The Battle of Chapakchur (1467)

For nearly a century the Turkmen confederations of the Qara Qoyunlu and Aq Qoyunlu competed for Azerbaijan, eastern Anatolia and Iraq. Under Jahan Shah (1438-1467) the Qara Qoyunlu state reached its widest extent, with Tabriz as its capital, while the Aq Qoyunlu chief Uzun Hasan, starting from Diyarbakır, enlarged his lands through clever diplomacy.

In 1467 Jahan Shah marched against Uzun Hasan with a large army and decided to winter on the plain of Muş, sending part of his troops to winter quarters. Uzun Hasan seized the chance and made a surprise attack on Jahan Shah's camp near Chapakchur, today's Bingöl. Jahan Shah was killed in the fighting.

A year later the Qara Qoyunlu state fell completely and Uzun Hasan made Tabriz his capital; the Aq Qoyunlu realm stretched from Azerbaijan to Iraq and Kerman. Both dynasties are an inseparable part of Azerbaijani and Turkmen history: Uzun Hasan was the grandfather of Shah Ismail, who later founded the Safavid state.