AHistoryIndependent states
The Jalayirids (1335-1432)
A dynasty of Mongol origin, Turkic in speech, that ruled from Baghdad and Tabriz and was replaced by the Qara Qoyunlu.
A note on origin: the Jalayirids came from the Mongol Jalayir clan, which became Turkic over time. The Atlas lists the dynasty with this note.
When the Ilkhanate collapsed, Hasan Buzurg made Baghdad his centre. His son Shaykh Uways (1356-1374) also took Tabriz in 1360, and the Jalayirids ruled from Iraq to Azerbaijan. In this period Tabriz and Baghdad were leading centres of book art and miniature painting.
Sultan Ahmad Jalayir (1382-1410) lost and regained his lands again and again in the face of Timur's campaigns. In 1410 he was defeated and killed by Qara Yusuf of the Qara Qoyunlu. The last of the line held on in southern Iraq until the Qara Qoyunlu ended them in 1432.
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Updated: November 10, 2026