A Study of the Factors, and Political, Social and Cultural Consequences of the Battle of Chaldiran (920 AH / 1514 AD) According to Turkish Historians

The evolution of the power of the Safavids was largely ingrained in Anatolia's geography. Concurrent with the Safavids' first activities for gaining power, the majoriy of their efforts focused on the Anatolian border region, where, on the other hand, the Ottomans, from the middle of the Bayezid II period, were struggling hard to dominate. Therefore, with the serious attempt of the Safavids to gain more power since the time of King Isma'il and a special consideration for Anatolia, it was natural that the Ottomans strived to confront the Safavids and their avarice to regin these areas, resulting in the efforts during Selim I, which led to the Battle of Chaldiran (920 AH / 1514 AD). Accordingly, the main question of this paper is what were the political, social, and cultural, factors and consequences of the Battle of Chaldiran between Iran and the Ottoman from the perspective of the Ottoman Turkic historians and scholars? The research findings indicate that the expansionism of Shah Isma'il in Diyarbakir resorting to theocracy (Shi'ism) led Sultan Salim to plan the Battle of Chaldiran on the western Iranian border to preserve his own monarchy by having recourse to Ottoman Sheikh al-Islam and a strong religious base. His success would bring him domination over the world trade's thorougfare from the East to the West, but he failed to acheive his main goals.