Tahmasp I
Encyclopedia
Tahmasp or Tahmasb I (February 22, 1514 – May 14, 1576) was an influential Shah
of Iran
, who enjoyed the longest reign of any member of the Safavid dynasty. He was the son of Ismail I
and Shah-Begi Khanum (known under the title Tajlu Khanum) of the Turcoman
Mawsillu tribe.
During his childhood he was weak and came under the control of the Qizilbash, Turkic tribesmen who formed the backbone of Safavid power. The Qizilbash leaders fought among themselves for the right to be regents over Tahmasp. Upon adulthood, however, Tahmasp was able to reassert the power of the Shah and control the tribesmen.
His reign was marked by foreign threats, primarily from the Ottomans and the Uzbeks
. In 1555, however, he regularized relations with the Empire through the Peace of Amasya
. This peace lasted for 30 years, until it was broken in the time of Shah Mohammed Khodabanda
.
He is also known for the reception he gave to the fugitive Mughal
Emperor Humayun
which is depicted in a painting on the walls of the Safavid palace of Chehel Sotoon. Humayun's return from Persia
, accompanied by a large retinue of Persian noblemen and soldiers, signaled an important change in Mughal court culture, as the Central Asian origins
of the dynasty were largely overshadowed by the influences of Persian art, architecture, language
and literature
.
One of Shah Tahmasp's more lasting achievements was his encouragement of the Persian rug
industry on a national scale, possibly a response to the economic effects of the interruption of the Silk Road
carrying trade during the Ottoman wars.
, the founder of Safavid rule in Iran. Too young to rule in his own right, Tahmasp came under the control of the Qizilbash. Some of the tribes recognised a Qizilbash leader, Div Sultan Rumlu, as regent (atabeg) to the shah, but others dissented and in 1526 a bloody civil war broke out among the differing factions. Div Sultan emerged victorious but his ally, Chuha Sultan Takkalu, turned against him and urged the shah to get rid of him. On 5 July 1527 as Div Sultan arrived for a meeting of the government, Tahmasp shot an arrow at him. When it failed to kill him, the shah's supporters finished him off.
Chuha Sultan now became regent. Iran's enemies, the Uzbeks
, had taken advantage of the civil war to invade the north-eastern province of Khorasan
. In 1528 Chuha Sultan and the shah marched with their army to reassert control of the region. Although they defeated the Uzbeks in a battle near Jam, Tahmasp was disgusted at the cowardice Chuha Sultan had displayed during the combat. Finally, in 1530/1, a quarrel broke out between members of the Takkalu and Shamlu Qizilbash factions and the Shamlus succeeded in killing Chuha Sultan. The Takkalus regained the advantage and some of them even tried to kidnap the shah. Tahmasp lost patience and ordered a general massacre of the Takkalu tribe. They never regained their influence in Iran.
The leader of the Shamlu faction, Husayn Khan, now assumed the regency but, in 1533, Tahmasp suspected Husayn Khan was plotting to overthrow him and had him put to death. Tahmasp was now old enough and confident enough to rule in his own right.
The discord in Iran had allowed its enemies, the Uzbek khans in the east and the Ottoman Empire
in the west, to seize territory. The Ottomans were at the height of their power during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent
. They launched four invasions of Iran between 1533 and 1553. Since the Ottoman army possessed overwhelming numerical superiority, Tahmasp avoided pitched battle with them and resorted to alternative tactics.
In 1534, Suleiman invaded Iran with a force numbering 200,000 men and 300 pieces of artillery. Tahmasp could only field 7,000 men (of dubious loyalty) and a few cannons. The Ottomans seized the Safavid capital Tabriz
, crossed Kurdistan and captured Baghdad
. Tahmasp avoided direct confrontation with the Ottoman army, preferring to harass it then retreat, leaving scorched earth
behind him. This scorched earth policy led to the loss of 30,000 Ottoman troops as they made their way through the Zagros mountains
and Suleiman decided to abandon his campaign.
Next, Suleiman tried to exploit the disloyalty of Tahmasp's brother Alqas Mirza, who was governor of the frontier province of Shirvan
. Alqas had rebelled and, fearing his brother's wrath, he had fled to the Ottoman court. He persuaded Suleiman that if he invaded the Iranians would rise up and overthrow Tahmasp. In 1548, Suleiman and Alqas entered Iran with a huge army but Tahmasp had already "scorched the earth" around Tabriz and the Ottomans could find few supplies to sustain themselves. Alqas penetrated further into Iran but the citizens of Isfahan and Shiraz
refused to open their gates to him. He was forced to retreat to Baghdad where the Ottomans abandoned him as an embarrassment. Captured by the Iranians, his life was spared but he was condemned to spend the rest of his life in prison in the fortress of Qahqaha.
During the final Ottoman invasion of Iran in 1553, Tahmasp seized the initiative and defeated Iskandar Pasha near Erzerum. He also captured one of Suleiman's favourites, Sinan Beg. This persuaded the sultan to come to terms at the Peace of Amasya
in 1555. The treaty freed Iran from Ottoman attacks for three decades. Nevertheless, Tahmasp took the precaution of transferring his capital from Tabriz to Qazvin
, which was further away from the border.
Between 1540 and 1553, Tahmasp conducted military campaigns in the Caucasus
region, capturing many Armenians, Georgians
and Circassians. These would become an important new element in Iranian society.
The Mughal Empire
was Iran's eastern neighbour. In 1544, the Mughal emperor, Humayun
, fled to Tahmasp's court after he had been overthrown by the rebel Sher Shah Suri
(Sher Khan). Tahmasp insisted on the Sunni
Humayun converting to Shi'ism before he would help him. Humayun reluctantly agreed and also gave Tahmasp the strategically important city of Kandahar
in exchange for Iranian military assistance against the heirs of Sher Khan and his own rebellious brothers. By 1555, he had regained his throne.
Humayun was not the only royal figure to seek refuge at Tahmasp's court. A dispute arose in the Ottoman Empire over who was to succeed the aged Suleiman the Magnificent. Suleiman's favourite wife, Roxelana
, was eager for her eldest son Selim
to become the next sultan. But Selim was an alcoholic and Roxelana's third son, Bayezid, had shown far greater military ability. The two princes quarrelled and eventually Bayezid rebelled against his father. His letter of remorse never reached Suleiman and he was forced to flee abroad to avoid execution. In 1559, Bayezid arrived in Iran where Tahmasp gave him a warm welcome. Suleiman was eager to negotiate his son's return, but Tahmasp rejected his promises and threats until, in 1561, Suleiman offered him land and 400,000 gold pieces. In September of that year, Tahmasp and Bayezid were enjoying a banquet at Tabriz when Tahmasp suddenly pretended he had received news that the Ottoman prince was engaged in a plot against his life. An angry mob gathered and Tahmasp had Bayezid put into custody, alleging it was for his own safety. Tahmasp then handed the prince over to the Ottoman ambassador. Shortly afterwards, Bayezid was killed by agents sent by his own father.
was regarded as unfit to rule because he was almost blind, and his younger brother, Ismail
, had been imprisoned by Tahmasp since 1555. Nevertheless, one court faction supported Ismail, while another backed Haydar Mirza, the son of a Georgian. Tahmasp himself was believed to favour Haydar but he prevented his supporters from killing Ismail.
Tahmasp died as a result of poison, although it is unclear whether this was by accident or on purpose. On his death, as expected, fighting broke out between the different court factions. Haydar was killed and Ismail emerged triumphant as Shah Ismail II.
, especially book illustration. He had been trained in drawing himself, and had some talent. The most famous example of such work is the Shāhnāma-yi Shāh Tahmāspī (King's Book of Kings), commissioned for Tahmasp by his father and containing 250 miniatures by the leading court artists of the era. However in the 1540s he is recorded as losing interest in the arts, and his imperial atelier largely dispersed.
, sister of Shamkhal Kara-Musal Sultan,Governor of Sakki, m. (third), Sultanzada Khanum a Georgian
, m. (fourth) Zahra Baji daughter of Prince Ot'ar Shalikashvili of Samtskhe from Shalikashvili family
of Georgia, m. (fifth) Khan-Parwar Khanum a Georgian
, m. (sixth) Huri-Khan Khanum, a Georgian
, m. (seventh) daughter of the Governor of Daghestan, m. (eighth)Aisha Begum, daughter of Sufian Khan, Khan of Khiva, m. (ninth) Zainab Sultan Khanum, m. (tenth) Zahra Baji a Georgian
.
sons
daughters
Shah
Shāh is the title of the ruler of certain Southwest Asian and Central Asian countries, especially Persia , and derives from the Persian word shah, meaning "king".-History:...
of Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, who enjoyed the longest reign of any member of the Safavid dynasty. He was the son of Ismail I
Ismail I
Ismail I , known in Persian as Shāh Ismāʿil , was a Shah of Iran and the founder of the Safavid dynasty which survived until 1736. Isma'il started his campaign in Azerbaijan in 1500 as the leader of the Safaviyya, an extremist heterodox Twelver Shi'i militant religious order and unified all of Iran...
and Shah-Begi Khanum (known under the title Tajlu Khanum) of the Turcoman
Turkmen people
The Turkmen are a Turkic people located primarily in the Central Asian states of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and northeastern Iran. They speak the Turkmen language, which is classified as a part of the Western Oghuz branch of the Turkic languages family together with Turkish, Azerbaijani, Qashqai,...
Mawsillu tribe.
During his childhood he was weak and came under the control of the Qizilbash, Turkic tribesmen who formed the backbone of Safavid power. The Qizilbash leaders fought among themselves for the right to be regents over Tahmasp. Upon adulthood, however, Tahmasp was able to reassert the power of the Shah and control the tribesmen.
His reign was marked by foreign threats, primarily from the Ottomans and the Uzbeks
Uzbeks
The Uzbeks are a Turkic ethnic group in Central Asia. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, and large populations can also be found in Afghanistan, Tajikstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Pakistan, Mongolia and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China...
. In 1555, however, he regularized relations with the Empire through the Peace of Amasya
Peace of Amasya
The Peace of Amasya was a treaty agreed to on May 29, 1555 between Shah Tahmasp of Safavid Iran and Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent of the Ottoman Empire at the city of Amasya, following the Ottoman–Safavid War of 1532–1555....
. This peace lasted for 30 years, until it was broken in the time of Shah Mohammed Khodabanda
Mohammed Khodabanda
Mohammed Khodābande or Khudābanda, also known as Mohammed Shah or Sultan Mohammed , was the fourth Safavid Shah of Iran. He was the son of Shah Tahmasp I by a Turcoman mother, Sultanum Bekum Mawsillu...
.
He is also known for the reception he gave to the fugitive Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
Emperor Humayun
Humayun
Nasir ud-din Muhammad Humayun was the second Mughal Emperor who ruled present day Afghanistan, Pakistan, and parts of northern India from 1530–1540 and again from 1555–1556. Like his father, Babur, he lost his kingdom early, but with Persian aid, he eventually regained an even larger one...
which is depicted in a painting on the walls of the Safavid palace of Chehel Sotoon. Humayun's return from Persia
Safavid dynasty
The Safavid dynasty was one of the most significant ruling dynasties of Iran. They ruled one of the greatest Persian empires since the Muslim conquest of Persia and established the Twelver school of Shi'a Islam as the official religion of their empire, marking one of the most important turning...
, accompanied by a large retinue of Persian noblemen and soldiers, signaled an important change in Mughal court culture, as the Central Asian origins
Moghulistan
Moghulistan or Mughalistan is a historical geographic unit in Central Asia that included parts of modern-day Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and the Chinese Autonomous Region of Xinjiang...
of the dynasty were largely overshadowed by the influences of Persian art, architecture, language
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
and literature
Persian literature
Persian literature spans two-and-a-half millennia, though much of the pre-Islamic material has been lost. Its sources have been within historical Persia including present-day Iran as well as regions of Central Asia where the Persian language has historically been the national language...
.
One of Shah Tahmasp's more lasting achievements was his encouragement of the Persian rug
Persian rug
The Persian carpet is an essential part of Persian art and culture. Carpet-weaving is undoubtedly one of the most distinguished manifestations of Persian culture and art, and dates back to ancient Persia. In 2008, Iran’s exports of hand-woven carpets was $420 million or 30% of the world's market...
industry on a national scale, possibly a response to the economic effects of the interruption of the Silk Road
Silk Road
The Silk Road or Silk Route refers to a historical network of interlinking trade routes across the Afro-Eurasian landmass that connected East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean and European world, as well as parts of North and East Africa...
carrying trade during the Ottoman wars.
Regency 1524–1533
Tahmasp was just 10 years old when he succeeded his father Shah Isma'il IIsmail I
Ismail I , known in Persian as Shāh Ismāʿil , was a Shah of Iran and the founder of the Safavid dynasty which survived until 1736. Isma'il started his campaign in Azerbaijan in 1500 as the leader of the Safaviyya, an extremist heterodox Twelver Shi'i militant religious order and unified all of Iran...
, the founder of Safavid rule in Iran. Too young to rule in his own right, Tahmasp came under the control of the Qizilbash. Some of the tribes recognised a Qizilbash leader, Div Sultan Rumlu, as regent (atabeg) to the shah, but others dissented and in 1526 a bloody civil war broke out among the differing factions. Div Sultan emerged victorious but his ally, Chuha Sultan Takkalu, turned against him and urged the shah to get rid of him. On 5 July 1527 as Div Sultan arrived for a meeting of the government, Tahmasp shot an arrow at him. When it failed to kill him, the shah's supporters finished him off.
Chuha Sultan now became regent. Iran's enemies, the Uzbeks
Uzbeks
The Uzbeks are a Turkic ethnic group in Central Asia. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, and large populations can also be found in Afghanistan, Tajikstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Pakistan, Mongolia and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China...
, had taken advantage of the civil war to invade the north-eastern province of Khorasan
Greater Khorasan
Greater Khorasan or Ancient Khorasan is a historical region of Greater Iran mentioned in sources from Sassanid and Islamic eras which "frequently" had a denotation wider than current three provinces of Khorasan in Iran...
. In 1528 Chuha Sultan and the shah marched with their army to reassert control of the region. Although they defeated the Uzbeks in a battle near Jam, Tahmasp was disgusted at the cowardice Chuha Sultan had displayed during the combat. Finally, in 1530/1, a quarrel broke out between members of the Takkalu and Shamlu Qizilbash factions and the Shamlus succeeded in killing Chuha Sultan. The Takkalus regained the advantage and some of them even tried to kidnap the shah. Tahmasp lost patience and ordered a general massacre of the Takkalu tribe. They never regained their influence in Iran.
The leader of the Shamlu faction, Husayn Khan, now assumed the regency but, in 1533, Tahmasp suspected Husayn Khan was plotting to overthrow him and had him put to death. Tahmasp was now old enough and confident enough to rule in his own right.
Foreign threats 1533–1553
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
in the west, to seize territory. The Ottomans were at the height of their power during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman I was the tenth and longest-reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1520 to his death in 1566. He is known in the West as Suleiman the Magnificent and in the East, as "The Lawgiver" , for his complete reconstruction of the Ottoman legal system...
. They launched four invasions of Iran between 1533 and 1553. Since the Ottoman army possessed overwhelming numerical superiority, Tahmasp avoided pitched battle with them and resorted to alternative tactics.
In 1534, Suleiman invaded Iran with a force numbering 200,000 men and 300 pieces of artillery. Tahmasp could only field 7,000 men (of dubious loyalty) and a few cannons. The Ottomans seized the Safavid capital Tabriz
Tabriz
Tabriz is the fourth largest city and one of the historical capitals of Iran and the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. Situated at an altitude of 1,350 meters at the junction of the Quri River and Aji River, it was the second largest city in Iran until the late 1960s, one of its former...
, crossed Kurdistan and captured Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
. Tahmasp avoided direct confrontation with the Ottoman army, preferring to harass it then retreat, leaving scorched earth
Scorched earth
A scorched earth policy is a military strategy or operational method which involves destroying anything that might be useful to the enemy while advancing through or withdrawing from an area...
behind him. This scorched earth policy led to the loss of 30,000 Ottoman troops as they made their way through the Zagros mountains
Zagros Mountains
The Zagros Mountains are the largest mountain range in Iran and Iraq. With a total length of 1,500 km , from northwestern Iran, and roughly correlating with Iran's western border, the Zagros range spans the whole length of the western and southwestern Iranian plateau and ends at the Strait of...
and Suleiman decided to abandon his campaign.
Next, Suleiman tried to exploit the disloyalty of Tahmasp's brother Alqas Mirza, who was governor of the frontier province of Shirvan
Shirvan
Shirvan , also spelled as Shirwan, Shervan, Sherwan and Šervān, is a historical region in the eastern Caucasus, known by this name in both Islamic and modern times...
. Alqas had rebelled and, fearing his brother's wrath, he had fled to the Ottoman court. He persuaded Suleiman that if he invaded the Iranians would rise up and overthrow Tahmasp. In 1548, Suleiman and Alqas entered Iran with a huge army but Tahmasp had already "scorched the earth" around Tabriz and the Ottomans could find few supplies to sustain themselves. Alqas penetrated further into Iran but the citizens of Isfahan and Shiraz
Shiraz
Shiraz may refer to:* Shiraz, Iran, a city in Iran* Shiraz County, an administrative subdivision of Iran* Vosketap, Armenia, formerly called ShirazPeople:* Hovhannes Shiraz, Armenian poet* Ara Shiraz, Armenian sculptor...
refused to open their gates to him. He was forced to retreat to Baghdad where the Ottomans abandoned him as an embarrassment. Captured by the Iranians, his life was spared but he was condemned to spend the rest of his life in prison in the fortress of Qahqaha.
During the final Ottoman invasion of Iran in 1553, Tahmasp seized the initiative and defeated Iskandar Pasha near Erzerum. He also captured one of Suleiman's favourites, Sinan Beg. This persuaded the sultan to come to terms at the Peace of Amasya
Peace of Amasya
The Peace of Amasya was a treaty agreed to on May 29, 1555 between Shah Tahmasp of Safavid Iran and Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent of the Ottoman Empire at the city of Amasya, following the Ottoman–Safavid War of 1532–1555....
in 1555. The treaty freed Iran from Ottoman attacks for three decades. Nevertheless, Tahmasp took the precaution of transferring his capital from Tabriz to Qazvin
Qazvin
Qazvin is the largest city and capital of the Province of Qazvin in Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 349,821, in 96,420 families....
, which was further away from the border.
Between 1540 and 1553, Tahmasp conducted military campaigns in the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
region, capturing many Armenians, Georgians
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
and Circassians. These would become an important new element in Iranian society.
Royal refugees: Bayezid and Humayun
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
was Iran's eastern neighbour. In 1544, the Mughal emperor, Humayun
Humayun
Nasir ud-din Muhammad Humayun was the second Mughal Emperor who ruled present day Afghanistan, Pakistan, and parts of northern India from 1530–1540 and again from 1555–1556. Like his father, Babur, he lost his kingdom early, but with Persian aid, he eventually regained an even larger one...
, fled to Tahmasp's court after he had been overthrown by the rebel Sher Shah Suri
Sher Shah Suri
Sher Shah Suri , birth name Farid Khan, also known as Sher Khan , was the founder of the short-lived Sur Empire in northern India, with its capital at Delhi, before its demise in the hands of the resurgent Mughal Empire...
(Sher Khan). Tahmasp insisted on the Sunni
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
Humayun converting to Shi'ism before he would help him. Humayun reluctantly agreed and also gave Tahmasp the strategically important city of Kandahar
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
in exchange for Iranian military assistance against the heirs of Sher Khan and his own rebellious brothers. By 1555, he had regained his throne.
Humayun was not the only royal figure to seek refuge at Tahmasp's court. A dispute arose in the Ottoman Empire over who was to succeed the aged Suleiman the Magnificent. Suleiman's favourite wife, Roxelana
Roxelana
Haseki Hürrem Sultan was the wife of Süleyman the Magnificent of the Ottoman Empire.-Names:Sixteenth-century sources are silent as to her maiden name, but much later traditions, for example Ukrainian folk traditions first recorded in the 19th century, give it as "Anastasia" , and Polish...
, was eager for her eldest son Selim
Selim II
Selim II Sarkhosh Hashoink , also known as "Selim the Sot " or "Selim the Drunkard"; and as "Sarı Selim" or "Selim the Blond", was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1566 until his death in 1574.-Early years:He was born in Constantinople a son of Suleiman the...
to become the next sultan. But Selim was an alcoholic and Roxelana's third son, Bayezid, had shown far greater military ability. The two princes quarrelled and eventually Bayezid rebelled against his father. His letter of remorse never reached Suleiman and he was forced to flee abroad to avoid execution. In 1559, Bayezid arrived in Iran where Tahmasp gave him a warm welcome. Suleiman was eager to negotiate his son's return, but Tahmasp rejected his promises and threats until, in 1561, Suleiman offered him land and 400,000 gold pieces. In September of that year, Tahmasp and Bayezid were enjoying a banquet at Tabriz when Tahmasp suddenly pretended he had received news that the Ottoman prince was engaged in a plot against his life. An angry mob gathered and Tahmasp had Bayezid put into custody, alleging it was for his own safety. Tahmasp then handed the prince over to the Ottoman ambassador. Shortly afterwards, Bayezid was killed by agents sent by his own father.
Final years
In 1574, Tahmasp fell ill and discord broke out among the Qizilbash once more, this time over which prince was to succeed him. The shah's Georgian and Circassian wives had also introduced a new faction into the court. Seven of Tahmasp's surviving sons were by Georgian or Circassian mothers and two by a Turcoman. Of the latter, Mohammed KhodabandaMohammed Khodabanda
Mohammed Khodābande or Khudābanda, also known as Mohammed Shah or Sultan Mohammed , was the fourth Safavid Shah of Iran. He was the son of Shah Tahmasp I by a Turcoman mother, Sultanum Bekum Mawsillu...
was regarded as unfit to rule because he was almost blind, and his younger brother, Ismail
Ismail II
Ismail II was the third Safavid Shah of Iran.-Life:Ismail was the son of Shah Tahmasp I by a Turcoman mother, Sultanum Bekum Mawsillu. In 1547, he was appointed governor of the province of Shirvan where he led several expeditions against the Ottomans...
, had been imprisoned by Tahmasp since 1555. Nevertheless, one court faction supported Ismail, while another backed Haydar Mirza, the son of a Georgian. Tahmasp himself was believed to favour Haydar but he prevented his supporters from killing Ismail.
Tahmasp died as a result of poison, although it is unclear whether this was by accident or on purpose. On his death, as expected, fighting broke out between the different court factions. Haydar was killed and Ismail emerged triumphant as Shah Ismail II.
Tahmasp and the arts
Tahmasp was an enthusiastic patron of the arts with a particular interest in the Persian miniaturePersian miniature
A Persian miniature is a small painting on paper, whether a book illustration or a separate work of art intended to be kept in an album of such works called a muraqqa. The techniques are broadly comparable to the Western and Byzantine traditions of miniatures in illuminated manuscripts...
, especially book illustration. He had been trained in drawing himself, and had some talent. The most famous example of such work is the Shāhnāma-yi Shāh Tahmāspī (King's Book of Kings), commissioned for Tahmasp by his father and containing 250 miniatures by the leading court artists of the era. However in the 1540s he is recorded as losing interest in the arts, and his imperial atelier largely dispersed.
Offspring
He married (first) his maternal first cousin, Kadamali Sultan Begum, née Sultanum Begum daughter of Musa Sultan bin ‘Isa Beg Musullu , of the Aq Quyunlu, m. (second) Sultan Agha Khanum, a CircassianAdyghe people
The Adyghe or Adygs , also often known as Circassians or Cherkess, are in origin a North Caucasian ethnic groupwho were displaced in the course of the Russian conquest of the Caucasus in the 19th century, especially after the Russian–Circassian War of 1862.Adyghe people mostly speak Adyghe and most...
, sister of Shamkhal Kara-Musal Sultan,Governor of Sakki, m. (third), Sultanzada Khanum a Georgian
Georgian people
The Georgians are an ethnic group that have originated in Georgia, where they constitute a majority of the population. Large Georgian communities are also present throughout Russia, European Union, United States, and South America....
, m. (fourth) Zahra Baji daughter of Prince Ot'ar Shalikashvili of Samtskhe from Shalikashvili family
Shalikashvili
Shalikashvili is a Georgian noble family, originally from Samtskhe in southwest Georgia. With several notable members from the 16th century to the 20th, their descendants have survived in the United States Shalikashvili is a Georgian noble family, originally from Samtskhe in southwest Georgia....
of Georgia, m. (fifth) Khan-Parwar Khanum a Georgian
Georgian people
The Georgians are an ethnic group that have originated in Georgia, where they constitute a majority of the population. Large Georgian communities are also present throughout Russia, European Union, United States, and South America....
, m. (sixth) Huri-Khan Khanum, a Georgian
Georgian people
The Georgians are an ethnic group that have originated in Georgia, where they constitute a majority of the population. Large Georgian communities are also present throughout Russia, European Union, United States, and South America....
, m. (seventh) daughter of the Governor of Daghestan, m. (eighth)Aisha Begum, daughter of Sufian Khan, Khan of Khiva, m. (ninth) Zainab Sultan Khanum, m. (tenth) Zahra Baji a Georgian
Georgian people
The Georgians are an ethnic group that have originated in Georgia, where they constitute a majority of the population. Large Georgian communities are also present throughout Russia, European Union, United States, and South America....
.
sons
- Prince Shahzadeh Soltan ‘Ali Quli Mirza (b.1528-d.1529)
- Mohammed KhodabandaMohammed KhodabandaMohammed Khodābande or Khudābanda, also known as Mohammed Shah or Sultan Mohammed , was the fourth Safavid Shah of Iran. He was the son of Shah Tahmasp I by a Turcoman mother, Sultanum Bekum Mawsillu...
- Ismail IIIsmail IIIsmail II was the third Safavid Shah of Iran.-Life:Ismail was the son of Shah Tahmasp I by a Turcoman mother, Sultanum Bekum Mawsillu. In 1547, he was appointed governor of the province of Shirvan where he led several expeditions against the Ottomans...
- Prince Shahzadeh Soltan Murad Mirza (b. 1538-d. September 5, 1545) Governor of Kandahar 1545.
- Prince Shahzadeh Soltan Soleiman Mirza (b. at Nikhichivan, 1554-k. at Qazvin, November 2, 1576) Governor of Fars 1555–1557, and Mashhad 1576.
- Prince Shahzadeh Soltan Heidar Mirza (b. 1555-k. at Qazvin, May 14, 1576) having had issue, a daughter, married Hasan Khan Ustajalu. She had issue, 4 sons.
- Prince Shahzadeh Soltan Mostafa Mirza (b. 1557-k. at Qazvin, November 2, 1576) having had issue, 2 daughters, Princess Mahd-e-Olia married Abbas IAbbas I of PersiaShāh ‘Abbās the Great was Shah of Iran, and generally considered the greatest ruler of the Safavid dynasty. He was the third son of Shah Mohammad....
and a daughter who married Zulfikhar Khan Karamanlu and had issue, 2 sons. - Prince Shahzadeh Soltan Mahmud Mirza (b. 1559-k. at Qazvin, February 24, 1577) Governor Shirvan 1566–1567, and of Lahijan 1567–1571, having had issue, a son, Prince Mohammad Baqer Mirza (b.1575 -k. February 24, 1577)
- Prince Shahzadeh Imam Qoli Mirza (b. 1562- k. at Qazvin, February 24, 1577), without issue .
- Prince Shahzadeh Soltan ‘Ali Mirza (b. at Qazvin, 1563- d. at Isfahan, January 31, 1642) Governor of Ganja 1570–1577. He blinded and imprisoned by Shah Abbas IAbbas I of PersiaShāh ‘Abbās the Great was Shah of Iran, and generally considered the greatest ruler of the Safavid dynasty. He was the third son of Shah Mohammad....
at AlamutAlamutAlamut was a mountain fortress located in the South Caspian province of Daylam near the Rudbar region in Iran, approximately 100 kilometres from present-day Tehran, Iran...
. m. Kabuli Begum, having had issue, one son, Prince Shahzada Soltan Mustafa Mirza. - Prince Shahzadeh Soltan Ahmad Mirza (b. at Qazvin, 1564-k. at Qazvin, February 24, 1577)
- Prince Shahzadeh Zeinal Abedin Mirza (d. before 1576)
- Prince Shahzadeh Musa Mirza (d. before 1576)
daughters
- Princess Shahzadeh Alamiyan Gowhar Soltan Beygom (b. 1540- d. May 19, 1577) married Prince ‘Abu’l Fath Soltan Ibrahim Mirza (b. 1543- k. February 24, 1577) son of paternal uncle, Shahzada ‘Abu’l Fath Muiz ud-din Bahram Mirza son of Ismail IIsmail IIsmail I , known in Persian as Shāh Ismāʿil , was a Shah of Iran and the founder of the Safavid dynasty which survived until 1736. Isma'il started his campaign in Azerbaijan in 1500 as the leader of the Safaviyya, an extremist heterodox Twelver Shi'i militant religious order and unified all of Iran...
, having had issue, one daughter, Princess Gowhar Shad Begum (b. 1561-d. ?) - Princess Shahzadi Alamiyan Pari-Khan Khanum (b.1548-k. February 17, 1578) unmarried and without issue.
- Princess Shahzadi Alamiyan Khadija Sultan Begum, m. (first) her cousin, Jamshid Khan Gilani (b. 1557- k. 1580) son of Soltan Mahmud Mirza Gilani, governor of FumanFumanFuman Temple name : Xingzu...
. m. (second) as his third wife, Mir Nimatu’llah Yazdi Zu’l-Nurain, eldest son of Amir Ghiyas ed-din Muhammad Yazdi Mir-i-Miran , having had issue, two sons, by her first husband. - Princess Shahzadi Alamiyan Zainab Beygom (b. 1550-d. at Isfahan, May 14, 1641) unmarried and without issue
- Princess Shahzadi Alamiyan Mariam Soltan Beygom (b. 1551-d. at Isfahan, 1608), m. (first) Khan Ahmad Khan governor of Gilan, m. (second) as his second wife, Mir Nematu’llah Yazdi Zu’l-Nurain, eldest son of Amir Ghiyas ed-din Muhammad Yazdi Mir-i-Miran, having had issue one daughter and one son, by her first husband.
- Princess Shahzadi Alamiyan Beygom Khanoum, m. Musib Beyg Khan, son of Muhammad Khan Takahi.
- Princess Shahzadi Alamiyan Khanish Begom. (b. after 1562-d. at Isfahan, 1590) m. as his first wife, Mir Nimatu’llah Yazdi Zu’l-Nurain, eldest son of Amir Ghiyas ed-din Muhammad Yazdi Mir-i-Miran, having had issue, two sons.
- Princess Shahzadi Alamiyan Fatemeh Soltan Beygom, m. Amir Khan Musallu (k. at Qahqaha, 1584) son of Muhsmmad Beyg Mosalla.
- Princess Shahzadi Alamiyan Shahbanu Khanum, m. his first wife, her cousin, Amir Salman Khan Ustajalu son of Shah ‘Ali Quli Mirza Ustajalu.
See also
- Safavid conversion of Iran from Sunnism to Shiism
Sources
- Roger Savory Iran under the Safavids (Cambridge University Press, 2007 reissue) pp. 96–100
- H. Nahavandi, Y. Bomati, Shah Abbas, empereur de Perse (1587–1629) (Perrin, Paris, 1998) pp. 222–226