Qara Iskander - No News is Good News
Qara Iskander – No News is Good News (1428-1438)
Iskander looked on as the men who had served in the Timurid Empire reached the end of their long march home through the desert. All had seen conflict and many were wounded. It had been a hard war but worth it for now the Black Sheep position was secure. The hills of Tabaristan could be defended with ease if it was called for.
The troops also gave Iskander a set of maps showing the extent of the Timurid Empire. He was surprised just how far it reached. The Black Sheep had been lucky and if not for the Uzbeks they may be dead. The maps had a nation called ‘Delhi’ on them which greatly interested Iskander and so he sent a diplomat to speak to these ‘Delhi’. The diplomat brought back more maps of the area past the Indus River. Iskander was impressed with these new lands, not sure if they could be of any use, but impressed.
Iskander’s pride and joy – his new map
Meanwhile the Timurids were still having a hard time of it.
Never liked them anyway…
Both Ottoman and Uzbek troops were striking their border provinces, not a bad thing really.
Only two years after the war had finished a new problem arose - the Jalayrids. They were becoming a worry and had formed a pact with the Timurids and White Sheep. Iskander couldn’t drag his men into such a large war so soon after the last. Many of his men had only just recovered.
What to do with those Mongols?
Iskander could afford to wait. Besides with a man like Hussein II in charge they weren’t going to do anything too scary.
Poor Jalayrids
Meanwhile Iskander had a fortress built in Tabriz. He had seen the danger of unfortified territory during the humiliation of the Timurids. At the same time across in Hamadan some Timurid ‘loyalists’ rebelled.
(Iskander pondered how the Timurids could have loyalists. Did anyone actually like them?) They were however quickly massacred by the horde so all wasn’t bad.
(Two years later) Not to break the trend of post-war news a messanger arrived. Peace had been made between the Ottomans and Timurids. It gave the Ottomans two provinces just east of Black Sheep lands.
This didn’t make Iskander happy
The Ottomans knew this was Black Sheep land by right! This blatant land grabbing by the Ottomans was worrying. Could the Black Sheep become their next targets? Iskander had watched the Janissaries in action when he fought against the White Sheep. He was worried how his horde would fair against the discipline and weaponry they carried.
Fortunately a year later Awhaz rebelled against them and was turned into an ottoman vassal rather then province. Still bad just not as bad. Soon after Basrah, the Timurids and the White Sheep attacked the Mamluks and their African allies. Iskander was pleased and watched as they killed each other all year long.
The years since the war had been hard but worse was to come for Iskander.
This didn’t make Iskander happy either
If only Sibur had ended Shah Rukh’s life all those years ago in Herat. Unfortunaly though he didn't and tribes of Kurdistan revolted immediately. Iskander rode north and defeated them in battle. The Tribes of Azerbaijan and Tibriz still backed him but the rest succumbed to Jahan and Timurid gold. After Iskander routed the tribes of Kurdistan he remained in Azerbaijan waiting for Jahan to act. While he waited a messenger arrived. The White Sheep were under siege and soon to be destroyed!
The end of the Ak Koyunlu
A year later Jahan came to Azerbaijan and set about laying siege to Iskander’s fortress. In a typically brave but foolish action Iskander launched a raid on his brother’s camp. They burnt the main supply tent of his brother and Iskander was sure this would end the siege but on the ride back to the fortress disaster struck. One of Jahan’s men hiding in a tree shot Iskander with an arrow. He died instantly.
This made Iskander even less happy
Iskander’s body was dumped in an unmarked grave. Jahan Shah was in charge now.