''Abu Nasr'' Qara Yusuf ibn Mohammad Barani
( az, Qara Yusif ; c. 1356 – 1420) was the ruler of the
Qara Qoyunlu dynasty (or "Black Sheep Turkomans") from c.1388 to 1420, although his reign was interrupted by
Tamerlane
Timur ; chg, ''Aqsaq Temür'', 'Timur the Lame') or as ''Sahib-i-Qiran'' ( 'Lord of the Auspicious Conjunction'), his epithet. ( chg, ''Temür'', 'Iron'; 9 April 133617–19 February 1405), later Timūr Gurkānī ( chg, ''Temür Kür ...
's invasion (1400–1405). He was the son of
Qara Mahammad Töremish, a brother-in-law to
Ahmad Jalayir Sultan Ahmad was the ruler of the Jalayirid Sultanate (ruled 1382–1410), he was son to the most accomplished ruler of the sultanate, Shaykh Uways Jalayir. Early in his reign, he was involved in conflicts with his brothers. He would later suffer fr ...
.
Rise to chiefdom
After his father's death in rebellion by Pir Hasan, Qara Qoyunlu elders gathered to choose his brother Khwaja Misr, however more energetic Qara Yusuf prevailed in succession. He made short-term alliance with
Qara Osman
Uthman Beg or Osman Beg ( az, Qara Yuluq Osman Bəy; tr, Kara Yülük Osman Bey; 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 Ira ...
against Pir Hasan and crushed his forces.
Early reign
At the beginning of Qara Yusuf's reign, the Qara Qoyunlu established an alliance with the
Jalayirid
The Jalayirid Sultanate was a culturally Persianate, Mongol Jalayir dynasty which ruled over Iraq and western Persia after the breakup of the Mongol khanate of Persia in the 1330s.Bayne Fisher, William. ''The Cambridge History of Iran'', p.3: ...
dynasty in
Baghdad
Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon. I ...
and
Tabriz
Tabriz ( fa, تبریز ; ) is a city in northwestern Iran, serving as the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. It is the List of largest cities of Iran, sixth-most-populous city in Iran. In the Quri Chay, Quru River valley in Iran's historic Aze ...
against
Aq Qoyunlu. However, he was soon captured and jailed in
Suşehri
Suşehri is a town and a district of Sivas Province of Turkey. The mayor is Fazlı Yüksel ( AKP).
Suşehri is one of the country sides of Sivas.
Name
The first localization of Suşehri is 2 km east of the city centre. After the country, ca ...
. Not long after, he was released after his aunt Tatar Hatun paid ransom to
Qara Yuluq. Soon Jalayirids and Qara Qoyunlu both were threatened by the
Timurids
The Timurid Empire ( chg, , fa, ), self-designated as Gurkani ( Chagatai: کورگن, ''Küregen''; fa, , ''Gūrkāniyān''), was a PersianateB.F. Manz, ''"Tīmūr Lang"'', in Encyclopaedia of Islam, Online Edition, 2006 Turco-Mongol empire ...
from the east. In 1393
Timur
Timur ; chg, ''Aqsaq Temür'', 'Timur the Lame') or as ''Sahib-i-Qiran'' ( 'Lord of the Auspicious Conjunction'), his epithet. ( chg, ''Temür'', 'Iron'; 9 April 133617–19 February 1405), later Timūr Gurkānī ( chg, ''Temür Kü ...
conquered
Baghdad
Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon. I ...
and 3 years later appointed his son
Miran Shah
Mirza Jalal-ud-din Miran Shah Beg (1366 – 20 April 1408), commonly known as Miran Shah ( fa, میران شاہ), was a son of the Central Asian conqueror Timur, founder of the Timurid Empire.
During his father's reign, Miran Shah was init ...
as viceroy of
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of t ...
. In 1394, Timur imprisoned Khwaja Misr and sent him to
Samarkand.
By collaborating on equal terms with the
Sultan Ahmed Jalayir against the Timurids, Qara Yusuf effectively secured the independence of the Qara Qoyunlu.
The Timurid Invasion
The Timurids began another campaign in 1400 and defeated both the Qara Qoyunlu and the Jalayirids. Qara Yusuf and
Sultan Ahmed Jalayir both fled and took refuge with the Mamelukes first, then
Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I
Bayezid I ( ota, بايزيد اول, tr, I. Bayezid), also known as Bayezid the Thunderbolt ( ota, link=no, یلدیرم بايزيد, tr, Yıldırım Bayezid, link=no; – 8 March 1403) was the Ottoman Sultan from 1389 to 1402. He adopted ...
. In 1402 they returned together with an army. However, once they had retaken control of
Baghdad
Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon. I ...
they quarreled, and Qara Yusuf expelled Sultan Ahmed Jalayir from the city. Sultan Ahmed Jalayir took refuge with the
Nasir-ad-Din Faraj
Al-Nasir Faraj or Nasir-ad-Din Faraj ( Circassian: Фэрадж ан-Насир) (Urdu; Arabic; Persian: ; r. 1399–1412 CE) also Faraj ibn Barquq was born in 1386 and succeeded his father Sayf-ad-Din Barquq as the second Sultan of the Burji dy ...
the Sultan of
Mamluk Egypt
The Mamluk Sultanate ( ar, سلطنة المماليك, translit=Salṭanat al-Mamālīk), also known as Mamluk Egypt or the Mamluk Empire, was a state that ruled Egypt, the Levant and the Hejaz (western Arabia) from the mid-13th to early 16th ...
, but he imprisoned him out of fear of Timur. In 1403 the Timurids defeated Qara Yusuf at the
Battle of Algami Canal
{{Campaignbox Qara Yusuf
The Battle of Algami Canal was fought between Kara Koyunlu under their Bey, Qara Yusuf and the Timurid Empire under the leadership of Timur's grandson Abu Bakr bin Miran Shah for control of Baghdad and therefore Iraq in ...
and drove him out of Baghdad again, also killing his brother Yar Ali
which made him to seek asylum in
Damascus, which was then ruled by Mamelukes.
Soon they were both imprisoned on the order of
Nasir-ad-Din Faraj
Al-Nasir Faraj or Nasir-ad-Din Faraj ( Circassian: Фэрадж ан-Насир) (Urdu; Arabic; Persian: ; r. 1399–1412 CE) also Faraj ibn Barquq was born in 1386 and succeeded his father Sayf-ad-Din Barquq as the second Sultan of the Burji dy ...
. Together in prison, the two leaders renewed their friendship, making an agreement that Sultan Ahmed Jalayir should keep Baghdad while Qara Yusuf would have
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of t ...
. Ahmad also adopted his son
Pirbudag
Pirbudag (1403/1404October 1418, reigned 1411October 1414) was the first ruler of Kara Koyunlu as an independent sultanate.
Life
Pirbudag was the eldest son of Qara Yusuf, born around 1403 during his father's captivity, together with Ahmad Jala ...
. When Timur died in 1405 Nasir-ad-Din Faraj released them both. However, according to
Faruk Sümer, they were released on the orders of rebellious wali of Damascus – Sheykh Mahmud.
Qara Yusuf, having returned from exile in Egypt and went back to Anatolia. He forced Timur's governor in
Van Izzaddin Shir to submit, while capturing Altamış, another viceroy set up by Timur and sending him to
Barquq.
He later moved on to Azerbaijan. He defeated the Timurid Abu Bakr at the
Battle of Nakhchivan on 14 October 1406 and reoccupied
Tabriz
Tabriz ( fa, تبریز ; ) is a city in northwestern Iran, serving as the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. It is the List of largest cities of Iran, sixth-most-populous city in Iran. In the Quri Chay, Quru River valley in Iran's historic Aze ...
. In 1407 he raided Georgia, took 15,000 prisoners and killed
Giorgi VII. Abu Bakr and his father
Miran Shah
Mirza Jalal-ud-din Miran Shah Beg (1366 – 20 April 1408), commonly known as Miran Shah ( fa, میران شاہ), was a son of the Central Asian conqueror Timur, founder of the Timurid Empire.
During his father's reign, Miran Shah was init ...
tried to recapture Azerbaijan, but on 20 April 1408, Qara Yusuf inflicted a decisive defeat on them at the
Battle of Sardrud
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
in which Miran Shah was killed. This battle, one of the most important in the history of the Orient, nullified the results of Timur's conquests in the West.
[René Grousset. "The Empire of the Steppes: A History of Central Asia", translated by N. Wallford. Rutgers University Press, 1970, , p. 458]
In 1409 fall, he entered Tabriz and sent a raiding party to
Shirvan
Shirvan (from fa, شروان, translit=Shirvān; az, Şirvan; Tat: ''Şirvan''), also spelled as Sharvān, Shirwan, Shervan, Sherwan and Šervān, is a historical Iranian region in the eastern Caucasus, known by this name in both pre-Islam ...
, especially
Shaki, which was fruitless. Another invasion force was sent to capture
Sultaniyya and
Qazvin
Qazvin (; fa, قزوین, , also Romanization, Romanized as ''Qazvīn'', ''Qazwin'', ''Kazvin'', ''Kasvin'', ''Caspin'', ''Casbin'', ''Casbeen'', or ''Ghazvin'') is the largest city and capital of the Qazvin Province, Province of Qazvin in Iran. ...
under command of Bistam Beg. Same year, he marched to Anatolia and deposed Salih Şihabeddin Ahmed, thus ending Mardin branch of
Artuqids.
Instead he was married to a daughter of Yusuf and sent to govern
Mosul
Mosul ( ar, الموصل, al-Mawṣil, ku, مووسڵ, translit=Mûsil, Turkish: ''Musul'', syr, ܡܘܨܠ, Māwṣil) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. The city is considered the second larg ...
.
Defeating Jalayirids
Having firmly established as a ruler of Azerbaijan with Tabriz as his capital, Qara Yusuf fell foul of his former ally
Sultan Ahmed Jalayir.
Sultan Ahmed Jalayir tried to seize Azerbaijan, but was defeated near Tabriz on 30 August 1410. He was captured and forced to abdicate in favor of
Pirbudag
Pirbudag (1403/1404October 1418, reigned 1411October 1414) was the first ruler of Kara Koyunlu as an independent sultanate.
Life
Pirbudag was the eldest son of Qara Yusuf, born around 1403 during his father's captivity, together with Ahmad Jala ...
(7 year old biological son of Qara Yusuf) and to appoint
Shah Muhammad (another son of Qara Yusuf) to be governor of Baghdad. He was executed the next day passing
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
into the hands of Qara Yusuf after Bistam Beg urged him. Qara Yusuf declared his son as "sultan" and crowned him in 1411, however he was still in charge as regent.
Later reign
Further consolidating his rule, he marched on Shirvan, where
Shirvanshah Ibrahim, a loyal Timurid vassal was still reigning. Combined forces of
Constantine I
Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to Constantine the Great and Christianity, convert to Christiani ...
, Ibrahim and
Syed Ahmed Orlat (lord of Shaki) were defeated on
Battle of Chalagan
The Battle of Chalagan was fought between the Kara Koyunlu and the allied forces of Kingdom of Georgia and Shirvanshah at Chalagan, Azerbaijan, in December 1412, and resulted in Kara Koyunlu’s victory.
History
The conflict was preceded by t ...
, 1412. He later revoked governorship of
Soltaniyeh
Soltaniyeh ( fa, سلطانيه, also Romanized as Solţānīyeh, Solţāneyyeh, Sultaniye, and Sultānīyeh; also known as Sa‘īdīyeh; ) is the capital city of Soltaniyeh District of Soltaniyeh County, Zanjan Province, northwestern Iran.
...
from Bistam Beg and bestowed it on
Jahan shah
''Muzaffar al-Din'' Jahan Shah ibn Yusuf (1397 in Khoy or 1405 in Mardin – 30 October or 11 November 1467 in Bingöl) ( fa, جهان شاه; az, Cahanşah ) was the leader of the Qara Qoyunlu Oghuz Turkic tribal confederacy in Azerbaijan and Ar ...
in 1415. He repeatedly defeated
Qara Osman
Uthman Beg or Osman Beg ( az, Qara Yuluq Osman Bəy; tr, Kara Yülük Osman Bey; 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 Ira ...
in 1417 and on 20 September 1418.
Also made raids to
Aintab which was then under Mameluke rule in response of them granting asylum to Qara Osman.
In October 1418, his son and nominal sultan Pirbudag died, which left Qara Yusuf in grief for days. He tried to forge an anti-Timurid alliance with
Mehmed I
Mehmed I ( 1386 – 26 May 1421), also known as Mehmed Çelebi ( ota, چلبی محمد, "the noble-born") or Kirişçi ( el, Κυριτζής, Kyritzis, "lord's son"), was the Ottoman sultan from 1413 to 1421. The fourth son of Sultan Bayezid ...
in 1420 unsuccessfully.
According to
Ghiyāth al-dīn Naqqāsh
Mawlānā Ghiyāth al-dīn Naqqāsh (غیاث الدین نقاش) ( fl. 1419-22)
was an envoy of the Timurid ruler of Persia and Transoxania, Mirza Shahrukh (r. 1404–1447), to the court of the Yongle Emperor (r. 1402–1424) of the Mi ...
– Timurid envoy to
Ming China, he also sent emissary to
Yongle Emperor
The Yongle Emperor (; pronounced ; 2 May 1360 – 12 August 1424), personal name Zhu Di (), was the third Emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1402 to 1424.
Zhu Di was the fourth son of the Hongwu Emperor, the founder of the Ming dyn ...
around same time.
Death
He died on his way to battle
Shahrukh (who demanded his submission) on 17 November 1420. According to Ahmad Faridun Bey's "''Munshat-us-Salatin''" Shahrukh's ''Fathnama'' ("term used to denote proclamations and letters announcing victories in battle or the successful conclusion of military campaigns" according to
Encyclopædia Iranica
''Encyclopædia Iranica'' is a project whose goal is to create a comprehensive and authoritative English language encyclopedia about the history, culture, and civilization of Iranian peoples from prehistory to modern times.
Scope
The ''Encyc ...
) sent to
Mehmed I
Mehmed I ( 1386 – 26 May 1421), also known as Mehmed Çelebi ( ota, چلبی محمد, "the noble-born") or Kirişçi ( el, Κυριτζής, Kyritzis, "lord's son"), was the Ottoman sultan from 1413 to 1421. The fourth son of Sultan Bayezid ...
, right after Qara Yusuf's death his treasury was stolen by his nephews Qazan beg (Khwaja Misr's son) and Zeynal beg and taken to
Avnik.
Shah Muhammad and
Qara Iskander
Qara Iskandar ( az, قارا اسکندر, italic=no; ) ruled the Qara Qoyunlu or Black Sheep Turcoman tribe from 1420 to 1436. His struggles with the Timurid ruler Shah Rukh show that he was a brave leader, but he was not able to continue deve ...
retreated to
Ganja
Ganja (, ; ) is one of the oldest and most commonly used synonyms for marijuana. Its usage in English dates to before 1689.
Etymology
''Ganja'' is borrowed from Hindi/Urdu ( hi, गांजा, links=no, ur, , links=no, IPA: aːɲd ...
and
Barda. While
Jahan Shah
''Muzaffar al-Din'' Jahan Shah ibn Yusuf (1397 in Khoy or 1405 in Mardin – 30 October or 11 November 1467 in Bingöl) ( fa, جهان شاه; az, Cahanşah ) was the leader of the Qara Qoyunlu Oghuz Turkic tribal confederacy in Azerbaijan and Ar ...
took his father's body to be buried in his ancestral town
Erciş
Erciş (; ku, Erdiş; hy, Ականց, Akants, historically , ''Arjesh'') is a town and district located in the Van Province, Turkey on Lake Van.
History of Artchesh
During Classical Antiquity, the town was known as Arsissa, and Archesh (Arč ...
.
Aftermath
After the death of Qara Yusuf in December 1420,
Shahrukh Mirza
Shah Rukh or Shahrukh ( fa, شاهرخ, ''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 dynast ...
tried to take Azerbaijan from Qara Yusuf's son
Qara Iskander
Qara Iskandar ( az, قارا اسکندر, italic=no; ) ruled the Qara Qoyunlu or Black Sheep Turcoman tribe from 1420 to 1436. His struggles with the Timurid ruler Shah Rukh show that he was a brave leader, but he was not able to continue deve ...
, using the fact that none of his sons was accompanying his father. Despite defeating Iskander, twice in 1420–21 and 1429, only in the third expedition of Shahrukh Mirza in 1434–35 did the
Timurids
The Timurid Empire ( chg, , fa, ), self-designated as Gurkani ( Chagatai: کورگن, ''Küregen''; fa, , ''Gūrkāniyān''), was a PersianateB.F. Manz, ''"Tīmūr Lang"'', in Encyclopaedia of Islam, Online Edition, 2006 Turco-Mongol empire ...
succeed, when he entrusted the government to Iskander's own brother,
Jahan Shah
''Muzaffar al-Din'' Jahan Shah ibn Yusuf (1397 in Khoy or 1405 in Mardin – 30 October or 11 November 1467 in Bingöl) ( fa, جهان شاه; az, Cahanşah ) was the leader of the Qara Qoyunlu Oghuz Turkic tribal confederacy in Azerbaijan and Ar ...
as his vassal.
Family
He was married to a daughter of
Manuel III of Trebizond
Manuel III Megas Komnenos ( el, Μανουήλ Μέγας Κομνηνός; 16 December 13645 March 1417) was Emperor of Trebizond from 20 March, 1390 to his death in 1417.
The major event of Manuel's reign was the arrival of the Central Asian ...
. He was also married to
Timur
Timur ; chg, ''Aqsaq Temür'', 'Timur the Lame') or as ''Sahib-i-Qiran'' ( 'Lord of the Auspicious Conjunction'), his epithet. ( chg, ''Temür'', 'Iron'; 9 April 133617–19 February 1405), later Timūr Gurkānī ( chg, ''Temür Kü ...
's great-granddaughter, a daughter of Abu Bakr, son of
Miran Shah
Mirza Jalal-ud-din Miran Shah Beg (1366 – 20 April 1408), commonly known as Miran Shah ( fa, میران شاہ), was a son of the Central Asian conqueror Timur, founder of the Timurid Empire.
During his father's reign, Miran Shah was init ...
. Following Qara Yusuf's death, she was remarried by
Shah Rukh
Shah Rukh or Shahrukh ( fa, شاهرخ, ''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 dynas ...
to
Khalilullah I
Khalilullah I ( fa, خلیل الله یکم), 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 dea ...
of
Shirvan
Shirvan (from fa, شروان, translit=Shirvān; az, Şirvan; Tat: ''Şirvan''), also spelled as Sharvān, Shirwan, Shervan, Sherwan and Šervān, is a historical Iranian region in the eastern Caucasus, known by this name in both pre-Islam ...
.
Sons
*
Pirbudag
Pirbudag (1403/1404October 1418, reigned 1411October 1414) was the first ruler of Kara Koyunlu as an independent sultanate.
Life
Pirbudag was the eldest son of Qara Yusuf, born around 1403 during his father's captivity, together with Ahmad Jala ...
(1403 – 1418)
*
Shah Muhammad – ''wali'' of
Baghdad
Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon. I ...
*
Qara Iskander
Qara Iskandar ( az, قارا اسکندر, italic=no; ) ruled the Qara Qoyunlu or Black Sheep Turcoman tribe from 1420 to 1436. His struggles with the Timurid ruler Shah Rukh show that he was a brave leader, but he was not able to continue deve ...
*
Jahan Shah
''Muzaffar al-Din'' Jahan Shah ibn Yusuf (1397 in Khoy or 1405 in Mardin – 30 October or 11 November 1467 in Bingöl) ( fa, جهان شاه; az, Cahanşah ) was the leader of the Qara Qoyunlu Oghuz Turkic tribal confederacy in Azerbaijan and Ar ...
– ''wali'' of
Soltaniyeh
Soltaniyeh ( fa, سلطانيه, also Romanized as Solţānīyeh, Solţāneyyeh, Sultaniye, and Sultānīyeh; also known as Sa‘īdīyeh; ) is the capital city of Soltaniyeh District of Soltaniyeh County, Zanjan Province, northwestern Iran.
...
*
Abu Said – ''wali'' of
Erzincan
Erzincan (; ku, Erzîngan), historically Yerznka ( hy, Երզնկա), is the capital of Erzincan Province in Eastern Turkey. Nearby cities include Erzurum, Sivas, Tunceli, Bingöl, Elazığ, Malatya, Gümüşhane, Bayburt, and Giresun. The ...
c. 1420
*
Amir Isfahan – ''wali'' of
Baghdad
Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon. I ...
Daughters
* Unnamed daughter married to Shamsaldin –
Emir of Bitlis
References
See also
*
List of rulers of Qara Qoyunlu
The ruling family of the Qara Qoyunlu descended from the Yıwa tribe of the Oghuz Turks, specifically, the Baharlu tribe. They ruled over present-day Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan and eastern Turkey.
Qara Qoyunlu rulers
*''Yellow Shaded row signif ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yusuf, Qara
Qara Qoyunlu rulers
Year of birth unknown
1420 deaths
15th-century monarchs in Asia
1357 births
People from Van Province