Chaldiran: The Battle That Changed Islam - Selim I Against Ismail I

🎥 Watch 300+ exclusive videos on ► Youtubeor Patreon ►

Kings and Generals began remaking its animated historical documentary on the history of the Ottoman empire. The first season covered the Rise of the Ottoman Empire from the humble beginnings as a small Turkic Beylik to the Fall of Constantinople 1453 covering all the major battles (), while the second season covered the reign of Mehmed II (). In 1514, two expanding empires met on the plain of Chaldiran. On one side stood Sultan Selim I and the disciplined Ottoman army, supported by Janissary musketeers, field artillery, and a fortified line of chained cannons. On the other stood Shah Ismail and the Qizilbash, legendary cavalrymen whose loyalty and confidence had helped create the Safavid Empire. The result would transform the Middle East. This episode follows the final troubled years of Sultan Bayezid II, whose relatively peaceful reign brought the Ottoman Empire greater stability and prosperity but left it vulnerable to a growing danger in the east. From the collapse of the Aq Qoyunlu emerged the young Shah Ismail, who united powerful Turcoman tribes, captured Tabriz, imposed Twelver Shiism across Iran, and created a formidable new state. As Safavid influence spread into Ottoman Anatolia, religious rivalry became a struggle for political survival. The Şahkulu Rebellion exposed Bayezid’s weakness and intensified the contest between his sons Ahmed, Korkud, and Selim. Supported by the Janissaries, Selim seized the throne and moved ruthlessly against his remaining rivals before turning east. His campaign against Shah Ismail pushed the Ottoman army to its limits. Exhausted troops, scorched land, supply shortages, and unrest threatened to stop the expedition before it reached its target. Selim nevertheless forced his army onward toward Chaldiran.There, Safavid cavalry and Ottoman gunpowder faced one another in one of the sixteenth century’s most consequential battles. Chaldiran shattered Shah Ismail’s aura of invincibility, secured Ottoman power in eastern Anatolia, and established a military and religious frontier that would influence the region for centuries.

The video was made by Arif Azaman (), while the script was written by Ege Güneş This video was narrated by Officially Devin (youtube.com/channel/UCU0VIIV376zFxiRGMeZGg & youtube.com/channel/UC79s7EdN9uXX77Ly2HmEjQ). The art was created by Nargiz Isaeva.