Jahan Shah - Conflict With The Ak Koyunlu

Conflict With The Ak Koyunlu

From around 1447 Jahan Shah was involved in a struggle against the Ak Koyunlu who had always been sworn enemies of the Kara Koyunlu. Jahan Shah wanted to defeat the Ak Koyunlu ruler Uzun Hasan and make him his vassal. This struggle lasted until 1451, causing both sides terrible casualties and losses.

Jahan Shah set out from Tabriz with a great army on 16 May 1466, and came to the basin of Lake Van. While there, he was furious to learn that Uzun Hasan was raiding his lands with 12,000 cavalry. Meanwhile Uzun Hasan, suspecting that Jahan Shah was planning to attack him, had carefully guarded the mountain passes. Envoys went back and forth between them, but because of Jahan Shah’s heavy demands, an agreement could not be reached. Having advanced as far as Muş, Jahan Shah had to postpone his attack because of the onset of winter. As his troops began to complain, he decided to withdraw to a winter residence. Uzun Hasan caught his army by surprise and totally defeated them in a sudden attack on 11 November 1467. Jahan Shah was killed while trying to flee, and with his death the great era of Kara Koyunlu history came to an end. He was succeeded by his incompetent son Hasan Ali. Jahan Shah had been buried in southern part of Goy Macid, Tabriz.