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The Akkoyunlu State was founded by Turkoman tribes who settled around Diyarbakir.
It emerged as a union under the leadership of Tur Ali Bey. The Akkoyunlu State
fought against the Trabzon Greek Empire to the north in this period. The real
founder of the state is known to be Kara Yülük Osman Bey. The most powerful
period of the Akkoyunlu State was the reign of Uzun Hasan. During his reign
the borders of the state extended from the Caspian Sea to Syria, and from
Azerbaijan to Baghdad. For this reason, Uzun Hasan saw himself as the person
who could establish the union of the Turks and identified himself with Tamerlane
and made plans to abolish the Ottoman State and the Egyptian Sultanate. He
established political relations with the European states, namely the Christian
world, to obtain firearms to realize his goal. However, his defeat in the
Otlukbeli Battle in 1473 by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmet I was a heavy blow for
Uzun Hasan. This defeat helped the collapse of the Akkoyunlu State and paved
the way for the founding of the Safavid State (1501-1736) by Shah Ismail who
managed to get the Turkoman groups of Ustaçli, Rumlu, Musullu, Tekeli, Bayburtlu,
Karadagli, Dulkadirli, Karamanli, Varsak and Avsar on his side. At the time
when Shah Ismail established the Turkish political union in Iran, a great
part of the Indian subcontinent was also united under Turkish rule. Meanwhile,
the Ottoman State took almost all of Anatolia under its rule and also started
to expand its Eastern and Western borders.
Shah Ismail, who founded a political union in Iran, expanded his territories.
In his conquests the religious fervor of the Shiite sect played a role. However,
his activities in Anatolia, and also his attempts to annex Anatolia, provoked
the reaction of the Ottoman Sultan Selim I (Selim the Grim). Shah Ismail's
army was seriously defeated at the Battle of Çaldiran in 1514. Still, all
his successors, especially Shah Tahmasp continued fighting against the Ottomans.
However, they were defeated in almost all the battles they fought. When Nadir
Shah of the Avsar tribe established his own dynasty following the reign of
Abbas III, the Safavid period came to an end.
The reign of the Safavids had an important place in history. Shah Ismail
and the other members of the dynasty were known for their love of art. In
this period, literature, architecture and handicrafts such as tilemaking,
pottery and textiles developed and great advances were made in bookbinding,
decoration and calligraphy.
Zahiruddin Babür, a member of the Tamerlane dynasty, entered India and founded
the Turkish-Indian (Babür) Empire (1526-1858). He became famous for his work
written in Turkish called Vekayi Babürname. After his death, in the reigns
of his sons, Humayun and Ekber, this state developed even more and a large
portion of the Indian subcontinent was united under a single rule. The period
of Hürrem, who had assumed the name of Shah-cihan (Shah of the World) upon
ascending the throne, was the most brilliant period of the empire in politics
and art. The Taj Mahal at Agra, which is considered to be one of the most
beautiful architectural monuments in the world, was constructed during his
reign. Architects were also sent from the Ottoman State for the construction
of the monument. These good relations with the Ottoman State also continued
during the reign of his son, Alemgir I. Hegave asylum to the Ottoman governors
of Basra who were fighting against the Portuguese in the Indian Ocean and
the Persian Gulf. The internal turmoil which began after the death of Alemgir
I continued until the reign of Shah Bahadir II. The British who suppressed
a revolt in the country in 1857 annexed India to Britain and Queen Victoria
was officially declared the Empress of India.
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