Shaykh Uvays and the Jalayirid Dynasty

This chapter considers the transition of Jalayirid rule from that of regional amirs, holding power in the name of Chinggisid puppet khans in Baghdad, to an assertion by Shaykh Uvays of sultanic authority in his own right following military conquest of Azarbayjan. Control of Tabriz meant the incorporation of much of the Ilkhanid administrative apparatus, including administrative elites and economic resources that had formerly been utilized by the Ilkhanate.

Tribes and the Chinggisid Empire

This chapter provides an overview of scholarship on tribal organization, as well as the relationship of Mongol tribes to Chinggis Qa’an and his family during the formation of the Mongol Empire. This background frames an analysis of the movement of several Jalayir tribal amirs from Mongolia to the Islamic lands as part of the Chinggisid conquests. The purpose here is to illustrate the relationship of the ancestors of the Jalayirid dynasty to the larger Mongol imperial project in the 13th century.

Introduction and Sources for the History of the Jalayirids

This chapter provides a general introduction to the standard narratives of the post-Ilkhanid period, and the framework of the book, followed by a discussion of the source material available and used in the study. Sources for the history of the Jalayirids include chronicles, biographical dictionaries, poetry, documents, coins, and inscriptions, written in Persian, Arabic, and Ottoman Turkish.

From Tribal Amirs to Royal In-laws

This chapter considers the career of Amīr Ḥusayn, who became known as güregen (Gūrgān), or royal son-in-law after marrying the Ilkhanid princess, Öljetey. This relationship to the Chinggisid family enhanced the status of Amīr Ḥusayn and his son, Shaykh Ḥasan, who rose to prominence within the military elite in the late Ilkhanid period, thanks in large part to his royal mother, the aunt of the last Ilkhan, Abū Sa‘īd.

Conclusions and the Legacy of the Jalayirids

This chapter provides an overview of the history of Jalayirid patronage of miniature painting and book illustration. The question of a “Jalayirid school” of painting is most persistent legacy of the Jalayirids in secondary literature, and is taken up here. The chapter ends with a general summary of the book’s main arguments.

Crisis and Transition (1335–56)

This chapter provides a detailed discussion of the turmoil that followed the death of Abū Sa‘īd and the collapse of the Ilkhanate from the perspective of Shaykh Ḥasan Jalayir’s attempt to lay claim to the Ilkhanid ulus. Shaykh Ḥasan’s main rivals were the Chubanids, who controlled Azarbayjan. Shaykh Ḥasan established himself in Baghdad, was married to the Chubanid Dilshād Khātūn, and came to control the pasture and migration routes of the Oyrat tribe, one of the few Mongolian tribes to maintain its tribal structure after the establishment of the Ilkhanate.

The Jalayirs and the Early Ilkhanate

This chapter traces the career of Īlgā Noyan, ancestor of the Jalayirid dynasty, and his sons during the early Ilkhan period. Īlgā Noyan’s family was one of several Jalayir families in the service of the Ilkhan rulers. What becomes clear from an analysis of this period is that these Jalayir families did not coordinate their activities on the basis of any tribal solidarity, but instead competed with one another for favor and influence at the Ilkhanid court, and within the households of the Chinggisids. This chapter also highlights the significant role that Jalayir amirs played in Anatolia in this period, and how failed revolts there strengthened the position of the descendants of Īlgā Noyan in particular.

Challenges to the Jalayirid Order

This chapter considers the fragmentation of central authority that took place after Shaykh Uvays’s death in 1374, due to contention among his sons for control of their own shares in the realm, as well as the campaigns of Timur. Although Shaykh Uvays’s son, Sulṭān Aḥmad, took control of the Jalayirid patrimony by the mid-1380s, he spent much of his reign outside of Azarbayjan, either in Baghdad or on the run from Timur’s armies, under the protection of various regional rulers. By the end of his life, the disruptions brought by the Timurids, as well as an uneasy alliance with the Turkman chief Qarā Yūsuf, signaled an end to the Jalayirid order.

Dynastic Ideology during the Reign of Shaykh Uvays

This chapter analyzes the symbols and rhetoric deployed by Shaykh Uvays and those in his service in order to construct an ideology of dynastic sovereignty for the Jalayirid sultan. Epigraphic, numismatic, artistic and literary sources, including the poetry of Salmān Sāvajī, are examined, and reveal an ideological narrative presenting Shaykh Uvays as legitimate heir to the legacy of the Ilkhanate, the ideal Muslim ruler, and upholder of royal justice.