“He was a wise, just, brave, pious, religious and devout King, a friend of learned and godly men, charitable and a Munajjim­báshí's descrip­tion of the same public benefactor. He built many buildings for pious uses. As has been mentioned, with but a small army he overcame two such mighty kings as Jahánsháh and Abú Sa'íd; took tribute from Georgia; and ruled over Ádharbáyján, the two 'Iráqs, Kirmán, Fárs, Diyár Bakr, Kurdistán and Armenia.”

Concerning his patronage of learned men the same historian remarks on the preceding page: “He adopted Úzún Ḥasan's patronage of men of letters Tabríz as his capital, and there assembled from the surrounding lands and provinces many learned men and doctors, who received favours and honours beyond anything which could be expected.” One of the most celebrated of those men of learning who received honour and rewards at his hands was 'Alí Qúshjí, who passed through his territories on his way home from the pilgrimage to Mecca.

Úzún Ḥasan, while still a young man and only Prince of Diyár Bakr, married a Christian wife, to wit the beautiful The Lady Despina Despina Khátún (“Lady Despina”), daughter of Kalo Joannes, * the last Christian Emperor of Trebizond, of the noble family of the Comneni. She bore him a son and three daughters, one of whom, named Marta, was given in marriage to Shaykh Ḥaydar, the father of Sháh Isma'íl the founder of the Ṣafawí dynasty.

The fullest account of Úzún Ḥasan's reign to which I have had access is that contained in the Ṣaḥá'ifu'l-Akhbár of Munajjim-báshí, * while another Turkish source from which much information is to be gleaned is the collection of State Papers (Munshá'át) of Firídún Bey, * though the paucity of dates in the dozen despatches interchanged be­tween Úzún Ḥasan and Sulṭán Muḥammad Fátiḥ (“the Conqueror”) is a matter for regret. The narratives of the Italian ambassadors and travellers already referred to are also of great value. The accounts of the Qára-qoyúnlú and Áq-qoyúnlú dynasties given by Mírkhwánd and other Persian historians are for the most part very meagre and inadequate.

The first three or four years of Úzún Ḥasan's reign (A.D. 1453-1456-7) were chiefly filled by repeated revolts of his brothers, especially Jahángír, against his authority. The scene of these struggles, which were repeatedly com­posed by Saráy Khátún, the mother of the contending brothers, lay for the most part outside Persia, round about Diyár Bakr, Mosul and especially Mardín, which suffered terrible devastation. Jahángír did not hesitate to invoke the help of the rival House of the “Black Sheep” Turkmáns, represented by Jahánsháh. * Once during this period Úzún Ḥasan set out on an expedition against Khurásán, but was obliged to turn back to deal with a revolt organized by his brother Jahángír aided by Jahánsháh, who sent one of his generals, Rustam Beg, to his support. The rebels suffered a severe defeat at the hands of Úzún Ḥasan near the Euphrates, in which many of the fugitives were drowned, while five hundred prisoners, including Rustam Beg, were beheaded by Úzún Ḥasan, who, however, at the intercession of his mother, again pardoned his brothers Jahángír and Uways, but took 'Alí Khán, the son of the former, as a hostage to Erzinján.

After this victory (851/1456-7) Úzún Ḥasan's power and prestige were greatly increased, and many amírs of Asia Minor and Syria submitted to him. About 864/1459-60 he wrested from the Ayyúbí dynasty the fortress of Ḥiṣn Kayf, where he installed his son Khalílu'llah Mírzá as governor. In the same year Jahánsháh's son Ḥasan 'Alí rebelled against his father and took refuge with Úzún Ḥasan, who, however, after a while drove him away on account of certain heretical opinions ascribed to him. In or before A.D. 1461 Úzún Ḥasan sent his nephew Murád Bey * on an Úzún Ḥasan sends an Embassy to the Ottoman Sultan Muhammad Fátiḥ embassy to the Ottoman Sulṭán Muḥammad II “the Conqueror” to request him not to molest his father-in-law Kalo Joannes, Emperor of Trebizond. To this request the Turkish Sulṭán paid no attention, but attacked and subdued Trebizond (where David Comnenas had recently succeeded his elder brother Kalo Joannes) and carried off this last representative of Byzantine power to Constantinople, where, according to Giovan Maria Angioletto, “he was treated honourably enough, but died before a year was over, in 1462.”*

The chronology of the wars waged by Úzún Ḥasan against the Ottoman Turks is somewhat confused. Munajjim-báshí speaks of a short contest immediately preceding Úzún Ḥasan's first invasion of Georgia in 871/1466-7, and of an embassy headed by Khurshíd Beg which he sent to Sulṭán Muḥammad II “the Conqueror” requesting him not to attack Trebizond, which, as we have seen, had already fallen to the Ottomans in A.D. 1461. On the first of Rabí' ii, 872 (Oct. 30, 1467), however, he defeated the “Black Sheep”

Jahánsháh is defeated and put to death by Úzún Ḥasan Turkmáns near Khúy in Ádharbáyján, and, taking their king Jahánsháh off his guard while he was away from his army on a hunting expedi­tion, cut off his head and sent it to the Tímúrid Sulṭán Abú Sa'íd, while suffering his body to be buried in the grave of his father Qára Yúsuf. He then occupied 'Iráq and Ádharbáyján and besieged Baghdád. The first despatch from Úzún Ḥasan to Sulṭán Muḥammad II re­corded by Firídún Bey * refers to this victory. It is couched in very respectful terms (unlike some later despatches), but seems to have received no acknowledgement.

The second despatch from Úzún Ḥasan to “the Con­queror” (which, unfortunately, is undated) refers to the next important event in his career, namely the defeat of Jahán-sháh's son Ḥasan 'Alí at Marand. This prince, who, as already mentioned, had taken refuge with him some seven years previously, now attacked him to avenge the death of his father Jahánsháh. Úzún Ḥasan invoked the help of the Tímúrid Abú Sa'íd, urging the constant loyalty of his own House of the “White Sheep” to the House of Tímúr, and the disloyalty of the rival “Black Sheep.” He also offered, in return for help, to cede 'Iráq to Abú Sa'íd, pro­vided he might keep Ádharbáyján. Abú Sa'íd, so far from accepting this proposal, immediately marched against Úzún Sulṭán Abú Sa'íd (“Busech” of the Venetians) taken prisoner and put to death by Úzún Ḥasan Ḥasan to avenge Jahánsháh's death, but was defeated and captured, together with his sons Muḥammad and Sháh-rukh, and handed over to Yádigár Muḥammad, who killed him to avenge the death of his grandmother Gawhar Shád Khátún. When the Venetian Contarini was received by Úzún Ḥasan in his palace at “Spaan” (Iṣfahán) on Nov. 6, 1474, he noticed “a painting, representing the decapitation of Soltan Busech (i.e. Abú Sa'íd), and showing how he was brought by a rope to execution by Curlumameth (i.e. Úzún Ḥasan's son Oghúrlu Muḥammad), who had caused the chamber to be made.” * Abú Sa'íd's body was sent in the charge of his mother (who had also been captured) to Khur-ásán with all honour and respect. In the same despatch in which Úzún Ḥasan announces to Sulṭán Muḥammad “the Conqueror” the defeat and death of Ḥasan 'Alí and “some 3000 of his men,” he announces his capture of Ádhar-báyján, 'Iráq, Fárs and Kirmán, and his intention henceforth to fix his capital at Tabríz. This despatch appears to have been sent by the hands of an ambassador, Sayyid Aḥmad Ṭoghán-oghlu.

The third despatch from Úzún Ḥasan is still less re­spectful in its form of address than the preceding one, and is also undated. It mentions the arrival of an Ottoman envoy named Amír Bey, and then proceeds to narrate his negotiations and conflict with, and victory over the Tímúrid Sulṭán Ḥusayn [b. Manṣúr b.] Bayqará, and the manner in which he had divided up and assigned his domains. He also announces his conquest of Khurram-ábád in Luristán.