Kara Koyunlu

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kara Koyunlu of the Turkomans, lighter blue shows their greatest extent in Iraq and Arabian East Coast for a small period of time

Flag of the Kara Koyunlu

The Kara Koyunlu or Qara Qoyunlu, also called the Black Sheep Turkomans (Turkmen: Garagoýunly; Azeri: Qaraqoyunlu; Turkish: Karakoyunlu; Persian: قرا قوینلو), were a Shi'ite ^[1] Turcoman tribal federation that ruled over the territory comprising the present-day Armenia, Republic of Azerbaijan, Iranian Azerbaijan, western Iran, eastern Turkey and Iraq from about 1375 to 1468^[2].

The Kara Koyunlu Turkomans at one point established their capital in Herat in eastern Persia ^[3], and were vassals of the Jalayirid dynasty in Baghdad and Tabriz from about 1375, when the leader of their leading tribe, ruled over Mosul. However, they rebelled against the Jalayirids, and secured their independence from the dynasty with the conquest of Tabriz by Qara Yusuf.

In 1400, the armies of Tamerlane defeated the Kara Koyunlu, and Qara Yusuf fled to Egypt seeking refuge with the Mamluks. He gathered an army and by 1406 had taken back Tabriz. In 1410, the Kara Koyunlu captured Baghdad. The installation of a subsidiary Black Sheep Turkomans line there hastened the downfall of the Jalayirids whom they had once served. Despite internal fighting amongst Kara Yusuf's descendants after his death in 1420, and the increasing threat of the Timurids, the Black Sheep Turkomans maintained a strong grip over the areas they controlled.

Jahān Shāh made peace with the Timurid Shāh Rukh Mirzā, however, this soon fell apart. When Shāh Rukh died in 1447, the Black Sheep Turkomans annexed portions of Iraq and the eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, as well as Timurid controlled western Iran.

Though much territory was gained during his rule, Jahān Shāh's reign was troubled by his rebellious sons and the almost autonomous rulers of Baghdad, whom he expelled in 1464.

A statue with ram head in Karakoyunlu, Iğdır

In 1466, Jahān Shāh attempted to take Diyar Bakr from the White Sheep Turkomans, however, this was a catastrophic failure resulting on Jahān Shāh's death and the collapse of the Black Sheep Turkoman's control in the Middle East. By 1468, at their height under Uzun Hasan (1452-1478), Aq Qoyunlu Turkomans defeated the Qara Qoyunlu and conquered Iraq, Azerbaijan, and western Iran^[4].

[edit] References

1. ^ Firearms of the Islamic World by Robert Elgood, p114
2. ^ Encyclopedia Britannica. "Kara Koyunlu". Online Edition, 2007
3. ^ Patrick Clawson. Eternal Iran. Palgrave Macmillan. 2005 ISBN 1-4039-6276-6 p.23
4. ^ Stearns, Peter N.; Leonard, William (2001). The Encyclopedia of World History. Houghton Muffin Books, 122. ISBN 0395652375. 

[edit] See also

• Rulers of Kara Koyunlu

[edit] Sources

• Bosworth, Clifford. The New Islamic Dynasties, 1996.
• Morby, John. The Oxford Dynasties of the World, 2002.

This article is part of the series on: History of Azerbaijan Early History Ancient History Caucasian Albania First Persian Empire and Alexander's conquests Roman-Parthian rivalry and Sassanian conquest Medieval History Islamic Period Seljuk dynasty Atabegs of Azerbaijan Mongol and Ilkhanid rule Qara Qoyunlu Aq Qoyunlu Shirvanshah Classical History Safavid dynasty Khanates Qajar dynasty Russian Rule Early Independence Azerbaijan Democratic Republic March Days Soviet Azerbaijan Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic Black January Modern Azerbaijan Republic of Azerbaijan This box: view • talk • edit

v • d • e History of Turkey Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm (1060–1327) Seljuk Turks (11th to 14th century)  · Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm (1060–1327) Anatolian Turkish Beyliks (13th century) Anatolian beyliks (13th century) Ottoman Empire (1299– November 17, 1922) Rise (1299–1453)  · Osman's Dream  · Fall of Constantinople Growth (1453–1683) Stagnation (1683–1827)  · Köprülü Era  · Sultanate of women  · Tulip Era Decline (1828–1908)  · Tanzimat  · First Constitutional Era  · Capitulations Dissolution (1908–1922)  · Second Constitutional Era  · Partitioning Timeline of the Ottoman Empire  · European Wars  · Russian Wars  · Near East Wars Republic of Turkey (since October 29, 1923) Turkish War of Independence (1919–1922)  · Single-Party Period (1923–1945)  · Multi-Party Period (since 1945) Chronology of Independence  · Timeline of the Republic  · Economic history  · Constitutional history  · Military history

History of Greater Iran Empires of Persia · Kings of Persia Pre-modern Before Islam  BCE Zayandeh River Civilization prehistoric–? Sialk civilization 7500–1000 Jiroft civilization (Aratta) 3000–? Proto-Elamite civilization 3200–2800 Bactria-Margiana Complex 2200–1700 Elamite dynasties 2800–550 Kingdom of Mannai 10th–7th cent. Median Empire 728–550 Achaemenid Empire 550–330 Seleucid Empire 330–150 Greco-Bactrian Kingdom 250-125 Parthian Empire 248–CE 224 CE Kushan Empire 30–275 Sassanid Empire 224–651 Hephthalite Empire 425–557 Kabul-Shahi dynasty 565–670 After Islamic Conquest  Patriarchal Caliphate 637–651 Umayyad Caliphate 661–750 Abbasid Caliphate 750–1258 Tahirid dynasty 821–873 Alavid dynasty 864–928 Saffarid dynasty 861–1003 Samanid dynasty 819–999 Ziyarid dynasty 928–1043 Buyid Dynasty 934–1055 Ghaznavid Empire 975–1187 Ghori dynasty 1149–1212 Seljuk Empire 1037–1194 Khwarezmid dynasty 1077–1231 Kartids dynasty 1231-1389 Ilkhanate 1256–1353 Muzaffarid dynasty 1314–1393 Chupanid dynasty 1337–1357 Jalayerid dynasty 1339–1432 Timurid Empire 1370–1506 Qara Qoyunlu Turcomans 1407–1468 Aq Qoyunlu Turcomans 1378–1508 Safavid Empire 1501–1722* Mughal Empire 1526–1857 Hotaki dynasty 1722–1729 Afsharid dynasty 1736–1802 * or 1736 Modern SSR = Soviet Socialist Republic Afghanistan  Durrani Empire 1748–1823 British and Russian influence 1826–1919 Independence and civil war 1919–1929 Mohammedzai rule 1929–1973 Republic of Afghanistan 1973–1978 Communist rule 1978–1992 Recent history of Afghanistan since 1992 Timeline Azerbaijan  Khanates of the Caucasus 1722–1828 Russian Rule 1828–1917 Democratic Republic 1918–1920 Azerbaijan SSR 1920–1991 Republic of Azerbaijan since 1991 Bahrain  Portuguese rule 1521–1602 British Treaty 1820–1971 Kingdom of Bahrain since 1971 Iran  Zand dynasty 1750–1794 Qajar dynasty 1781–1925 Pahlavi dynasty 1925–1979 Iranian Revolution 1979 Provisional Government 1979 Islamic Republic of Iran since 1979 Iraq  Ottoman Empire 1632–1919 Hashimite monarchy 1920–1958 Coup and Republic 1958–2003 Republic of Iraq since 2004 Tajikistan  Emirate of Bukhara 1785–1920 Bukharan / Uzbek SSR 1920–1929 Tajik Autonomous SSR 1929 Tajik SSR 1929–1991 Republic of Tajikistan since 1991 Uzbekistan  Emirate of Bukhara 1785–1920 Uzbek SSR 1924–1991 Independence 1991 Republic of Uzbekistan since 1991