Middle East Kingdoms

The Black Sheep Emirate / Qara Qoyunlu
AD 1375 - 1469

The Qara Qoyunlu were Turkmen vassals of the Jalayirids in eastern Anatolia. They became independent in 1389, after the Jalayirids had been overrun by the Timurids who conquered Persia.

1375 - 1389

Qara Muhammed Turmish

1389 - 1400

Qara Yusuf

1400 - 1406

The emirate is overrun and governed by Timur, Mongol founder of the Timurid dynasty in Persia.

1406 - 1420

Qara Yusuf

Regained power.

1410

The emirate captures Baghdad from the Persian Timurids, ending their control in Iraq.

1420 - 1438

Iskander

1432

The Black Sheep conquer their former overlords, the Jalayirids.

1438 - 1467

Jahan Shah

Killed by the White Sheep emir.

1451 - 1453

Jahan Shah ends the loyalty of his emirate with the fracturing Timurids in Persia. He besieges Qum and Sava with overwhelming forces which the main Timurid ruler, Babur Ibn-Baysunkur of Khorasan, is unable to face. Most of Persia is taken by 1452, including Ray, with the last section, Abarquh, falling in 1453.

1458

The Black Sheep Turkmen invade Khorasan from Persia. They capture Gurgan and defeat the ruler, Ibrahim, outside Astarabad (modern Gorgan). Now assisted by his father, Ibrahim is again defeated and is forced to flee. The Black Sheep take Herat on 28 June 1458, but withdraw soon afterwards.

1461

Abu Sa'id of Transoxiana completes his conquest of much of Khorasan and eastern Iran, agreeing with Jahan Shah to divide Iran (Central Persia) between the two of them.

1467 - 1469

Hassan Ali

1467 - 1469

Following the death of Jahan Shah at the hands of the White Sheep emir, his son, Hassan Ali, is supported by Abu Sa'id of Transoxiana. However, in 1468, the Black Sheep emirate is conquered by the White Sheep emirate. Abu Sa'id is captured in the Azerbaijan mountains in 1469 while on campaign against the White Sheep emirate, and is subsequently executed.