1335-1401 - Jalayirids / Jelairids

After the death in 1335 of the last great Mongol khan, Abu Said (also known as Bahadur the Brave), a period of political confusion ensued in Iraq until a local petty dynasty, the Jalayirids, seized power. The Jalayirids ruled until the beginning of the fifteenth century.

Practically from the reign of Abu Sa'id Persia was divided under five minor dynasties, (i) the Jelairids, (2) the MozafTarids, (3) the Sarbadarids (Serbedarians), (4) the Beni Kurt, and (5) the Jubanians, all of which ultimately fell before the armies of Timur.

The Jelairid rulers were Hasan Buzurg (1336, strictly 1344-1356), Owais (1356-1374), Hosain (1374-1382), Sultan Ahmad (1382-1410), Shah Walad (1410-1411). Their capital was Bagdad, and their dominion was increased under Owais. whoe added Azerbaijan, Tabriz, and even Mosul and Diarbckr. Hosain fought with the Mozaffarids of Shiraz and the Black Sheep Turkomans (Kara Kuyunli) of Armenia, with the latter of whom he ultimately entered into alliance. On his death Azerbaijan and Irak fell to his brother, Sultan Ahmad, while another brother Bayczíd ruled* for a few months in part of Kurdistan.

It was about this time that Timur began his great career of conquest, under which the power of the various Persian, dynasties collapsed. Jalayirid rule was abruptly checked by the rising power of a Mongol, Tamerlane (or Timur the Lame, 1336-1405), who had been atabeg of the reigning prince of Samarkand.