Qara Iskander
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Qara Iskandar (; ) ruled 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 ...
or Black Sheep Turcoman tribe from 1420 to 1436. His struggles with 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 ...
show that he was a brave leader, but he was not able to continue developing what he inherited from his father
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 ...
; his reign also saw the decline (and attenuation) of the Qara Qoyunlu.


During Qara Yusuf's reign

Details about his early years is not known, including where and when he was born. He was third 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 ...
and a full brother of Ispend. He was appointed to be a wali of
Kirkuk Kirkuk (; ; ; ) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of the Kirkuk Governorate. The city is home to a diverse population of Kurds, Iraqi Turkmen, Iraqi Turkmens and Arabs. Kirkuk sits on the ruins of the original Kirkuk Cit ...
and his first appearance was in 1416, where he defeated
Qara Osman Uthman Beg or Osman Beg (Ajami Turkic and ; 1356 – 1435) 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. Name He was born Baha-ud-Din Uth ...
when he was besieging
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 ...
.


Succession

Qara Yusuf's death in 1420 left his sons
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,
Jahan Shah Muzaffar al-Din Jahan Shah ibn Yusuf (; ; 1397 in Khoy or 1405 in Mardin – 30 October or 11 November 1467 near Bingöl) or Abu al-Muzaffar Jahan Shah was the leader of the Qara Qoyunlu Oghuz Turkic tribal confederacy in Azerbaijan (Iran), Azer ...
and Abu Said fighting over the succession. The Sa’dlu tribe, one of the main sub-tribes of the Qara Qoyunlu, declared Ispend who was in Chokhur-e Sa'd province at that time as their new chief. Abu Sa’id had to flee and
Jahan Shah Muzaffar al-Din Jahan Shah ibn Yusuf (; ; 1397 in Khoy or 1405 in Mardin – 30 October or 11 November 1467 near Bingöl) or Abu al-Muzaffar Jahan Shah was the leader of the Qara Qoyunlu Oghuz Turkic tribal confederacy in Azerbaijan (Iran), Azer ...
went to
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 ...
. Iskander on the other hand was supported by his brother Shah Muhammad who was governing
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 ...
at that time. Soon Iskandar was crowned on 2 July 1421 with Qara Qoyunlu amirs Amir Qara and Qadam Pasha in
Alinja Tower The Alinja Tower, also known as Alinjagala, Alinja-gala () or the Armenian fortress of Yernjak up to the 14th century«Крепость Ернджак (Алинджа-кала)» /Бюллетень Кавказского историко-архе ...
. Soon Ispend also swore fealty to him and they joined together to fight the
Aq Qoyunlu The Aq Qoyunlu or the White Sheep Turkomans (, ; ) was a culturally Persianate society, Persianate,Kaushik Roy, ''Military Transition in Early Modern Asia, 1400–1750'', (Bloomsbury, 2014), 38; "Post-Mongol Persia and Iraq were ruled by two trib ...
who were invading from the west, and defeated them.


Timurid invasions

The Timurid
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 ...
took advantage of the weakened state of the Qara Qoyunlu to invade their land, crossing the Aras River and battling the forces of Iskander and Ispend at Yakhsi (28 July 1421 - 1 August 1421). Timurid forces were almost defeated when Amir Shahmalik cut heads of two slain soldiers and tricked both into thinking his brother was killed. Iskander's forces retreated to Kirkuk. Meanwhile, Shah Rukh briefly occupied
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
Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...
but then withdrew once more to
Khorasan KhorasanDabeersiaghi, Commentary on Safarnâma-e Nâsir Khusraw, 6th Ed. Tehran, Zavvâr: 1375 (Solar Hijri Calendar) 235–236 (; , ) is a historical eastern region in the Iranian Plateau in West and Central Asia that encompasses western and no ...
, appointing
Qara Osman Uthman Beg or Osman Beg (Ajami Turkic and ; 1356 – 1435) 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. Name He was born Baha-ud-Din Uth ...
's son
Jalaladdin Ali beg Jalal ud-Din Ali ibn Kara Yuluk Osman (), or Mirza Ali Beg () was the sixth ''bey'' of the Turkoman tribal confederation of the Aq Qoyunlu from 1435 to 1438. Life Jalal ud-Din Ali ibn Kara Yuluk Osman was born into the Bayandur tribe of the A ...
as his viceroy. At this point, Ispend quickly re-occupied Nakhchivan and
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 ...
. However Iskander followed him and fought with him, taking the city and establishing himself as sole ruler of the Qara Qoyunlu.


End of first reign

Having secured his rule in Azerbaijan, he quickly made punitive expeditions against local rulers. Firstly defeating and killing Kurdish emir Malik Muhammad and his 20.000 strong army in
Hakkari Hakkari or Hakkâri may refer to: *Hakkari (historical region), a historical region in modern-day Turkey and Iraq *Hakkâri (city), a city and the capital of Hakkâri Province, Turkey *Hakkâri Province Hakkâri Province (, ; ), is a province i ...
. Hearing this regional rulers - namely Malik Sharaf-al Din of
Akhlat Ahlat (; ) is a town in Turkey's Bitlis Province in Eastern Anatolia Region. It is the seat of Ahlat District.Qara Osman Uthman Beg or Osman Beg (Ajami Turkic and ; 1356 – 1435) 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. Name He was born Baha-ud-Din Uth ...
and some Kurdhish chiefs made an alliance and marched on
Ardabil Ardabil (, ) is a city in northwestern Iran. It is in the Central District (Ardabil County), Central District of Ardabil County, Ardabil province, Ardabil province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. The ...
unsuccessfully. Sharaf-al Din was executed on spot. In 1425 brothers of
Khalilullah I Khalilullah I (), also known as Sultan-Khalil (), was the Shirvanshah (king of Shirvan) from 1418 to 1465. He was the son and successor of Ibrahim I (). He was succeeded by his son Farrukh Yasar. Reign After the death of the Qara Qoyunlu ruler ...
- Keygobad, Ishaq and Hashim - revolted in Shirvan, shah requested help from Qara Iskander. He used this opportunity to lay waste and raid Shirvan, also in response of Khalilullah's support to Shah Rukh back in 1421. Later he made another punitive expedition on Khwaja Yusuf, a governor of
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 ...
appointed by Shah Rukh in 1428. When news reached Shah Rukh, he sent Emir Aliya Kukaltash in 1428 to the region. He himself commanded a 100,000 strong army in 1429 and arrived in
Salmas Salmas () is a city in the Central District of Salmas County, West Azerbaijan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. It is northwest of Lake Urmia, near Turkey. Etymology The original name of Salmas was ...
. Qara Iskander's half brother Abu Said withdrew in the midst of the battle and submitted to Shah Rukh on 18 September 1429. This serious blow to Iskander forced the Qara Qoyunlu to retreat back to the
Diyar Bakr Diyar Bakr () is the medieval Arabic name of the northernmost of the three provinces of the Jazira (Upper Mesopotamia), the other two being Diyar Mudar and Diyar Rabi'a. According to the medieval geographer al-Baladhuri, all three provinces were ...
. Shah Rukh occupied Tabriz and installed Abu Said as ruling prince of the Qara Qoyunlu.


Second reign

Qara Iskander hastily marched on Abu Said in 1431 and killed him, installing himself again as a sole ruler. He appointed his son Yar Ali to govern
Van A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. There is some variation in the scope of the word across the different English-speaking countries. The smallest vans, microvans, are used for transporting either goods or ...
. Who was a cruel ruler, heavily taxing
Armenians Armenians (, ) are an ethnic group indigenous to the Armenian highlands of West Asia.Robert Hewsen, Hewsen, Robert H. "The Geography of Armenia" in ''The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times Volume I: The Dynastic Periods: From Antiq ...
. After numerous complaints and his recall to palace, afraid Yar Ali fled to Shirvan, where he was captured and was turned over to Timurids. His first destination was
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 ...
and then
Samarqand Samarkand ( ; Uzbek and Tajik: Самарқанд / Samarqand, ) is a city in southeastern Uzbekistan and among the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Central Asia. Samarkand is the capital of the Samarkand Region and a district-level ...
. Furious Iskander made another punitive expedition on
Khalilullah I Khalilullah I (), also known as Sultan-Khalil (), was the Shirvanshah (king of Shirvan) from 1418 to 1465. He was the son and successor of Ibrahim I (). He was succeeded by his son Farrukh Yasar. Reign After the death of the Qara Qoyunlu ruler ...
and subsequently devastated Shirvan. Khalilullah appealed to Shah Rukh in turn and asked for assistance, himself travelling to Rey with his daughter. Answering the pleads, Shah Rukh once more invaded Qara Qoyunlu and forced Qara Iskander to flee. He was ambushed by
Qara Osman Uthman Beg or Osman Beg (Ajami Turkic and ; 1356 – 1435) 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. Name He was born Baha-ud-Din Uth ...
en route, who was aided by
Muhammad Juki Muhammad Juki Mirza (1402 – 1445) was a Timurid prince and a son of the Central Asian ruler Shah Rukh. He served as one of his father's military commanders and may have been favoured as his preferred successor. However, he died of illness ...
(son of Shah Rukh) in
Adilcevaz Adilcevaz (; , ) is a town in Bitlis Province of Turkey. It is on the northern shore of Lake Van. It is the seat of Adilcevaz District.
. Battle was a disaster for
Aq Qoyunlu The Aq Qoyunlu or the White Sheep Turkomans (, ; ) was a culturally Persianate society, Persianate,Kaushik Roy, ''Military Transition in Early Modern Asia, 1400–1750'', (Bloomsbury, 2014), 38; "Post-Mongol Persia and Iraq were ruled by two trib ...
, in which Osman was killed. He further fled to
Murad II Murad II (, ; June 1404 – 3 February 1451) was twice the sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1421 to 1444 and from 1446 to 1451. Early life Murad was born in June 1404 to Mehmed I, while the identity of his mother is disputed according to v ...
, who appointed him as a governor of
Tokat Tokat is a city of Turkey in the mid-Black Sea region of Anatolia. It is the seat of Tokat Province and Tokat District.
, however he declined and gathered his forces to go back to Tabriz. In 1436 Shah Rukh once more installed a Timurid governor in Tabriz, this time Qara Iskander's brother
Jahan Shah Muzaffar al-Din Jahan Shah ibn Yusuf (; ; 1397 in Khoy or 1405 in Mardin – 30 October or 11 November 1467 near Bingöl) or Abu al-Muzaffar Jahan Shah was the leader of the Qara Qoyunlu Oghuz Turkic tribal confederacy in Azerbaijan (Iran), Azer ...
. Iskander marched on Tabriz but was defeated by Jahan Shah at Sufiyan to the north of the city, having been betrayed by some of his emirs - one of them being his nephew Shah Ali (son of Shah Muhammad). He then fled and took refuge in the castle of
Alinja Alinja (also known as "Alıncak"; ; ) is a village and municipality in the Julfa District of Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan. The mausoleum and shrine of the Hurufi Fazlallah are located on a hillside overlooking the village. Qara Iskander, the ruler o ...
. Jahan Shah besieged the castle and during the siege Iskander used a last chance to ally with
Mamluks Mamluk or Mamaluk (; (singular), , ''mamālīk'' (plural); translated as "one who is owned", meaning "slave") were non-Arab, ethnically diverse (mostly Turkic, Caucasian, Eastern and Southeastern European) enslaved mercenaries, slave-sold ...
. However he was murdered by his own son Shah Kubad before they reached for help.


Family

Sons: * Alvand Mirza Sümer 1984, pp.143 - ancestor of the Indian dynasty of the Qutbshahis * Yar Ali * Malik Qasim * Hasan beg * Shah Qubad - executed on 23 April 1438 by
Jahan Shah Muzaffar al-Din Jahan Shah ibn Yusuf (; ; 1397 in Khoy or 1405 in Mardin – 30 October or 11 November 1467 near Bingöl) or Abu al-Muzaffar Jahan Shah was the leader of the Qara Qoyunlu Oghuz Turkic tribal confederacy in Azerbaijan (Iran), Azer ...
. * Husayn Ali * Asad * Rustam * Tarkhan * Malik Muhammad Daughters: * Arayish begum * Shahsaray begum


References


Sources

* * * Sümer, Faruk (1984). Kara Koyunlular (in Turkish). Ankara: Türk Tarih Kurumu {{DEFAULTSORT:Iskandar Year of birth missing Year of death missing 15th-century Qara Qoyunlu rulers