Mysterious Origins and Rise of the Aq Qoyunlu Empire (1340-1435)

Описание: As we have seen so far, Turkish history has surprisingly often been shaped by empires whose dynasties were descended from one of the 24 tribes that migrated to Anatolia from the Aral Sea. These include the Seljuks, who brought about the emigration, and of course the Ottomans, who cemented Turkish claims to rule over Anatolia and added expansion into Africa and Europe. But between these great dynasties lie many more stories. One of the most famous and yet most mysterious stories is that of the Aq Qoyunlu.

When the Ottomans were still a regional power, these Turkmen initially ruled only a small principality near Diyar Bakir. But under the leadership of Uzun Hasan, the Aq Qoyunlu expanded massively. By the end of the 15th century, the Aq Qoyunlu empire stretched from the Caucasus to Iraq, and from Anatolia to Iran. Unlike the Ottomans, these Turkmen maintained excellent relations with the Empire of Trebizond, and Uzun Hasan was descended from the Comnenes dynasty on his mother's side.

Another distinctive feature was Uzun Hasan's paternal affiliation with the Bayundur, one of the most important tribes of the Oğuz Yabgu Federation. However, unlike the Seljuks and Ottomans, the Aq Qoyunlu were not only proud of their Blue Blood, but also saw it as their duty, after centuries of emigration, to protect the empire on the one hand, and to inherit the legacy of Bayundur Khan - the legendary ruler of the Oğuz Federation - on the other.

This brought Uzun Hasan into direct confrontation with Mehmet, the conqueror of Constantinople.