Qara Yusuf

Abu Nasr Qara Yusuf ibn Mohammad Barani ( ; c. 1356 – 1420) was the ruler of the Qara Qoyunlu dynasty (or "Black Sheep Turkomans") from c.1388 to 1420, although his reign was interrupted by Tamerlane's invasion (1400–1405). He was the son of Qara Mahammad Töremish, a brother-in-law to Ahmad Jalayir. Rise to chiefdom After his father's death in rebellion by Pir Hasan, Qara Qoyunlu elders gathered to choose his brother Khwaja Misr, however more energetic Qara Yusuf prevailed in succession. He made short-term alliance with Qara Osman against Pir Hasan and crushed his forces. Early reign At the beginning of Qara Yusuf's reign, the Qara Qoyunlu established an alliance with the Jalayirid dynasty in Baghdad and Tabriz against Aq Qoyunlu. However, he was soon captured and jailed in Suşehri. Not long after, he was released after his aunt Tatar Hatun paid ransom to Qara Yuluq. Soon Jalayirids and Qara Qoyunlu both were threatened by the Timurids from the east. In 1393 Timur conquered Baghdad and 3 years later appointed his son Miran Shah as viceroy of Azerbaijan. In 1394, Timur imprisoned Khwaja Misr and sent him to Samarkand. By collaborating on equal terms with the Sultan Ahmed Jalayir against the Timurids, Qara Yusuf effectively secured the independence of the Qara Qoyunlu.