Qara Iskander

Qara Iskander ibn Yusuf (* in the 14th century ; † 1438 ) ruled the Qara Qoyunlu from 1420 to 1436. His battles with the Timurid ruler Shāh Ruch showed his leadership qualities, but he could not preserve the legacy of his father Qara Yusuf , so that during his reign the decline and weakening of the Qara Qoyunlu began.

The succession crisis

After Qara Yusuf's death in 1420, the dispute over the succession broke out among his sons Ispend, Qara Iskander, Dschahan Shah and Abu Sa'id. The Sa'dlu tribe, one of the important sub-tribes of the Qara Qoyunlu, declared Ispend to be their new leader. Abu Sa'id had to flee and Jahan Shah went to Baghdad. Qara Iskander and Ispend fought and defeated the Aq Qoyunlu invading the west together .

Timurid invasions

The Timurid Shāh Ruch used the weakness of the Qara Qoyunlu for an incursion. He crossed the Aras and defeated the troops Qara Iskanders and Ispends in a battle near Yahsi on 28/29. July 1421. He quickly conquered Azerbaijan and Armenia , but withdrew again to Khorasan . At this point, Ispend retook Tabriz . But Qara Iskander followed him and fought him. He took the city and established himself as the ruler of the Qara Qoyunlu. In 1429, Shah Ruch returned, occupied Tabriz and installed Prince Abu Sa'id as his vassal . Nevertheless, Qara Iskander captured Tabriz two years later and had Abu Sa'id executed.

Jahan Shah ousts Qara Iskander

In 1436, Shah Ruch again installed a Timurid governor in Tabriz, this time Qara Iskander's brother, Jahan Shah. Qara Iskander marched on Tabriz, but was defeated by Jahan Shah at Sufiyan north of the city and betrayed by some of his emirs. He then fled and took refuge in Alincak Castle. Jahan Shah besieged the castle and during the siege Qara Iskander was murdered by his own son Shah Qubad.

predecessor	Office	successor
Qara Yusuf	Ruler of the Qara Qoyunlu approx. 1420–1436	Jahan Shah