born July 17, 1487, Ardabīl, Azer.
died May 23, 1524, Ardabīl, Ṣafavid Iran
Shah of Iran (1501–24) and founder of the
Born into a Shīʽite family with close ties to the Sunnite Sufi tradition, he became head of a Shīʽite military force, the Kizilbash, at age 14. He captured Tabrīz in 1501 and proclaimed himself shah of Iran, bringing the whole country and portions of modern-day Iraq under his control. In 1510 his troops defeated the Sunnite Uzbeks. His proclamation of Shīʽism as the official creed prompted the staunchly Sunnite sultan of the {{link=Ottoman Empire">Ottoman Empire to order an invasion of Iran in 1514. Ismāʽīl lost the Battle of Chaldiran, but mutiny among the Ottoman troops forced their withdrawal. The conflict between the Ṣafavids and their Sunnite neighbours continued for over a century.