Battle of Qarabagh
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changes Aq Qoyunlu asserts control over Azerbaijan
| Battle of Qarabagh | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Timurid – Aq Qoyunlu Wars | |||||||||
 The dark and dense forests of Qarabagh (Black Garden). | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Aq Qoyunlu |
 Timurids of Samarkand | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Uzun Hasan |
Abu Sa'id Mirza (POW) | ||||||||
The Battle of Qarabagh was fought on February 4, 1469, between Aq Qoyunlu under Uzun Hasan, and the Timurids of Samarkand under Abu Sa'id Mirza, resulting in the latter's defeat, imprisonment and execution. After the battle, the Timurids forever lost any hopes of gaining Iraq or Iran back into their kingdom.
Conflict between Kara Koyunlu (Black Sheep Turkoman) under the leadership of Jahan Shah and Aq Qoyunlu (White Sheep Turkomen) under the leadership of Uzun Hasan had taken a decisive turn in the 15th century. During Jahan Shah's reign the Kara Koyunlu's territory reached its largest extent, including huge swaths of land in Anatolia, most of present-day Iraq, central Iran, and even eventually Kerman. He and his predecessors before him were vassals of the Timurids of Samarkand. However, by mid 15th century, Jahan Shah, recognising the weakness of Timurid authority in Khurasan, invaded it in Summer of 1458. Timurid ruler of Samarkand, Abu Sa'id Mirza could not tolerate this occupation. After Jahan Shah had taken Herat he was in a tough position and unable to keep it due to pressures from within his kingdom of Kara Koyunlu plus the increasing threat from Uzun Hasan of Aq Qoyunlu. He was obliged to negotiate the borders of his state with Abu Sa'id Mirza and after negotiations Jahan Shah decided to return territorial demarcation to Shah Rukh's times (Jahan Shah keeping Iraq-i-Ajam while Abu Sa'id keeping Khurasan). Thus, Khurasan, Mazandaran and Jurjan were returned to the Timurids and Abu Sa'id Mirza returned and took Herat a second time on December 22, 1458.[2]
Uzun Hasan on his part professed his allegiance to the Timurids who were brought to the region by Timur himself. Uzun Hasan had recently gained ascendancy after defeating his rival claimants to the throne in eastern Anatolia at Diyarbakir. He faced threats from the Ottoman Sultanate and the Kara Koyunlu and in wide-ranging campaigns against them gained a reputation as a fierce fighter. Jahan Shah was eventually defeated by Uzun Hasan in the Battle of Chapakchur near the Sanjak of Çapakçur[3][4] in present-day eastern Turkey on October 30[5] (or November 11[6]), 1467. Uzun Hasan kept up the momentum and defeated Jahan Sha's son Hasan Ali at Marand.
Hasan Ali escaped to Khurasan and asked for aid from Abu Sa'id Mirza, the who was stationed at Merv at that time. Uzun Hasan was worried by this development and wrote a letter reminding the Timurid king of the constant loyalty of his house to the Timurids and the disloyalty of the Kara Koyunlu. But Abu Sa'id Mirza had his own reservations about Uzun Hasan's intentions. He also wished to expand his territory to the extent and glory of his great-grandfather, Timur. He thought of using the premise of restoring Hasan Ali to his throne as a reason to invade the middle east. The expedition which followed is famous in eastern history and is often alluded to by Babur (grandson of Abu Sa'id Mirza) under the name of the Disaster of Iraq-i-Ajam.[1]