Dilgam ismailov

part in the march with Rustam Mirza against Baysungur. 
The battle in Ahar-Meshkin (1493) resulted with the victory 
of Rustam Mirza and united forces of Safavids. Baysungur 
was killed. Sultanali came back to Tabriz with triump. 
Rustam was afraid of straightening Safavid supporters in 
Ardabil. He organized plot against them. Rustam sent 5 
thousand cavalries after them. Sultanali proclaimed Ismail 
the head of “Safaviyya”order, until the battle started 
(1494). Qizilbash were defeated in the place named Shamasi 
(1494). Sultanali died. In 1494-1495 years Rustam occupied 
Ardabil and other properties of Safavid again. Safavid 
murids (followers) took Ismail to Lahijan. Ismail stayed 
there for 6 years. 13 year old Ismail left Lahijan in 1499 and 
first came to Ardabil, then to Archevan (Astara district). 
In spring of 1500 Ismail’s forces came from Archevan 
to the coast of Goycha lake and from there they came to 
Erzinjan. The conference occurred in Erzinjan (1500) 
decided that Safavid’s enemy Farrukh Yassar should be 
inflicted. Ismail was willing to inflict Shirvanshah state 
firstly, because if he attacked Tabriz he would come into 
collision with three enemies - Agkoyunlu Alvand Mirza and 
Murad, also Shirvanshah Farrukh Yassar who defensed 

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them. At the end of 1500 there was the battle in Jabani, 
from a little bit distance away Gulustan fortress. Shirvan-
shah lost the battle, Farrukh Yassar was killed. Qizilbash 
forces captured a part of luxurious treasury of Shirvanshah. 
In the XV century Baku was the trading and 
craftmanship center of Azerbaijan and South Caucasus also 
the residence of Shirvan rulers. Treasury of Shirvanshah 
and magnificient Shirvanshahs palace located there. Ismail 
invaded Baku in summer of 1501. Qizilbash troops 
captured treasury of Shirvanshah. There was conclusive 
battle in Sharur plain in the middle of 1501. Alvand rescued 
by escaping to Ganja. After that triumph, in autumun of 
1501 Ismail entered to Tabriz with ceremony and declared 
himself a ruler (Shah). Thus, Azerbaijan Safavid empire 
was established. The capital was Tabriz. 
Large amount of population in Safavid empire was 
Azerbaijan turks. Military command, financial institutions, 
management of districts, all positions in palace was under 
rule of Azerbaijan aristocrats. Army was consisted of 
Azerbaijan turks. Azerbaijan language was used in the 
palace of ruler, inside of troop and in diplomatic 
correspondence. Shah Ismail defeated Murad Mirza in the 
battle of Almagulaghi near the Hamadan in 1503. The 
second part of Agkoyunlu state was destroyed and 
Agkoyunlu state collapsed. Shah Ismail captured Kum, 
Kashan and Isfahan. He captured Yazd and Kirman in 
1504. In 1506-1508 years Qizilbash forces entered to 
Baghdad and invaded Diyarbakir, Hilat, Bitlis, Archish and 
Arabin Irak. 
During 1508-1510 years except Khorasan he captured 
all Iran and Irak lands. Safavid empire bordered by 

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Sheybani state to the east, Ottoman empire to the west. 
Shah Ismail and Sheybani khan (1500-1510) were enemies. 
Taking advantage of military operations of Safavids in 
Asia, Sheybani khan captured Khorasan during 1507-1508 
years. Shah Ismail went to Khorasan with huge army. Qi-
zilbash had victory in the battle of Marv in 1510. Sheybani 
khan was killed. As a result, Shah Ismail captured Khora-
san including Herat, Marv and Balkh cities. The large are 
from Amudarya till the Euphrates river fell under rule of 
Safavids. Safavid empire became the powerful state of Near 
East. 
2.Internal and foreign policy of Shah Ismail I. 
Ottoman sultan Bayazid II (1481-1512) recognized 
Safavid empire in 1504. In the letter which Shah Ismail I 
wrote, he addressed to Bayazid II as a “father”. Shah Ismail 
felt that the clash with Ottomans is inescapable. After 
defeating Sheybani khan, he took some measures against 
ottomans. Ismail I troops invaded Karahisar and Malatya 
in 1512. Sultan Selim I (1512-1520) completely changed his 
manners to qizilbashs and war against Safavids became 
definite. Mass chase of shias was started in Asia. 
Italian diplomats Constantino Laskari and Jovanni 
Morozoni conducted negotiations with Safavids. Shah 
Ismail started intercourse with Rome Pope and Venice in 
1507-1508 years. Safavid diplomat Ali bay was sent to Italy 
in 1510. Plan of getting firearms from west through the 
Mediterranean sea was failed. He tried to make connection 
with Portugal in order to get weapon and artillery experts 
from west through the Persian gulf and the Indian ocean. 

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133 
For achieving his purpose, he didn’t prevent Portugal gain 
strength in the Persian gulf. Taking advantage of this, Por-
tugal naval captured Hormuz and blocked the enterance of 
Safavids to the Indian ocean. 
In order to conceal his aggressive impuls Sultan Selim I 
assembled a meeting in Adirna in summer of 1514. The war 
against Qizilbashs was declared the saint duty for all 
moslems. Ismail had an intention to retard the battle until 
winter and left the most amount of sultan’s troop to the 
death. Sultan Selim marched to the plain of Chaldiran near 
Maku. Murderous battle happened in the plain of 
Chaldiran on 23 august 1514. Actually, the battle of 
Chaldiran was tragedy of turkish people, the victory of
Western diplomacy. Ottomans won the battle. Chaldiran 
defeat was serious impact to the military-political reputati-
on of Safavid empire. As a result of Chaldiran battle, Eas-
tern Anadolu and Northern Irak including Arzurum city 
was owned by Ottoman empire. Arabian Irak including 
Baghdad was left to Safavids. At the beginning of 1516, 
decisive battle in Kochisar in the south of Mardin finished 
with the victory of Ottomans. Kharput in the north area and 
the area from Bitlis to Rakki, Mosul in the south area was 
captured by Ottomans. 
After Shah Ismail’s death his son Tahmasp I (1524-
1576) came to the throne. Sultan Suleiman Kanuni I (1520-
1566) crossed the borders of Azerbaijan with 100 thousand 
of troops in summer of 1534. Ottomans captured the most