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If you don't mind that would be great :) I'd try myself but not too sure how the colour scales work. If not greys will be just fine.

Anyway Timruid Wars II coming fairly soon!
 
Qara Iskander - The Timurid Wars II

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Qara Iskander – The Timurid Wars II (1425-1428)​


Iskander met up with the Ottoman forces and led a small company of cavalry in a charge against the White Sheep. He was successful and the Ottomans were impressed. He and their leading general in the east became good friends.

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The fearsome White Sheep the blue marksings represent loyalty to the Timurids​

Meanwhile Sibur led the horde deep into Timurid territory and took Fars, Hormouz and Birjand with remarkable speed due to lack of fortifications in these provinces. This grabbed the Timurid attention however and scouts reported that a massive Timurid Army was tracking them. Fortunately for Sibur his small disciplined force could move quickly and they moved for the capital in Herat. The land around Herat was pillaged and Shah Rukh might have been slain but for his cowardice – he hid behind his walls.

A group of Black Sheep also headed down from Azerbaijan to retake Tabriz and siege Tabaristan.

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On the run in the Timurid Empire​

Next Sibur headed north and arrived in Bukhara. As he marched for the city, ready to loot, pillage and generally cause mayhem he saw a 10,000 strong horde surrounded it. He looked on puzzled. Had the city revolted? Were the Ottomans here? He sent a messenger to the siege camp. Apparently these men were Uzbeks who had jumped on the bandwagon and attacked the Timurids. This explained his easy march through the heart of the Empire. Sibur ordered his men onwards. The Timurids would be brought to their knees.

Meanwhile back in the White Sheep homelands.

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Iskander and the Ottomans give those White Sheep a tough time​

Sibur took Lut without a fight before marching on Herat.

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The Timurid army trying to decide where to go​

Black stripes indicate the province under our control.

Sibur now arrived in Herat while 6000 men who had been patrolling along the Indian Ocean came north to aid him. They made preparations for the siege of the capital. Shah Rukh would die here! After only a few days the Timurid Imperial Army arrived. This time Sibur stood and won a great victory over the Timurids who fled for their eastern provinces.

Only six months later the siege was successful but Shah Rukh was nowhere to be found. Iskander received the news and offered peace for Tabriz, Tarbistan and Hamanan. The Timurids accepted and there was much feasting throughout the Black Sheep lands. This had been a great victory!

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The three most eastern Kara Koyunlu provinces were the gains​
 
Yeah the two provinces in the east have mountains too. Hopefully they'll let me hold out until the Timurids start getting split up.

And yeah another COT would be really nice :)
 
Qara Iskander - No News is Good News

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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.

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Iskander’s pride and joy – his new map​

Meanwhile the Timurids were still having a hard time of it.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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This made Iskander even less happy​

Iskander’s body was dumped in an unmarked grave. Jahan Shah was in charge now.
 
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The beginning of the game has a couple of bad events for the Black Sheep. Fortunately, the Timurid events are worse. Good luck with wrestling through. You might want to take Persian lands from the Timurids before Persia forms. You can then even become Persia iirc.
 
Yeah its a risky business and unfortunatly it seems Jahan (at least stat wise) got there more thanks to the Timurids then skills. Waiting on Timurid split though so Jahan may turn out better then he looks :)
 
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Jahan Shah – Of Traitors and Timurids (1438-1445)​


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Not the man his father was… or his brother was

After the death of his brother Jahan was pleased. Many of the sub-tribes andinfluential men within the Kara Koyunlu weren’t. The Kara Koyunlu were now the vassals of the Timurid Empire who they had beaten so badly only ten years earlier. Jahan had sold the realm before the struggle for succession and now Shah Rukh was collecting his payment.

Uprisings came in both Tabriz and Tabaristan as a response to this shameful situation. The horde (without their leader Sibur who was slain in the same raid as Iskander) was sent to deal with them and did. The rebels were crushed in Tabaristan however in Tabriz the unthinkable happened – the horde was defeated. The rebels celebrated but it was short lived as Jahan came and personally smashed them into the dirt. Jahan nodded in improvement. All major opposition was dead and the war was won.

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The last of the loyalists

Now Rukh Shah demanded that the Kara Koyunlu must enter his alliance and Jahan was forced to begrudgingly accept. This pulled the Black Sheep into the struggle between Basrah, Iraq and the Timurids against the Mamluks and their vassals. One such vassal Dulkadir controlled the ancient White Sheep homeland of Nuyssaybin which Jahan led an attack on. He thought a victory here would help to cement his position at home.

As Jahan began laying siege a messenger arrived. The Dulkadir had attacked both Azerbaijan and Kurdistan with 20,000 men in total. Jahan cursed. The horde was sent to remove them but without the leadership of Sibur was driven back at Azerbaijan. A second attack 6 months later was more fruitful and the Dulkadir were driven from the Black Sheep homelands.

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The siege in Nuyssaybin

Only three months later the city fell and Jahan marched on Allepo the capital of the Dulkadir. A diplomat also arrived from the Mamluks. They offered peace separate to the Dulkadir. Jahan agreed readily, the last thing he needed at the moment was a long drawn out war. The Mamluks effectively sold their vassals and left them to the mercy of Jahan who travelled to Allepo, the Dulkadir capital. Just six months later in 1439 Jahan sacked the city and forced a peace which gave the Black Sheep Nuyssaybin.

Peace came again and all was quiet for a year other then the building of a tax collector in Kirkuk. But then Timurids finished their war with the Mamluks and to Jahans horror they claimed Allepo as their own province.

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New map of the region​

Jahan was upset and so to improve his mood he threw one of his legendary parties. He was well known for his parties which usually left the realm in a state of shock for the next six months. He might not have been as brave as Iskander or as cunning as Qara Yusuf but he did know how to throw a party!

Again the realm of the Black Sheep fell quiet and the Jahan, as well as the peasants happily got into peaceful and calm daily routines. Sort out the finances here, execute a few traitors there. You get the idea.

Just as everyone had settled down news arrived that Shah Rukh was dead. Jahan jumped for joy and did a little jig. This was what he had been waiting for and without further ado he declared the Kara Koyunlu independent and revealed the great palace he had been building in secret since his rise to power. He also declared himself Sultan, not merely the tribal leader.

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Free of the Timurid shackles!

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The Palace of the Sultan

These actions annoyed Tabriz who revolted, again. They were destroyed by Jahan personally, again. News also arrived in 1445 of the death of his third brother, Ispan. More good news. Jahan was so ecstatic that he threw another party.

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The end of any resistance to the Sultans rule
 
It seems like there is a lot to celebrate for the Qara Qoyunlu, although no doubt trouble lies around the corner.
 
Jahan Shah - The Might of the Black Sheep

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Jahan Shah – The Might of the Black Sheep (1445-1451)​


The next two years were peaceful save a revolt in Tabriz which Jahan put down again. He was becoming very good at putting down Tabrizian rebels by this point. The only other even of note was that the Mamluks conquered Iraq, the former realm of Jahan's brother. This annoyed Jahan and he made a note of retaking it at some point.

Then in 1447 the first cracks in the great Timurid Empire appeared. Their western most provinces revolted, forming Khorasan and Fars.

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The Beginning of the end for the Timurids?

Fars immediately and somewhat curiously declared war on Jahan’s Black Sheep. Never one to turn down an opportunity he launched a full offensive on the Fars. Firstly he sent diplomats to Khorasan to gain an alliance and military access. This opened up a second front to the Fars and allowed Jahan’s men to bypass Lut where there weren’t the resources to feed an army. Jahan led his men through Korasan lands to attack the Fars.

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The march of Jahan Shah

3000 men were sent to capture Lut but were repelled by the Fars. At the same time Jahan arrived in Hormouz and sent the army of Fars there fleeing back to Fars itself. Jahan followed their retreat all the way to their homelands. Here he won a second great victory and laid siege to the city. Jahan was proving himself a capable commander, to celebrate this he threw a party in the siege camp. Pir Budaq, Jahan’s son was fighting his own battles in the war. He smashed the Fars in the north and captured Lut and Kerman. Unlike his father Pir wasn’t all that keen on parties, or being pleasant in general. The cities of Lut and Kerman were sacked and thousands of inhabitants killed on Pir's orders.

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Pir Budaq, Jahan’s son

The Fars were beaten, all that Jahan was waiting for was the end of the siege in Fars.

Meanwhile in the north…

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Trebizond goes rampant!

The Khorasan were having a hard time against the Timurids. Jahan pondered his best course of action, calling a council of the generals. It was decided to leave Khorasan to their fate. A war with the Timurids was an unnecessary risk.

Fars fell to Jahan and he simply took control of their lands and beheaded their leaders. Jahan didn’t really think they were a proper country yet anyway so no harm done. This extended the borders of his realm nicely.

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The Might of the Black Sheep!

With the Ottomans struggling in their fight against Trebizond the opportunity to remove some of their presence from his eastern front presented itself. Awhaz, the Ottoman vassal was attacked, defeated and annexed within a year. The Ottomans then began to turn it around against Trebizond. There was also a truce between Korasan and the Timurids which gave the Timurids back much of Khorasan. Despite this the Kara Koyunlu were in remarkably better shape then before the rebellions in Timurid lands.

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Sultan Jahan’s empire in 1451
 
Jahan Shah - Watching and Waiting

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Jahan Shah – Watching and Waiting (1451-1467)​


Jahan paced up and down his palace hallways. He had won great victories, turned the Black Sheep into a major power and held some of the greatest parties ever but he still wasn’t happy. It wasn’t just the hangover either. Something was missing. He sighed and moved into the throne room to receive his guests. A huge chest of gold with a little note saying ‘Thanks Jahan’ had arrived with 200 ducats in. Not a bad start to the day he supposed but it still failed to raise a smile.

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Jahan grumpily recieves his gift

Jahan was developing a plan. He had always made up for his lack of traditional talents with cunning plans. The Black Sheep were coming to dominate the region. The Timurids were on the back foot and the Mamluks plagued by rebellions. Jahan dreamed of leading the Black Sheep to dominate the region that was the ancient kingdom of Persia. Perhaps his dynasty would even come to found a new Persian Empire! The time of the Kara Koyunlu was coming and he could feel it.

Other then a few revolts in his new territories, which Jahan put down with little effort, all was quiet. The Ottomans blatantly attacked a few weaker neighbours in an attempt to fulfil their futile dreams of imperialism but Jahan had come to accept this. They could do what they wished so long as they stayed in Asia Minor.

The Timurids also attacked The Black Sheep vassals Khorasan. Jahan was about to lead his army to save Khorasan but after a council with Pir Budaq and some of the chiefs decided against. They needed to bide their time rather then risk a long drawn out war with the Timurids. All signs pointed towards the Timurids weakening with time and they chose to follow the old Black Sheep saying 'Why waste effort stabbing an enemy when he might fall off a cliff later'. It was the catchiest or preetiest sayings but Pir felt it applied. Instead the war fund was allocated to building fotresses in Hormouz and Kerman. These would be essential for any military operations in the area.

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The Sultan's Army, almost thrust into war but diverted at the last minute​
 
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Yeah maybe a chance missed with the Mamluks. Couldn't really afford the stability hit. Things are going well though and can only get better as the Timurids carry on imploding. Need to decide where to go after that though as if I don't form Safavids (which to me kind of stops it being a Black Sheep AAR) I'll have to add some leaders and events for the Black Sheep.
 
Jahan Shah - War and Peace

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Jahan Shah – War and Peace (1467-1475)​


In 1467 Jahan became ill. His physicians told him he must retire from his duties in the army. Jahan needed rest. Pir Budaq, his son, was put in charge of the army and he also took over some of his fathers other duties. Pir wasn’t loved or even liked by the people but no one dared tell him and no one dared show it so everything went along wonderfully. A few years later came the event which would shape the latter days of Jahan’s reign.

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Not a good time to be the Timurids

Jahan and Pir held council. Afterwards Pir emerged from the palace and declared Khorasan to be vassals of the Black Sheep due to the allegiance promised in the Fars war. Of course Pir and Jahan knew Khorasan would object so the armies of the Black Sheep were mobilised! Pir led the horde while his brother, Hasan, led another smaller army. Khorasan was overrun within a year and desperately offered huge tracks of land for peace. Jahan and Pir had however agreed that there would no peace until Khorasan accepted their status as vassals.

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Khorasan struggling

Pir and his 14,000 strong horde rode towards the Khorasan and old Timurid capital of Herat. Here he routed the Khorasan army in a single day. Pir's enemies were scatered and save a few castles they held nothing. Kushka, Herat and Qandahar were all put under siege. Kushka and Qandahar fell on the same day but the siege at Herat lingered on. Disease was rife in the camp and 4000 of the hordes men succumbed to it. They weren’t used to the strange illnesses of the region. In the end Hasan and his army were needed to break the siege. Three months after they arrived Herat fell. Pir had the city looted and executed the Khorasan king and his son. The king’s brother, a Black Sheep sympathiser was left in charge and seceded Elbruz, Meched and Khorasan. Khorasan was firmly under Jahan’s control.

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The latest map of the Black Sheep Empire. Red is Khorasan

The armies trudged home. On the way the tribes of Tabriz revolted, yet again. Pir and Hasan made short work of them just as their father had all those years ago. Pir had the tribe leading the rebels decimated. “Something the Romans did” he commented “and the Romans had a great empire so if its good enough for them its good enough for us”. Peace had come again to the Black Sheep lands. No one attacked – the Ottomans were allies, the Mamluks struggling to control their own realm and the Timurids a fading force. No one rebelled – they were all either in awe of Jahan or scared of Pir (in honesty more were scared of Pir but Jahan wasn't informed of this).

Jahan ordered diplomats to take gifts to the ‘People across the Sea’. They did have a name he just could never remember it. He was finding this more and more, old age was getting to him it seemed. The charm offensive on the ‘People across the Sea’ was triggered by reports of a great centre of trade there. Hopefully one day the ‘People across the Sea’ might join the glorious empire of the Black Sheep.

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The ‘People across the Sea’ and their centre of trade