2: SHAH ISMAIL AND THE BATTLE OF CHALDIRAN
Which precious gift did Ismail have fashioned from Sheibani Khan's remains?
A jewel-encrusted drinking vessel made from Sheibani's skull
Who were Heidar's three sons imprisoned by Yagoub?
Ali, Ibrahim, and Ismail
Why did Ismail turn his attention to Diyarbakr after consolidating power in Iran?
Diyarbakr was a key strategic province controlling routes into eastern Anatolia and northern Mesopotamia
Which territories did the Ottomans permanently detach from Iran after Chaldiran?
Eastern Anatolia (including Diyarbakr) and parts of the Caucasus region
Which city's siege by Heidar first introduced cannon use in Safavid forces?
Golestan in 1488
What was the outcome of Ismail's campaign against the Mushasha in Khuzistan?
He defeated their leader Seyyed Fayyaz, and his brother Fallah accepted Safavid suzerainty
How did Ismail trick Sheibani Khan into battle at Merv?
He feigned a retreat, burned his camp, and ambushed Sheibani's pursuing forces at night
How did Ismail's rule blend religious and national identities?
He fused Shiite Islam with a revived Iranian sense of nationhood, viewing himself as heir to the Persian Empire
Why was the victory at Darband in 1500 significant for Ismail?
He gained valuable military equipment (Jawshan armor) and boosted troop morale
What was Alfonso de Albuquerque's role in the Persian Gulf?
He led Portuguese forces to occupy Hormuz and other strategic locations, forcing tributary status on local rulers
How did Ismail's failure at Chaldiran affect his personal leadership style?
He lost his aura of invincibility, took fewer risks, and never again led the army in major open battle
How did Ismail handle Portuguese aggression in the Gulf after Chaldiran?
He negotiated a defensive arrangement, trading Hormuz compliance for Portuguese military and naval assistance elsewhere
What drastic measure did Sultan Selim I take before battling Ismail?
He ordered the registration and execution or arrest of thousands of Anatolian Qizilbash to prevent internal uprisings
In which campaigns did Ismail still engage post-Chaldiran, albeit indirectly?
He sent Qizilbash to aid the Mamluks against Selim and to disrupt Ottoman advances toward Baghdad
What broader strategic alliance did Ismail attempt with European rulers?
He sought alliances with Spain, Hungary, and others to contain the Ottoman threat
What strategic mistake did Shah Ismail make on the eve of Chaldiran?
He waited for the Ottomans to fully deploy their cannon instead of attacking preemptively
How did Ismail respond to Albuquerque's seizure of Hormuz initially?
He was occupied with conflicts elsewhere and could not mount an effective navy-based response
What was Shah Ismail's first major triumph against Farrokhyashar at Golestan?
His 7,000 troops defeated Farrokhyashar's 27,000, killing the Shirvanshah himself
How did Ismail's poetry impact the Azeri-Turkish language?
His writings elevated its prestige and encouraged its wider use
Where did Ismail spend his final years and eventually die?
In Tabriz, passing away in May 1524
Why was the Persian Gulf vulnerable to the Portuguese conquest during Ismail's reign?
Iran had no navy, leaving its islands exposed to maritime powers like Portugal
Why did Ismail import Shiite clergy from Iraq and Syria?
Iran was largely Sunni at the time and lacked enough local Shiite scholars
Why did Babur ally with Shah Ismail, and what concession did he reportedly make?
Ismail freed Babur's sister from Uzbek captivity; Babur accepted Shiism to gain Safavid military support
What was the long-term significance of Chaldiran for Safavid Iran?
It defined the Ottoman-Safavid boundary, shaped sectarian divisions, and forced Iran to modernize its military
Where did Ismail seek refuge after escaping the Aq Qoyunlu?
Lahijan in Gilan, northern Iran
What prevented Sultan Selim from conquering all of Iran after Chaldiran?
Logistical nightmares, winter weather concerns, and Safavid scorched-earth tactics forced a quick Ottoman withdrawal
What ancestry did Shah Ismail claim, despite efforts to conceal it?
Part-Kurdish, with Turkmen, Greek, and Georgian roots
Which two languages did Ismail speak fluently?
Persian and Azeri-Turkish
Who led the Uzbeks against Safavid expansion into Khorasan and was famously defeated?
Sheibani Khan
Why did the Safavid armies sometimes fail to deploy firearms effectively?
The Qizilbash considered firearms "unmanly" and preferred traditional weapons
Which religious difference fueled hostilities between Safavid Iran and the Ottomans?
The Safavids were Shiite, while the Ottomans championed Sunni Islam
Which Iranian title did Ismail adopt upon entering Tabriz as a ruler?
The ancient Persian title "Shah" instead of the Turkic "Khan"
What made the Safavid Qizilbash warriors so loyal and steadfast?
They believed in Ismail's divine invincibility and revered him as their spiritual leader (Morshed e Bozong)
How did the Ottomans protect their artillery positions at Chaldiran?
They chained their cannon together and placed Janissaries behind them, creating a lethal barrier against cavalry charges
What was the Qizilbash's main role in Ismail's rise?
They were the backbone of his cavalry, fiercely loyal and pivotal in battles
How did Shah Ismail secure western Iran from Aq Qoyunlu control?
Through repeated battles, use of occasional cannon, and bold cavalry attacks that caused enemy forces to flee
Despite his defeat at Chaldiran, how did Ismail's cavalry nearly break Ottoman lines?
Through repeated, fearless charges that sometimes shattered sections of the chained artillery
Why did Selim close the Ottoman-Iranian border before Chaldiran?
To halt Iran's silk trade and block the flow of any European military supplies into Safavid territory
What military innovation did Ustajlu Mohammad Beg employ in the siege of Hassankeyf?
Use of multi-barreled artillery behind a protective timber wall that could be raised and lowered
