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Ispend bin Yusuf

d. 1445

Ruler of Baghdad

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About Ispend bin Yusuf

Life In 1410, he participated in the battle with Sultan Ahmad Jalayir and commanded the left wing of the Qara Qoyunlu army. In 1420, when Qara Yusuf started moving from Tabriz to welcome Sultan Shahrukh, Amir Isfahan was ruling in Adilcevaz, but did not provide assistance to his father with troops. After Qara Yusuf's death, his corpse was first taken to Nakhchivan and then to Chukhursad. There, the Saad tribe declared him a candidate for rule, and Qara Yusuf's treasury fell into the hands of Amir Isfahan.

Orders were given by Shahrukh for Mirza Ibrahim Sultan and Amir Shahmelik to move to Nakhchivan and Salmat to capture Amir Isfahan with 20,000 cavalry. Meanwhile, Isfahan's envoys arrived at Shahrukh's camp and presented a letter of allegiance. Following this, Shahrukh ceased their attack.

His brother, Iskander's re-establishment of control over the Qara Qoyunlu territories sparked Shahrukh's new campaign into Azerbaijan. In the Battle of Alashkerd in 1421, Amir Isfahan led the left flank of the Qara Qoyunlu army. The Qara Qoyunlu forces suffered a defeat in the battle. Taking advantage of the separation of Qara Iskandar, Amir Isfahan returned to Khurasan from Shahrukh's side and took control of Nakhchivan and Tabriz, establishing independent rule.

During the rule of Iraq While Amir Isfahan was in Azerbaijan, Qara Iskander was in Tovuk and Kirkuk. When he heard this news, he moved towards Tabriz. Amir Isfahan, avoiding resisting his brother, retreated to Erzurum and Avnik fortress.

In 1431 combatted the last Jalayerid ruler, Ḥosayn II ibn ʿAlāʾ-al-Dawla, who had lost internal support due to his licentious behavior. Ḥosayn's amirs invited prince Ispend, who managed to capture the Jalayirid base in al-Ḥella in southern Iraq in October 1431. Hosayn was pursued and finally killed on 9 November 1431, bringing a complete end to the dynasty.

The struggle with Shahmehmud Qara Yusuf died in 1420 while on a journey to meet Teymuri Shahruk. When Shahmohammed heard about his father's death, he was sent to Nakhchivan, believed to be preparing for an imminent conflict for the throne. However, contrary to expectations, he refused this claim and declined to receive the emirs who had plundered his father's tent and showed disrespect to his corpse. At the time of Qara Yusuf's death, his brothers, Amir Isfahan and Iskander, were in Kirkuk and Adilcevaz, respectively. Shahmohammed was compelled to return due to his son Shahali's rebellion. Additionally, in 1421, Amir Isfahan had initiated the occupation of Arab Iraq. Interestingly, Shahmohammed didn't resist his brother either, stating that Baghdad sufficed for him. Although Amir Isfahan was removed from Baghdad by the Celairi Oveys, ultimately, Shahmehmud managed to recapture the city. For a while, the two brothers jointly administered Baghdad, but due to his brother's unreliability, Amir Isfahan was sent north to Dujayl. Despite Shahmohammed's willingness to share power with his brother, his son Shahali didn't accept it. In 1432, without his father's permission, Shahali attacked Amir Isfahan and failed. Eventually, in 1432-1433, Amir Isfahan ousted Shahmohammed from Baghdad, ending his rule over the city. That year, Shahmohammed's son Shahali turned away from his uncle and sought refuge with Shahrukh.

Amir Isfahan aimed to expand his borders leveraging the internal conflicts within the Aq Qoyunlu. In the summer of 1437, Hemze Bayandur defeated the Bey of Isfahan. He assembled a large army and forced the Qara Qoyunlu forces out of Diyar-i Rabia and Northern Mesopotamia.

On March 8, 1445, Amir Isfahan passed away. Nobles settled Isfahan Mirza into power as the Amir Fulad Mirza. When the news reached Jahan Shah, the ruler of the neighboring Qara Qoyunlu Empire, he moved with a sizable army from Azerbaijan towards Baghdad. By 1446, all independent forces remaining in Iraq from the time of Amir Isfahan were brought under the central authority in Tabriz.

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Important facts

Family & relationships

Parent
Qara Yusuf

Frequently asked questions

Who was Ispend bin Yusuf?

Ruler of Baghdad

When did Ispend bin Yusuf die?

Ispend bin Yusuf died on 7 April 1445 in Baghdad.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Ispend bin Yusuf

· Wikidata: Q6086665

· DBpedia: Ispend bin Yusuf

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Ispend bin Yusuf. https://biography.guide/ispend-bin-yusuf/

MLA: "Ispend bin Yusuf." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/ispend-bin-yusuf/.

Chicago: "Ispend bin Yusuf." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/ispend-bin-yusuf/.

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