jahanshah Qara Qoyunlu (r. 1501-1524)"''. The artist Abu'l-Hasan Mostawfi Ghaffari (died 1797/98) was active at the court the

Zand dynasty The Zand dynasty () was an Iranian dynasty, founded by Karim Khan Zand (1751–1779) that initially ruled southern and central Iran in the 18th century. It later expanded to include much of the rest of contemporary Iran (except for the provi ...

and is known for several watercolors of historical subjects. The identification of Jahan Shah is based on an inscription in Arabic in the

Thuluth ''Thuluth'' (, ' or , '; , ''Sols''; Turkish: ''Sülüs'', from ' "one-third") is an Arabic script variety of Islamic calligraphy. The straight angular forms of Kufic were replaced in the new script by curved and oblique lines. In ''Thuluth'', ...

calligraphical style, appearing in a row of blue tiles behind the subject: "The Great Sultan, the Most Honorable Khagan Abu al-Muzaffar, Amir Jahanshah Turkman, may God perpetuate his kingdom and his authority." (السلطان الاعظم الخاقان الاكرم ابو المظفر امير جهانشاه تركمان خلد الله ملكه و سلطانه, ''al-sulṭān al-aʿẓam al-ẖāqān al-akram abū al-muẓaffar amīr ǧahānšāh Turkmān ẖalada Allāh mulkahu wa sulṭānahu''). In several of his works, Abu'l Hasan uses epigraphic panels in Thuluth script, incorporated into arched bays (designed after the Khodakhaneh in

Shiraz Shiraz (; ) is the List of largest cities of Iran, fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars province, which has been historically known as Pars (Sasanian province), Pars () and Persis. As of the 2016 national census, the popu ...

). The subject in the painting wears a costume with flower patterns, as well of the dagger and the sabers decorated with precious stones, which are designs of the 18th century."The gold brocade costume, decorated with numerous florets, appeared to be from the 18th century, not the 15th, as did the weapons, the dagger and the sabre, whose sleeves are decorated with precious stones." ("Le costume de brocart d'or, orné de nombreuses fleurettes, semblait être du XVIIIe siècle, non du XVe, de même que les armes, le poignard et le sabre, donc les manches sont ornés de pierres précieuses.") in ''Iran : pièces du musée de Téhéran, du musée du Louvre et de collections particulières'', cat. exp. (Paris, Musée Cernuschi), Paris,

Musée Cernuschi The Musée Cernuschi (; 'Cernuschi Museum'), officially also the ('Asian Arts Museum of the City of Paris'), is an Asian art museum located at 7 avenue Vélasquez, near Parc Monceau, in Paris, France. Its Asian art collection is second in Par ...

, 1948, p. 74-75, n° 152 The original signature of the portrait was imperfectly erased in modern times, and replaced by the signature "Khalil Musawir, year 841" (خليل مصوير سنه ۸۴۱) in an apparent attempt to claim that the painting was much more ancient, corresponding to the period of Jahan Shah (1437), and a production of the famous painter of Shahrukh named Khalil Musawir, in the year 841 (1437 CE).According to

Musée Cernuschi The Musée Cernuschi (; 'Cernuschi Museum'), officially also the ('Asian Arts Museum of the City of Paris'), is an Asian art museum located at 7 avenue Vélasquez, near Parc Monceau, in Paris, France. Its Asian art collection is second in Par ...

, the original signature by Abu al-Hasan Ghaffari Mustawfi al-Kashani was erased, and a new inscription was then fabricated to claim a more ancient production of the painting by the famous painter of Shahrukh named Khalil Musawir, in the year 841 (1437 CE): "Encore qu'on l'ait affublé récemment du nom d'un peintre célèbre de la cours de Shah Rukh, Kalil Mosawwar, et d'une date, 841 (1437), qui est celle de l'avènement de Shah Jahan. (...) Nous nous aperçûmes aussi que le portrait de Djahan Shah avait bien été signé par son véritable auteur, comme celui de Shah Safi, mais que la signature avait été lavée, pour qu'elle ne contredise pas l'attribution de cette oeuvre à Kalil Mosawwar." in ''Iran : pièces du musée de Téhéran, du musée du Louvre et de collections particulières'', cat. exp. (Paris, Musée Cernuschi), Paris, Musée Cernuschi, 1948, p. 74-75, n° 152

Family

He was married several times. Known marriages include: a daughter of

Alexios IV of Trebizond Alexios IV Megas Komnenos or Alexius IV (; – 1429), Emperor of Trebizond from 5 March 1417 to 26 April 1429. He was the son of Emperor Manuel III and Gulkhan-Eudokia of Georgia. Reign Alexios IV had been associated in authority and given t ...

and Jan Begüm (daughter Tajuddin Rajab bin Afridun):

Sons

*

Pirbudag Pirbudag (1403/1404October 1418, reigned 1411October 1414) was the first ruler of Qara Qoyunlu as an independent sultanate. Life Pirbudag was the eldest son of Qara Yusuf, born around 1403 during his father's captivity, together with Ahmad Jal ...

– governor of Isfahan and Fars, then Baghdad. Killed by Mirza Muhammad. * Hasan Ali succeeded his father. * Mirza Muhammad – son-in-law to Jahangir Beg, captured on 11 November 1467 at the Battle of Chapakchur and executed. *

Mirza Yusuf Mirza Yusuf (; ) died 22October 1469, ) was the last sultan of the Qara Qoyunlu, also known as the Black Sheep Turkomans, to have significant authority. During reign of Jahan Shah Mirza Yusuf was a son of Jahan Shah. He was appointed as governo ...

– captured on 11 November 1467 at the Battle of Chapakchur and blinded. Executed by

Ughurlu Muhammad Ughurlu Muhammad Beg or Ughurlu Mehmed (; ; ; d. 1477) was a prince of the Aq Qoyunlu, son of Uzun Hasan and his Kurdish spouse. Early life He was born in November 1442 to Uzun Hasan and a daughter of Dawlatshah Bulduqani-Mardasi, 8 months lat ...

on 22 October 1469. * Qasim Beg

Daughters

* Saliha Khatun * Habiba Khatun * Tutuq 'Ismat, married to Sultan Muhammad,

Timurid Timurid refers to those descended from Timur (Tamerlane), a 14th-century conqueror: * Timurid dynasty, a dynasty of Turco-Mongol lineage descended from Timur who established empires in Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent ** Timurid Empire of ...

ruler * A daughter married to descendant of Nimatullah Vali

References and notes

Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Shah, Jahan Azerbaijani-language poets 1467 deaths People from Tabriz People from Khoy 15th-century Qara Qoyunlu rulers Year of birth uncertain