During the minority of Abou Seyd, the disputes among the nobles produced a general weakness and distraction, which pervaded the whole empire. Almost every province was seized by some powerful chief ; and the few princes of the family of Hulakoo, who were raised to the throne after this prince, were mere pageants, whom the ameers of the court elevated or cast down as it suited the purposes of their ambition.
A kingdom thus torn by intestine divisions, could offer but a feeble resistance to the victorious Timour. This insatiable conqueror marked his progress by desolation and ruin. Many provinces were turned into deserts by the destructive ravages of his countless hordes ; and even submission did not exempt their unfortunate inhabitants from pillage and massacre. Ispahan opened its gates on his approach, but a heavy contribution was levied on its citizens. An unfortunate occurrence, however, involved this city in ruin. The inhabitants were one night roused by the sound of a drum, which a young blacksmith had been beating for his amusement. They rushed together to ascertain the cause of their alarm, and, becoming irri tated by the expressions of misery and distress which burst from all ranks, they vented their rage by the mas sacre of nearly three thousand Tartar soldiers who had been quartered in the city. On the morning the gates were shut, and the citizens called to arms ; but the re sistance of despair could not save them from the fury of Timour, who doomed Ispahan as an example to the other cities of the earth. He would listen to no terms. The walls were carried by storm ; and, besides giving up the city to pillage, he commanded that every soldier should bring him a certain number of heads. In this horrid mas sacre seventy thousand heads were raised in pyramids as monuments of savage revenge.
Persia now became a province of the empire of Tartary, and continued to be ruled by the descendants of Timour, till the invasion of a tribe of Turkomans under Uzun Hussun, who became sole master of the empire in 1468. This monarch, though possessed both of valour and wis dom, is said to have owed his success over the superior forces of Persia more to his skill and activity than to his courage. He died at an advanced age, after a reign of eleven years ; and the ruin of his family was accelerated by their mutual contentions for his territories, and were soon swept from the list of princes, by the victories of Shah Ismail, the first of the Suffavean dynasty.
Shah Ismail was descended from a race of holy men, who were Sheahs, or adherents of the family of Aly, and who had long been settled at Ardebil, where they lived as retired devotees. Their reputed sanctity had attracted
many disciples, and had acquired them the reverence and respect of the temporal rulers of their country. Among the most renowned was Sudder-u-deen, whom Timour vi sited in his cell, and asked what favour he could confer upon him. The pious man requested that lie would re lease the prisoners which he had brought from Turkey. The conqueror complied ; and the grateful tribes, when they had regained their liberty, declared themselves the devoted adherents of him to whom they owed it. In pro cess of time, however, the disciples of this sect so in creased in numbers, that the ruler of Aderbijan became alarmed, and banished their chief, Juneyd, the grandfather of Ismail, from Ardebil. But Juneyd found protection at Diarbekir, where Uzun Hussun had established a power ful principality. This prince not only received him with kindness, but thinking it an honour to be connected with the holy man, gave him his sister in marriage ; and after Hussun had become sovereign of Persia, he bestowed his daughter upon Hyder, the son and successor of Juneyd. Ismail was the third son of this marriage, and was but a child when he succeeded to the mantle of his brothers ; but he seems to have been more devoted to his duties, as the descendant of a race of warriors, than to those which he inherited as the representative of a family of saints. Having collected a numerous band of adherents, he marched against the ruler of Aderbijan, whom he defeat ed, and having obtained possession of that province, he invaded Irak ; and, after a few years, became the acknow ledged sovereign of Persia. He afterwards subdued Bag dad and its surrounding territories, and drove the Usbegs from Khorassan and Bulk. Success had hitherto attended all his movements ; but he found a powerful enemy in Sultan Selim, who, advancing upon Aderbijan, com pletely defeated the Persian army ; which reverse so af fected the mind of Ismail, that, though of a cheerful dis position, he was never afterwards seen to smile. The only fruit of this victory was the plunder of the Persian camp, and the glory of defeating Ismail; for the Turkish monarch was compelled immediately to retire for want of supplies ; and his death, which happened soon after, re lieved Persia from a formidable foe. Ismail died at Arde bil, where he had gone on a pilgrimage to the tomb of hi, father, when only thirty-eight years of age.