The struggles between Akkoyuns and Karakoyuns

153 SUMMARY The Struggles Between Akkoyuns And Karakoyuns The names of the tribes Akkoyun and Karakoyun were related to the colour of the herds they were feeding. These tribes were leading a half- nomad life spending the summer pasture on high grounds and winter quarters for animals. The feeding of the seperate coloured animals on wide steppes and high plateaus not only prevented the mixing of the herds but also became a name for these tribes afterwards. The Akkoyuns who were related to Baymdirs and Karakoyuns who were related to the Yivas had come to Anatolia with the Mogul invasion. Despite the fact that Akkoyuns' and Karakoyuns' activities during the Mogul invasion are not exactly known, their activities in the field politics had begun with the death of Ebu Said Bahadır Khan. The fourteenth century Anatolia was a period of change and transformation. During this century the Moğol domination in the Anatolia had been demolished and a lot of Beylik and states had been established. Akkoyuns and Karakoyuns began their activities during this period this political change and transformation. The states of Akkoyun and Karakoyun had struggled begining from the coming to Anatolia till the ending of Karakoyuns and during these struggles which were named "Adavet-i Kadime", they seek the support of other states in Anatolia (Timur, Memlûk, Kadı Burhaneddin, Mutahharten ). The struggles between Türkmen tribes Akkoyuns and Karakoyuns whom made great services to the Turkization of the Anatolia was a real misfortune.154 The struggles began in the time of the first ever known chief of Akkoyuns Tur Ali Bey and the first ever known chief of Karakoyuns Bayram Hoca and during these struggles sometimes Akkoyuns, sometimes Karakoyuns prevailed. During these struggles a lot of Turk died and lots of cities were ruined. Certainly there are a lot of reasons for the struggles of Akkoyuns and Karakoyuns but the basis of these struggles have to be searched under their understanding of domination. The conquests that they had made to rule the east and southeast Anatolia had always developed against each other and in all their activities they had come across each other's obstacles. The size of the struggles between Akkoyun and Karakoyun states were enourmous. The population living on the lands of Akkoyun and Karakoyun territory were the ones who were harmed the most from the violence of this hostility. When Akkoyuns' and Karakoyuns' states borders are expanding to the east, they had taken away the Tiirkmens under their rule from Anatolia to these regions(lran, Iraq, Azerbaycan). As a result of Akkoyun and Karakoyun states choosing Tebriz as the capital had moved their domination to this region, the Tiirkmens who had immigrated to these regions had never came back again. The struggles of Akkoyuns and Karakoyuns had given the oppourtunity to gather minions to Şeyh Cüneyd and during the period of Şah Ismail there had been a new immigration movement from Anatolia which had derived its basis from the struggles between Akkoyuns and Karakoyuns.