The defeat in the year of 1514
hogtied the movement of the Iran Turkish Safevi Empire that was the 2nd state of the world
following Turkey for a period of 19 years until the year of 1533. However, it was not
possible to eradicate the strategical conflicts. In the period of Kanuni, the policy
followed was to conquer all the Arabian countries extending from the Persian Gulf and the
Indian Ocean towards the Atlantic Ocean. In any case, it was required to come down towards
the Persian Gulf and to surmount the Caucasus. The Caucasus and the Persian Gulf had been
under the domination of Iran Turkish Empire. If Iran would not have existed in this
period, the Turks would have surpassed Germany and took a short break in the coasts of
Rhine River. Several historians have paid attention to this point with great emphasis.
Iran wars were so difficult. The distance was so far. The Iranian army was composed of a
brave cavalry army that was entirely composed of Turkmen soldiers. However, the
superiority of the Ottoman Raiders, infantry troops and especially the artillerymen
provided the victory of Turkey. Nevertheless, Iran had never forgotten the defeat in
Çaldiran. Iran did not accept any pitched battle against the Ottoman State. Therefore,
they evacuated the plain lands and retreated ahead of the Ottoman army. This was the
strategy that the Safevi State followed. Since Tabriz was so close to the Ottoman borders,
Iran had moved the capital city towards the central regions in the city of in the period
of Shah Ismail’s son and his successors.
Kanûnî Sultan Süleyman Han departed from Istanbul
together with his army on the date of 11th June 1534. This sixth military expedition of
the ruler that was the first military expedition to Iran among 4 four Iran expeditions and
the most famous one was called as Irakeyn. Actually, both Arabian Iraq (Baghdad) and the
Persian Iraq (Hamedan) were conquered as a result of this military expedition. Before this
military expedition, the Grand Vizier, Makbul Ibrahim Pasha had moved over Iran with
another army and he was waiting for the arrival of the ruler.
Tabriz that was one of
the biggest cities of the world in those periods was invaded by the Ottomans for the
second time (13th July 1534). After a short period, Kanuni came to Tabriz (28th
September). The Western provinces of Iran with Turkish and Kurdish inhabitant were
invaded. However, the main purpose was to conquer Baghdad and the Arabian Iraq and then,
to come town towards the Persian Gulf. Baghdad was conquered on the date of 28th November
(1534). This was a very famous city that had been the centre of the Abbasi caliphate for
nearly 5 centuries. Meanwhile, Safevi State recaptured Tabriz. Despite this movement, the
Ottomans penetrated into this city for the third time (30th June 1535).
As a result of this military expedition,
the Central and Southern Iraq (Baghdad, Basra) had become the Ottoman provinces and in
respect of the consequences, the Arabian tribes that had been settled along the coasts of
the Persian Gulf were under the Ottoman influence and domination from that date on. The
Western Iranian provinces were recaptured by Safevi State.
The Ottoman-
Safevi relations entered into a period of relative peace for 12 years between the years of
1536-48. The Safevi State that had lost Iraq tried to recover and gain power again. Kanuni
organised his second military expedition to Iraq in the years of 1548-49. Tabriz was
invaded for the fourth time (27th July 1548). In this military expedition, the city of Van
was definitely captured from the Safevi State. Turkey that had reached to the German
borders and the Atlantic Ocean could only conquer this city. The only conquest of the city
of Van gives us a clue about the power of the Safevi Turkish Empire in the east. Kanuni
who stayed in Aleppo for 7 months and then, in Diyarbakir for 2.5 months arranged his
eastern affairs.
He left Istanbul
for 5 years in order to accomplish his third and last military expedition to the East
(28th August 1553). This expedition was also called as Nachicevan Expedition. He stayed in
Aleppo for 5 months. When he returned from Nachicevan, he spent 8 months in Amasya. He did
not want to leave his army without a commander before the conclusion of a final state of
peace with Iran. The period of 8 months in which he was the commander of his army in
Amasya had passed with terrible diplomatic activities. There were difficult peace
negotiations with both Germany and Iran. Finally, the first peace agreement between the
Safevi and the Ottoman Empires was signed through Amasya Agreement (29th March 1555). This
peace agreement remained effective for a long period. It lasted for 23 years until the
date of 5th April 1578. On this date, the Ottoman Empire waged war against Iran.
A difficult war
took place in the year of 1578 and it ended up with the conwuest of the entire Caucasus
and the Western Iran. In this war, the viziers such as Lala Mustafa Pasha, Özdemiroğlu
Osman Pasha, Ferhad pasha, etc. acquired great successes and victories in the capacity of
the chief commanders. Particularly Ozdemiroglu Osman Pasha had acquired great fame. The
Safevi army was totally defeated in Çıldır pitched battle (9th August 1578) and then,
Tbilisi was conquered (24th August 1578). Pursuant to the victory in Koyungeçidi pitched
battle (9th September 1578), Shirvan (Northern Azerbaijan) was conquered. Afterwards,
Ozdemiroglu overwhelmed the Safevi State through the victories of the first Şamah (27th
November) and Meşaleler (11th May 1583). Then, he expanded his field of conquests. Revan
was captured (15th August 1583). Ozdemiroglu who captured Daghestan and settled in
this place for a long time stayed in the Crimea for a specific period and then, he
returned to Istanbul to become the grand vizier (28th June 584). Tabriz was conquered
(22nd September 1585). However, the death of Ozdemiroglu near Tabriz (29th/30th October)
slightly undermined the situation of the Ottoman State against Iran. Afterwards, Ferhad
Pasha undertook the affairs in the Iran from. This wearing war that lasted for 12 years
ended up with Istanbul Agreement that was concluded on the date of 21st March 1590. The
countries with the surface area of 590.000 km2 most of which had been conquered by
Ozdemiroglu Osman Pasha were annexed to the lands of the Ottoman state.
However, this
state of peace could only last for 13.5 years. The new Turkey-Iran war broke out upon the
attack of the Safevi forces to Tabriz (26th September 1603). Firstly Tabriz and then,
Revan were lost. The Ottoman army was defeated in Urmiye (9th September 1605). This war
lasted for 9 years and it ended up with a new Istanbul Agreement (20th November 1612).
However, the war broke out again after 2.5 years (22nd May 1615). The Ottoman army was
defeated in Pül-i Şikeste (10th September 1618). The Erdebil Agreement (26th September
1618) gave an end to Ottoman-Safevi war that lasted for more than 3 years. This state of
peace continued for 5 years and the war broke out again with a violence that cannot be
compared with the older wars upon the capture of Baghdad by the Safevi State in the year
of 1624.
Therefore, most of the great conquests of
Ozdemiroglu were recaptured by Iran in the year of 1603. Turkey could not repulse Iran
from the Caucasus. The Caucasian lands were shared between these two empires. The Western
provinces of Iran could not be maintained under the domination of the Ottoman State.
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