Ismails first act as Shah was to tighten his controll over his realms by centralisation. His next to increase tolerance for both sunni as shia muslims to maximum, lowering all christian branches as a result. He then gathered all his forces to the province of Awhaz, where he estimated them to reach a number of 13.000 in infantery and 8.000 riders. As such a force wouldnt be sufficent for Ismails plans he begun to melt down all silver and gold the state obtained and mint coins of it. He send 10.000 of his soldiers to Azerbadjan, from the gathered army in Awhaz, and recruited another 7.000 infanterists in Isfahan, which where send to Azerbadjan aswell. Well in position, Ismail recruited another force of 15.000 men in Isfahan. A force he positioned in Tabriz. In februari 1501 he dispatched a rider to the Khan of Ak Kouynlou... war was declared...
As 7.000 more men where recruited in Isfahan, small armies invaded every province of Ak Koyunlo. The Khan had no own standing forces to his disposal so no battles occured, while the persian armies marsched forward. How ever, the war decleration wasnt looked kindly upon by the persians as the friendship decleration from the Khan the year before had led them to believe that no more wars was to be fought between the Khan and there new Shah. Persia suffered from a stability decreas by 2.
The Khan did try to raise some forces, in Kirkuk, Iraq and Armenia, but these minor departments was no matched for the forces sieging the provinces. How ever a group of fleeing Ak Koyunlous took possesion of Hamadan, that had no fortress. In August another problem occured to, rebels revolted in Birjand and took controll of that defenceless province to. The rebels quikly moved on to Hormuz wich didnt have any fortress either, then moved on to Kerman, Meched and Elbruz. Meanwhile the Ak Kouynlu occupation force in Hamadan had been defeated and Hamadan had been returned to the Shahs controll. Also the Ak Koyunlu capital in Iraq had fallen into the hands of the Shah.
Strenghten by these victories a force of 13.000 men began to hunt the rebells down.