Kingdom of Shirvan

Azerbaijan, 861 CE–1538. Draft, not yet reviewed

The Shirvanshahs were the rulers of Shirvan (in present-day Azerbaijan) from 861 to 1538. The Shirvanshahs ruled from 861 to 1538, one of the most enduring dynasties of the Islamic world. At times they were independent, often they had to recognize the overlordship of neighbouring empires. In 1538 Shah Tahmasp I dismissed Shirvanshah Shahrukh due to his continuous disloyalty, and Shirvan was subsequently made a province of the Safavid realm.

Seat of power: Baku

Rulers

Ibrahim I of Shirvan

Shirvanshahs, 1382–1418

Because of his cunning politics he managed to remain independent and avoid being deposed by the Turko-Mongol ruler Timur. Ibrahim used the death of Timur as an opportunity to declare independence and seize Ganja and Karabakh. In 1412, the Kara Koyunlu ruler Qara-Yusuf invaded his territory, and a battle near Chalagan resulted in the defeat of the combined Shirvanian-Georgian forces.

Portrait of Ibrahim I of Shirvan: Aykhan Zayedzadeh, CC BY-SA 4.0, file

Khalilullah I

Shirvanshahs, 1418–1465

Khalilullah I, also known as Sultan-Khalil, was the Shirvanshah from 1418 to 1465. In 1425 he faced a revolt led by his brothers Kay-Qubad, Ishaq and Hashim, which he quelled with the help of Shah Rukh. He died in 1465 and was buried in the city of Baku.

Portrait of Khalilullah I: Gulustan, CC BY-SA 3.0, file

Farrukh Yassar

Shirvanshahs, 1465–1500

Farrukh Yasar was the last independent ruler of Shirvan. In 1465, Shirvanshah envoy Hasan Shirvani was sent to Moscow in order to establish diplomatic relations. In 1500, the first Safavid ruler, Ismail I, decisively defeated and killed Farrukh Yasar during his conquest of the area.

Portrait of Farrukh Yassar: Gulustan, CC BY-SA 3.0, file

Bahram Beg

Shirvanshahs, 1500–1501

Bahram Beg was the 37th Shirvanshah, and ruled over Shirvan under Safavid suzerainty. Bahram Beg ordered the assassination of his brother Ghazi Beg, and upon learning of this, Ghazi Beg killed his brother in the evening and seized the throne.

Sultan Mahmud

Shirvanshahs, 1501–1502

Sultan Mahmud was the 39th shah of Shirvan. He rebelled and killed his father Gazi Beg and declared himself shah. He met resistance from local Shirvan people who rebelled against him in turn, and sent him into exile.

Gazi Beg

Shirvanshahs, 1501–1501

Ghazi Beg, 38th Shirvanshah, succeeded his brother in 1501. His entire reign was during a 6-month siege of Baku by the Safavid Shah Ismail I, and he ruled briefly only Baku, Salyan and Mahmudabad. He was killed by his son, Sultan Mahmud, in the same year.

Ibrahim II Sheykhshah

Shirvanshahs, 1502–1524

Sheykh Ibrahim II was the 40th shah of Shirvan. Local people invited Ibrahim to the throne of Shirvan in 1502, after a rebellion deposed his nephew Sultan Mahmud. In 1507, Sheykhshah rebelled against the Safavids but was forced to make peace again in 1509.

Portrait of Ibrahim II Sheykhshah: Christies.com, Public domain, file

Khalilullah II

Shirvanshahs, 1524–1535

Khalilullah II was the 41st Shirvanshah, governing Shirvan under Safavid suzerainty between 1524 and 1535. After death of Ismail I, the new shah Tahmasp I was suspicious towards the new shirvanshah. Khalilullah died unexpectedly without issue, and was succeeded by Farrukh Yassar II.

Farrukh Yassar II

Shirvanshahs, 1527–1527

Farrukh Yassar II was the brief 42nd shah of Shirvan. Not much is known about his reign; his existence was disputed until a 1934 discovery of a hoard of 906 silver Shirvanshah coins in Salyan.

Shahrukh of Shirvan

Shirvanshahs, 1535–1538

Shahrukh was the last Shirvanshah, governing Shirvan under Safavid suzerainty from 1535 to 1538. After persistent disloyalty, the Safavid shah Tahmasp I expelled him, and made Shirvan a full administrative subunit of Safavid Iran.

Culture

In the 12th century their realm served as the focal point for Persian literature, attracting distinguished poets such as Khaqani, Nizami Ganjavi and Falaki Shirvani.
In the 15th century the Shirvanshah dynasty, under Ibrahim I of Shirvan, moved the capital from Shemakha to Baku following a devastating earthquake.
The Shirvanshahs were patrons of the Helwati Sufiye order, and Shirvanshah Khalilullah I was buried with his family in the grounds of the palace.
In 2000 the palace ensemble, along with the fortified walls of the historic part of the city and the Maiden Tower, was named a World Heritage Site.

Picture

The Palace of the Shirvanshahs in the Inner City of Baku is a 15th-century palace built by the Shirvanshahs.

Image: Urek Meniashvili, CC BY-SA 3.0, file

Sources

Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.