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Origin and
Organisation of the Akkoyunlu Tribe |
It is probable that the name of the Akkoyunlu tribe that was a nomadic
Turkmen community was attributed to them due to the sheep herds that bred. Various Farsi
and Arabian resources have stated that they were from the roots of Seljuk and Artuklu beys
without giving any information about the origin of the Akkoyunlu tribe. Despite these
statements, in the work titled as Kitab-ı Diyarbekriye that was the history of Akkoyunlu
State as stated above, it has been stated that the Akkoyunlu tribe came from the lineage
of Oguz Khan.
Accordingly, it was stated that the Akkoyunlu tribe was a tribe of
Bayindir branch of Oguz people. It has also been stated that the Akkoyunlu people came to
the Kipchak country in the period of the Prophet (century VII), and then to Arran Savanna;
and that they were in the service of the Seljuk State in the period of Seljuks; and the
region of Diyarbakir was given to them as a feoff.
The history of Akkoyunlu tribe that was from the branch of Bayindir
from Oguz people is known since the years of 1300. The first known character in the
history pertaining to the Akkoyunlu State was Tur-Ali Bey. The Akkoyunlu State had
abolished the Karakoyunlu State (1469) and founded a great Turkmen state instead of him.
The chiefs and rulers of the Akkoyunlu State that ruled the state until that time were as
follows:
1. Tur-Ali Bey (?-1360):
His father was Pehlivan Bey from Akkoyunlu Beys. It has been known that
he had settled in Diyarbakir with the Turkmens that were submissive to him. It has also
been known that he had joined Gazan Han (1248-1291) from Ilhanli State at a very young age
and participated in his military expedition to Syria.
2. Fahreddin Kutlu Bey (1360-1389):
His father was the chief of the Akkoyunlu State that replaced Tur-Ali
Bey. His period was a fairly active period, and he had had great struggles with Kadi
Burhaneddin, Trebizond Greek Empire, Egypt Mameluke Sultanate and their cruel rival, the
Karakoyunlu State. The grave of Fahreddin Kutlu Bey who died in the year of 1389 was in
the village of Sinor in Bayburt.
3. Ahmed Bey (1389-1397):
He was the son of Fahreddin Kutlu Bey. He was enthroned as the
sovereign of the Akkoyunlu State pursuant to the death of his father. Ahmed Bey who had to
recognise the high domination of Kadi Burhaneddin for a long period was killed by him in
the year of 1397.
4. Fahruddin/Bahauddin Kara-Yülük Osman Bey (1397-1435):
He was the ruler that reinforced the domination of the Akkoyunlu State
in the Eastern Anatolia. He was one of the sons of Fahreddin Kutlu Bey. He defeated Kadi
Burhaneddin who was his rival that killed his elder brother, Ahmed Bey. Then, he killed
him. Afterwards, he was involved in a severe struggle with the Karakoyunlu Kara Yusuf
about the domination over the Turkmens and the capture of Eastern- Southeastern Anatolia.
5. Celâluddin Ali Bey (1435-1438):
He was the son of Kara-Yülük Osman Bey who was appointed as the crown
prince, and he was enthroned as the sovereign of the Akkoyunlu State in the place of his
father.
6. Nuruddin Hamza Bey (1438-1444):
He was the other son of Kara-Yülük Osman Bey'.
7. Cihangir Bey (15/10/1444-1453):
He was the son of Celâlüddin Ali Bey. He was able to establish the union of the
Akkoyunlu principality setting off from Urfa that was under his domination.
8. Nusretuddin Ebû-Nasr Uzun Hasan Bey (1435-6/1/1478):
The person that promoted the Akkoyunlu principality to the position of
a state was Akkoyunlu Uzun Hasan Bey. He annihilated Cihân-shah who was the great ruler
of Karakoyunlu State (1467), and then Ebu Said (1469) who was the ruler of Turkestan.
Then, he established dominion in the entire Iran, Iraq, the Caucasus and the Eastern
Anatolia. His target was the capture of the regions towards the Western Anatolia. But this
target of him fell short as a result of the defeat in Otlukbeli (11th August 1473) against
the Ottoman ruler, Fatih Sultan Mehmed (1451-1481). Despite this defeat, Uzun Hasan
succeeded in his survival, and he did not abandon the Akkoyunlu regions and lands with the
centre of Tabriz although he abandoned the Central and Western Anatolia totally.
Uzun Hasan who died in the year of 1478 was a great statesman. Besides,
he accelerated the public works that were neglected for a long time in the country. He
arranged various laws in order to prevent the tribal fights, and the conflicts of pastures
and grasslands that destroyed the Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia. These rules have been
called as "Hasan Ruler's Laws" in the region for a long time. Moreover, Ottomans
had left most of these laws in effect when they captured the Eastern and Southeastern
regions with small modifications and amendments on them.
9. Sultan Halil (6/1/1478-24/12/1490):
He was the son of Uzun Hasan Bey.
10. Sultan Yâkub (15/7/1478-24/12/1490):
He was the other son of Uzun Hasan Bey and he was the last intelligent
and capable Akkoyunlu ruler. Pursuant to his death, the state was on the verge of
decadence.
Pursuant to Sultan Yakub, the other rulers that came to power were respectively Sultan
Baysungur (24/12/1490-May 1492), Sultan Rüstem (May 1492-the beginning of the year 1496),
Sultan Dâmâd/Ahmed Göde/(the beginning of 1496 -1498), Sultan Mehmed (1498-1500),
Sultan Elvend (1500-1504), and Sultan Murad (1504-1508). The Akkoyunlu State was abolished
by Safevi dynasty that was another Turkish organisation.
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