Sufi Khalil Beg Mawsilu
Sufi Khalil Beg Mawsilu | |
---|---|
Died | 29 July 1491 |
Nationality | Aq Qoyunlu |
Occupation | Military officer |
Years active | 1460s–1491 |
Relatives | Amir Beg I (brother) Bakr Beg (brother) Gulabi Beg (nephew) |
Sufi Khalil Beg Mawsilu (died 1491) was a Turkoman military officer from the Mawsillu clan, who served the Aq Qoyunlu. He was one of the leading figures during the reign of Sultan Ya'qub Beg (r. 1478–1490), and played a pivotal role in the succession struggle that took place after the latter's death. He put Ya'qub's eldest son Baysunghur (who was then nine-years-old) on the throne, ruling as the virtual ruler of the realm until he was defeated and killed by his rival, Sulayman Beg Bijan.
Career
Under Uzun Hasan and Ya'qub Beg
A member of the
It was following this event that Sufi Khalil became a prominent figure under Ya'qub, and was soon appointed the tutor of the latter's eldest son
Under Baysunghur
At the time of the death of Ya'qub in 1490, Sufi Khalil found himself in a favourable position as the head of the political and military preponderance in the winter quarters of
Sufi Khalil accused Qazi Isa of heresy, which the latter denied. Nevertheless, a few days later (on 24 January 1491), Sufi Khalil had Qazi Isa executed by hanging in the ordu-bazar ("soldiers market").[10][11] Qazi Isa's brother Shaykh Ali Savaji, who was enforcing his brothers reforms in Fars, was arrested, tortured and fined in Shiraz by its military governor, Mansur Beg Purnak. He was subsequently moved to the capital of Tabriz, where Sufi Khalil had him executed.[12] Qazi Isa's nephew Najm al-Din Mas'ud Savaji managed to escape for a short while, until he was poisoned by Mulla Jan at the instigation of Sufi Khalil.[13] Najm al-Din Mas'ud's father, Mahmud Jan Daylami, escaped the fate of his associates by fleeing to the city of Qazvin.[14] A new administration was then established with Shaykh Muhammad of the Kujuji family as its leading figure. Sufi Khalil had now rid himself of his most potent enemies, conquered all of Azerbaijan, and gained fealty of his brother Bakr Beg, who was at the Khurasan frontier in the east, and his nephew Gulabi Beg who was in Armenia in the west.[12]
However, resistance against Sufi Khalil continued. In the city of
Sufi Khalil was also opposed by Sulayman Beg Bijan in Diyar Bakr, a long-time rival of his, who was the guardian, father-in-law, and former chief of staff of Ya'qub. In the early spring of 1491, Sulayman Beg defeated Gulabi Beg, and in mid-summer, he approached Sufi Khalil. After a prolonged skirmish, Sufi Khalil and his men withdrew to Tabriz, but were vanquished en route by Sulayman Beg's forces 29 July 1491, resulting in the death of Sufi Khalil and his brother Bakr Beg. Suleyman Beg kept Baysunghur in power, taking Sufi Khalil's place as the real leader of the realm.[17] By 1507, many of the Mawsilu, including Gulabi Beg's son Amir Beg II, had sworn fealty to the emerging Safavid dynasty of Iran, established by Shah Ismail I (r. 1501–1524).[2]
References
- ^ Woods 1999, pp. 192–193.
- ^ a b c Woods 1999, p. 192.
- ^ Langaroodi & Negahban 2008.
- ^ Woods 1999, p. 130.
- ^ Woods 1999, pp. 130–131.
- ^ Woods 1999, p. 143.
- ^ Woods 1999, pp. 143–144.
- ^ Woods 1999, p. 144.
- ^ Woods 1999, p. 151.
- ^ Woods 1999, pp. 151–152.
- ^ Minorsky 1955, pp. 457–458.
- ^ a b Woods 1999, p. 152.
- ^ Dunietz 2015, p. 125.
- ^ Dunietz 2015, p. 126.
- ^ a b Woods 1999, p. 153.
- ^ Dunietz 2015, p. 155.
- ^ Woods 1999, pp. 153–154.
Sources
- Dunietz, Alexandra (2015). The Cosmic Perils of Qadi Ḥusayn Maybudī in Fifteenth-Century Iran. Brill. ISBN 978-9004302310.
- Langaroodi, Reza Rezazadeh; Negahban, Farzin (2008). "Āq-qūyūnlū". In ISSN 1875-9831.
- S2CID 154166838. (registration required)
- ISBN 978-0874805659.