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Ismail II
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Ismail II
Ismail II (Persian: اسماعیل دوم; born Ismail Mirza; 31 May 1537 – 24 November 1577) was the third shah of Safavid Iran from 1576 to 1577. He was the second son of Tahmasp I with his principal consort, Sultanum Begum of the Mawsillu clan of the Aq Qoyunlu confederation. On the orders of Tahmasp, Ismail spent twenty years imprisoned in Qahqaheh Castle; whether for his recurrent conflicts with the realm's influential vassals, or for his growing popularity with the Qizilbash tribes, resulting in Tahmasp becoming wary of his son's influence.
Tahmasp died In 1576 without a designated heir. Ismail, with the support of his sister, Pari Khan Khanum, overcame his opponents and usurped the crown. In order to relieve himself of potential claimants, Ismail purged all the male members of the royal family, except for his full-brother, Mohammad Khodabanda and his three sons. In fear of the Qizilbash influence on the administration and the army, Ismail replaced them with people whom he trusted. Ismail belittled the Shi'ia Islam scholars and sought spiritual guidance from the Sunni Islam ulama. This was perhaps out of spite for his father, who was a devoted Shi'ia.
Towards the end of his reign, Ismail shunned Pari Khan, and had her arrested, despite her efforts to make him king. On 24 November 1577, Ismail unexpectedly died from unknown reasons, but the general view was that he was poisoned by either Pari Khan Khanum or the Qizilbash leaders. He was succeeded by his brother, the blind Mohammad Khodabanda. Contemporary historians considered Ismail as an irrational, perverted, and inept ruler, who brought the Safavid dynasty to the brink of collapse. However, a number of contemporary chroniclers also portray him as a just king. Some modern historians regard his policies as disastrous and his personality as unusually ruthless, even by the period's standards.
Ismail Mirza was born on the night of Thursday 31 May 1537 in Qom as the second son of Tahmasp I with his principal consort, Sultanum Begum of the Mawsillu clan of the Aq Qoyunlu confederation. She was the sister of Musa Sultan, the governor of Tabriz, who is sometimes confused with Sultanum's father, Isa Khan, who was Tahmasp's maternal uncle. Ismail spent his childhood in the court and since his older brother and the heir apparent, Mohammad Khodabanda was appointed as the governor of Herat, the young Ismail was the only child in the royal palace of Qazvin; thus, he had all his father's attention. Tahmasp loved and admired the young Ismail for his courage. As a child, Ismail learned riding and archery, as well as reading and writing.
In the late summer of 1547, Ismail was appointed as the governor of Shirvan after the shah's brother and the previous governor, Alqas Mirza, fled to the Ottoman Empire after a failed rebellion. There, Ismail faced a rebellion by a claimant to the Shirvanshah's throne and Tahmasp's nephew, Burhan Ali, son of Khalilullah II; he was evidently supported by the Ottoman Empire. He was defeated by an army under the command of Ismail's lala (guardian), Gokcha Sultan Ziadlu Qajar. In 1547, during the Ottoman–Safavid War, Ismail Mirza led the local Shirvani warriors into a great victory against the overnumbered Ottoman troops in the Eastern Anatolia. On 25 August 1548, Ismail led the ransack of Kars, killing civilians who had fled the chaos and disorder after the joint campaign of Alqas Mirza and the Ottonans. There, he faced an attempt to his life by the governor of the city. In retaliation, he ordered the massacre of the Ottoman prisoners and the razing of the Kars fortress. After a period of peace, in the winter of 1552, Ismail with 8000 men raided Erzurum and destroyed the Ottoman fortification near the city. The Ottoman commander and the governor of Erzurum, Iskandar Pasha, decided to fight Ismail's army before they reached the city. The battle ended in a stalemate, with Ismail retreating into the west and seemingly defeated. Iskandar Pasha followed Ismail and then was faced with a new Safavid army and was defeated with heavy casualties.
The victory in Erzurum brought Ismail fame and popularity among the Qizilbash but also started the third phase of the war with the Ottoman Empire and the Peace of Amasya, in which the Safavid lands in Mesopotamia were lost to the Ottomans. Even then, Ismail remained in Qizilbash's memory as a renowned military figure, who at a young age, successfully led skirmishes against the Ottomans.
In the autumn of 1555, Ismail married his cousin, Safieh Soltan Khanum, the daughter of Khanish Begum (Tahmasp's sister) and Shah Nur-al Din Nimatullah Baqi. The wedding ceremony took place in a mansion in the north of Tabriz. The couple were settled in Qazvin and were given the house previously owned by the shah's brother, Bahram Mirza. A lyrical poem in the same year indicates that Ismail felt pain and agony from his marriage and had lost the comfort of a male companion in Shirvan. From Safieh Soltan, he had a daughter who later married Shah Khalil-Allah Kermani.
In Qazvin, Ismail spent many of his nights with male lovers, and his homosexuality was an open secret. This contrasted with Tahmasp's zealotry; however, he did not try to stop Ismail until the winter of 1555, when it was reported that Ismail had broken a leg during an outing with his male companion. The incident further infuriated Tahmasp with his son, and on 3 April 1556, he sent Ismail to Herat to govern there instead of Mohammad Khodabanda. Ismail entered Herat in June and was greeted by his brother. Mohammad Khan Sharaf al-Din Ogli Takalu was appointed as his lala.
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Ismail II
Ismail II (Persian: اسماعیل دوم; born Ismail Mirza; 31 May 1537 – 24 November 1577) was the third shah of Safavid Iran from 1576 to 1577. He was the second son of Tahmasp I with his principal consort, Sultanum Begum of the Mawsillu clan of the Aq Qoyunlu confederation. On the orders of Tahmasp, Ismail spent twenty years imprisoned in Qahqaheh Castle; whether for his recurrent conflicts with the realm's influential vassals, or for his growing popularity with the Qizilbash tribes, resulting in Tahmasp becoming wary of his son's influence.
Tahmasp died In 1576 without a designated heir. Ismail, with the support of his sister, Pari Khan Khanum, overcame his opponents and usurped the crown. In order to relieve himself of potential claimants, Ismail purged all the male members of the royal family, except for his full-brother, Mohammad Khodabanda and his three sons. In fear of the Qizilbash influence on the administration and the army, Ismail replaced them with people whom he trusted. Ismail belittled the Shi'ia Islam scholars and sought spiritual guidance from the Sunni Islam ulama. This was perhaps out of spite for his father, who was a devoted Shi'ia.
Towards the end of his reign, Ismail shunned Pari Khan, and had her arrested, despite her efforts to make him king. On 24 November 1577, Ismail unexpectedly died from unknown reasons, but the general view was that he was poisoned by either Pari Khan Khanum or the Qizilbash leaders. He was succeeded by his brother, the blind Mohammad Khodabanda. Contemporary historians considered Ismail as an irrational, perverted, and inept ruler, who brought the Safavid dynasty to the brink of collapse. However, a number of contemporary chroniclers also portray him as a just king. Some modern historians regard his policies as disastrous and his personality as unusually ruthless, even by the period's standards.
Ismail Mirza was born on the night of Thursday 31 May 1537 in Qom as the second son of Tahmasp I with his principal consort, Sultanum Begum of the Mawsillu clan of the Aq Qoyunlu confederation. She was the sister of Musa Sultan, the governor of Tabriz, who is sometimes confused with Sultanum's father, Isa Khan, who was Tahmasp's maternal uncle. Ismail spent his childhood in the court and since his older brother and the heir apparent, Mohammad Khodabanda was appointed as the governor of Herat, the young Ismail was the only child in the royal palace of Qazvin; thus, he had all his father's attention. Tahmasp loved and admired the young Ismail for his courage. As a child, Ismail learned riding and archery, as well as reading and writing.
In the late summer of 1547, Ismail was appointed as the governor of Shirvan after the shah's brother and the previous governor, Alqas Mirza, fled to the Ottoman Empire after a failed rebellion. There, Ismail faced a rebellion by a claimant to the Shirvanshah's throne and Tahmasp's nephew, Burhan Ali, son of Khalilullah II; he was evidently supported by the Ottoman Empire. He was defeated by an army under the command of Ismail's lala (guardian), Gokcha Sultan Ziadlu Qajar. In 1547, during the Ottoman–Safavid War, Ismail Mirza led the local Shirvani warriors into a great victory against the overnumbered Ottoman troops in the Eastern Anatolia. On 25 August 1548, Ismail led the ransack of Kars, killing civilians who had fled the chaos and disorder after the joint campaign of Alqas Mirza and the Ottonans. There, he faced an attempt to his life by the governor of the city. In retaliation, he ordered the massacre of the Ottoman prisoners and the razing of the Kars fortress. After a period of peace, in the winter of 1552, Ismail with 8000 men raided Erzurum and destroyed the Ottoman fortification near the city. The Ottoman commander and the governor of Erzurum, Iskandar Pasha, decided to fight Ismail's army before they reached the city. The battle ended in a stalemate, with Ismail retreating into the west and seemingly defeated. Iskandar Pasha followed Ismail and then was faced with a new Safavid army and was defeated with heavy casualties.
The victory in Erzurum brought Ismail fame and popularity among the Qizilbash but also started the third phase of the war with the Ottoman Empire and the Peace of Amasya, in which the Safavid lands in Mesopotamia were lost to the Ottomans. Even then, Ismail remained in Qizilbash's memory as a renowned military figure, who at a young age, successfully led skirmishes against the Ottomans.
In the autumn of 1555, Ismail married his cousin, Safieh Soltan Khanum, the daughter of Khanish Begum (Tahmasp's sister) and Shah Nur-al Din Nimatullah Baqi. The wedding ceremony took place in a mansion in the north of Tabriz. The couple were settled in Qazvin and were given the house previously owned by the shah's brother, Bahram Mirza. A lyrical poem in the same year indicates that Ismail felt pain and agony from his marriage and had lost the comfort of a male companion in Shirvan. From Safieh Soltan, he had a daughter who later married Shah Khalil-Allah Kermani.
In Qazvin, Ismail spent many of his nights with male lovers, and his homosexuality was an open secret. This contrasted with Tahmasp's zealotry; however, he did not try to stop Ismail until the winter of 1555, when it was reported that Ismail had broken a leg during an outing with his male companion. The incident further infuriated Tahmasp with his son, and on 3 April 1556, he sent Ismail to Herat to govern there instead of Mohammad Khodabanda. Ismail entered Herat in June and was greeted by his brother. Mohammad Khan Sharaf al-Din Ogli Takalu was appointed as his lala.
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