Back محمد خدا بنده Arabic محمد عبد الله ( من الدوله الصفويه) ARZ Məhəmməd Xudabəndə Azerbaijani شاه محمد خدابنده AZB Мохамед Ходабанда Bulgarian Muhàmmad Khodabanda Catalan محەممەد خودابەندە CKB Muhammad Chodábende Czech Mohammad Chodābande German Μοχάμαντ Χονταμπάντα Greek
| Mohammad Khodabanda | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Mohammad Khodabanda (detail) by Ahmad Monshi Ghomi | |||||
| Shah of Iran | |||||
| Reign | 11 February 1578 – October 1587 | ||||
| Predecessor | Ismail II | ||||
| Successor | Abbas I | ||||
| Born | 1532 | ||||
| Died | 1595 (aged 64) Alamut Castle, Qazvin | ||||
| Burial | Imam Husayn Shrine, Kerbala, Iraq | ||||
| Consort | Khayr al-Nisa Begum | ||||
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| Dynasty | Safavid | ||||
| Father | Tahmasp I | ||||
| Mother | Sultanum Begum | ||||
| Religion | Twelver Shi'a Islam | ||||
Mohammad Khodabanda (also spelled Khodabandeh; Persian: شاه محمد خدابنده, born 1532; died 1595 or 1596),[1] was the fourth Safavid shah of Iran from 1578 until his overthrow in 1587 by his son Abbas I. Khodabanda had succeeded his brother, Ismail II. Khodabanda was the son of Shah Tahmasp I by a Turcoman mother, Sultanum Begum Mawsillu,[2] and grandson of Ismail I, founder of the Safavid dynasty.
After the death of his father in 1576, Khodabanda was passed over in favour of his younger brother Ismail II. Khodabanda had an eye affliction that rendered him nearly blind, and so in accordance with Persian Royal culture could not contend for the throne.[3] However, following Ismail II's short and bloody reign Khodabanda emerged as the only heir, and so with the backing of the Qizilbash tribes became Shah in 1578.
Khodabanda's reign was marked by a continued weakness of the crown and tribal infighting as part of the second civil war of the Safavid era.[4] An important figure in the early years of Khodabanda's reign was his wife Khayr Al-Nisa Begum, who helped secure her husband's reign.[3] However her efforts to consolidate central power brought about opposition from the powerful Qizilbash tribes, who had her murdered in 1579. Khodabanda has been described as "a man of refined tastes but weak character".[1] As a result, Khodabanda's reign was characterised by factionalism, with major tribes aligning themselves with Khodabanda's sons and future heirs. This internal chaos allowed foreign powers, especially the rivalling and neighboring Ottoman Empire, to make territorial gains, including the conquest of the old capital of Tabriz in 1585. Khodabanda was finally overthrown in a coup in favour of his son Shah Abbas I.
- ^ a b Matthee, Rudi (28 July 2008), Safavid dynasty, retrieved 9 August 2012
- ^ Andrew J. Newman, Safavid Iran, I.B.Tauris, 2004, p.42
- ^ a b Garthwaite, Gene R. (2005). The Persians. The Peoples of Asia. Vol. 9. Blackwell. pp. 172–173. ISBN 1557868603.
- ^ Newman p.41