TURKOMANS BETWEEN TWO EMPIRES: THE ... - Bilkent University

5.2.3. Ismail’s Second War: the Turn of the Fortune
Paying close attention to Ismail’s advance in Shirvan, Alvand Mirza sent Hasan Beg
Şikaroğlu as a forward detachment to Shirvan. Upon learning of the approach of
Akkoyunlu troops just after passing the river, Ismail dispatched Qara Pīrī Qajar to deal
with Hasan Beg Şikaroğlu, who fled back to Nakhjuwān without engagement. 966 Ismail
then proceeded in the direction of Nakhjuwān, sending Qara Pīrī Qajar ahead with a
contingent as a reconnaissance party. On the other hand, Alvand Mirza sent one of his
commanders, called Osman, to oppose Qara Pīrī Qajar. But he was taken captive in a
skirmish and sent to the court of the shah, where he was executed. Upon being appraised
of this, Alvand Mirza moved from Nakhjuwān and camped in Sharur, a village by the
side of the river Aras, arranging his army of 30.000 soldiers in battle array. 967 Ismail
followed him via Nakhjuwān and the two armies met at Sharur in the summer of
1501. 968
The disposition of the Qizilbash army was as follows: the right and left wing
were commanded by the chief qizilbash āmirs, namely Husayn Beg Lala, Abdal Ali Beg
answered that they wanted Azerbaijan. Then Ismail raised the siege and marched against Azerbaijan. HR,
pp. 57-8. A very similar account is in HT, pp. 204-205.
966 HS, p. 575; HT, pp. 207-208; HR, p. 69. This event occurred in May 1501. See Sarwar, p. 37.
967 HS, p. 575 ; HT, p. 209; HR, pp. 70-71; AA, p. 44.
968 ‘Ālam-ārā-yi Shah Ismail contains a correspondence between Ismail and Alvand Mirza, which is not
recorded in any other Safavid sources. According to this account, Alvand Mirza wrote to Ismail
suggesting him to maintain the peace and warm relationship. In his answer Ismail said, although the
descendants of Hasan Padishah disgraced the descendants of Shaykh Safī without any reason, he was not
intending to avenge his ancestors’ blood; and he did not aspire to the throne as well. His sole object was to
propagate the religion of his ancestors, the immaculate imams. Ismail says in his letter, as recorded in
Ālam-ārā-yi Shah Ismail, “As long as I am alive, I will draw my sword for the sake of God and his
Immaculate Imams and the true religion until justice will be confirmed in its right place. You [Alvand]
should ask help from the pure spirits of the Immaculate Imams with sincere belief and you should repeat
and profess: ‘Ali is the friend of God’ constantly in order to receive salvation in both worlds and become
the most prosperous king among all others.” (Quoted in Youssef-Jamālī, p. 131.) Ismail finishes his letter
by declaring that if he (Alvand Mirza) would profess Shi’a then could regard him as his elder brother.
Upon receiving the negative and arrogant answer of Alvand Mirza he marched towards Nakhjuwan. See
Youssef-Jamālī, pp. 131-2.
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