Ali Padshah

Ali Padshah (died July 24, 1336) was a Mongol emir of Ilkhanate, leader of the Oirats, governor of Diyarbakir, and later a kingmaker.

Early years and background He came from a powerful Oirat family who established good connections with Borjigids, especially the Hulagu Khan's family. His father Chechek (or Chichak) a mingghan commander under Gaykhatu, Baydu, Ghazan and Öljaitü. His mother Tödögech (or Todoqaj) was a daughter of Hulagu, who earlier married to Chechek's father Sulamish and grandfather Tengiz. Tengiz was described as a relative of Qutuqa Beki, however exact degree of kinship is unknown. Ali Padshah had at least two brothers: Muhammad beg and Hafez. His sister Hajji Khatun was married to Öljaitü, giving birth to his son Abu Said Bahadur.

Sources first mention Ali Padshah as a young soldier in Öljaitü's Gilan campaign of 1307, fighting under Uyghur emir Sevinch. He also participated in Siege of Al-Rahba in 1313. Later, he was ordered to accompany his nephew and heir to Oljaitü, Abu Said to Khorasan in 1315. Their residences were looted, and officials were sent to confiscate their provincial estates. Ali Padishah, protected by Ilkhan's mother, was disgraced but not executed.

Lord of Diyar Bakr In 1332, viceroy of Diyar Bakr, Sutay died. Ali Padshah returned to favor and appointed as his successor and turned the region into Oirat powerbase. However, Sutay's son Haji Taghay in Akhlat rebelled against this appointment, but was defeated by the new governor. ʿAlī Pādshāh was noted in contemporary chronicles as a devout Muslim, with sources recording his destruction of local churches. His conflict with Hajji Taghay—who is reported to have been Christian—appears to have carried a religious dimension alongside its political basis. This religious antagonism likely compounded the rivalry between the two leaders. Meanwhile, Ali Padshah married his daughter to Ibrahimshah, a nephew and rival of Haji Taghay.

As kingmaker When Abu Said Bahadur Khan died on November 30, 1335, he left no sons, but his wife Dilshad Khatun was pregnant and expected a child to be born in May 1336. Until the birth of the child, factions maneuvered to impose themselves, and at the ordo that was held after the Ilkhan's death, the amirs proposed a temporary ruler until the emirs decided who would be chosen. The vizier Ghiyas al-Din Muhammad claimed that the late khan had designated Arpa Ke'un, a descendant of Ariq Böke, as heir. According to Hafiz-i Abru, the opposition of Ali Padshah and his family to Arpa Khan's accession was driven by a longstanding feud between the houses of Ariq Böke and Tengiz Güregen. This enmity dated back to the reign of Möngke Khan and resurfaced during the Ilkhanid succession crisis. The dynastic rivalry translated into political conflict at the time of Arpa's enthronement.

Soon, he found an opportunity to confront Arpa. The pregnant Dilshad Khatun had fled to Baghdad and placed herself under the protection of Ali Padshah, who became her guardian, supposedly to defend the rights of the unborn child (if it was male). In the meantime, Ali Padshah raised a grandson of Baydu - Musa as a puppet Ilkhan against Arpa Khan. Ali Padshah also contacted with the Mamluk Sultan al-Nāṣir Muḥammad who was half-Mongol himself, promising him Baghdad. Sides met on the battle of Jaghatu on April 29/30 of 1336, which was a disastrous end for Arpa Khan even though he had more numerous forces when 5-6 tümens changed sides. Both Arpa Khan and his vizier were captured and executed.

Meanwhile, Dilshad gave birth to a daughter and refused to enthrone the child, There, 'Ali Padshah was executed. In contrast, other sources provide differing accounts, suggesting that 'Ali Padishah was killed in the field by arrows and daggers without being taken captive. Mamluk army arrived very late and returned to Egypt.

He lost his power base to Haji Taghay, who established a dynastic rule in Diyar Bakr, including Mosul and Akhlat. Hasan Buzurg on the other hand secured Baghdad. A significant number of Oirat forces, led by Ali Padshah's brother Muhammad bey and supported by Maḥmūd ibn Isan Qutlugh, continued to resist. In early 1337, they aligned with Togha Temür, a descendant of Jochi Qasar (Genghis Khan’s brother), who was proclaimed Ilkhan in Khorasan. Muhammad was soon killed by Kurds alongside his wife after defeat of Musa Khan. Hasan Buzurg married his daughter in 1338 to receive diminished Oirat support. His brother Hafez also joined Hasan Buzurg while Ali Padshah's son Hajji went to seek asylum from Sayf al-Din Tankiz. Oirats never recovered after this point and faded from Iranian politics.

Ancestry