Rise of the Aq Qoyunlu

Timeline

1. 1371–1375Bayburt–Sinop · TurkeyAfter Quṭlu became leader of the Aq confederation, the tribe continued migrating between summer pastures east of Sinop in Armenia and winter pastures at Kiğı, Palu, and Ergani in Diyarbakir, and maintained peace on the northern frontier through marriage ties with the Empire of Trebizond dating from 1352, allowing the confederation to concentrate on southward expansion.
2. 1376–1380Erzincan · TurkeyThe Aq confederation began intervening in the internal power struggles of the Eretna beylik in central Anatolia, supporting rebel military commanders in Erzincan and elsewhere, and forming complex alliances with Ghiyath al-Din (Qāḍī Burhān al-Dīn), who established himself as sultan in Sivas. This marked the Aq Qoyunlu's transformation from a nomadic tribal confederation into a regional political force.
3. 1375–1380North of Lake Van · TurkeyTerritorial competition between the Aq confederation and the Kara Qoyunlu north of Lake Van grew increasingly fierce. The Kara Qoyunlu expanded after the death of Sheikh Uwais of the Jalairids, with Kara Muhammad becoming their leader in 1380; the two sides contested Mosul, Erzish, and other places, foreshadowing the full-scale war between the two confederations in the 15th century.