Hasan Kuchak
Hasan Kuchak or Ḥasan-i Kūchik was a Chupanid prince during the 14th century. He is credited with setting up a nearly independent Chupanid state in Iran during the struggles taking place in the aftermath of the Ilkhanate. He effectively became kingmaker like his namesake Hasan Buzurg.
Early life
He was born to Timurtash and his wife Daulat Khatun during his viceroyalty in Anatolia. However Hasan's father was executed by the Mamelukes in 1328, forcing Hasan to go into hiding from his father's rivals for a while. Hasan's rise to power began three years after the death of the last powerful Ilkhan, Abu Sa'id. The Jalayirids under Hasan Buzurg had recently mastered western Persia, putting a puppet Muhammad Khan on the Ilkhanid throne in 1336. Hasan attempted to unify the fragmented Chobanid family. Claiming his father was alive, he used a slave named Qara Jari to impersonate him. The widows of Timurtash Daulat and Kalturmish were even married to him. Mameluk Sultan Al-Nasr Muhammad, who had ordered Timurtash's execution, attempted to expose the fraud, but without much success. The Chobanids rallied to him; several of them defected from Hasan Buzurg's service. Hasan Buzurg's ally Eretna could not do much to stop him when he and his brothers moved from Karahisar to the east of Anatolia.Together, they defeated Hasan Buzurg in Alataq area near Van on July 16, 1338. Muhammad Khan was executed, and the region around Tabriz occupied. Hasan Kuchak became the de facto leader of Ilkhanate realm when he was just 19.
De facto reign
At this point, Qara Jari attempted to get rid of Hasan Kuchak and take power for himself, but fled when the effort failed, ultimately killed by Hasan Buzurg. Following this, Hasan raised Sati Beg, sister of Abu Sa'id and widow of Chupan, to the Ilkhanid throne in the summer of 1338.When Togha Temur, another claimant to the throne, invaded from Khurasan in the winter of 1339 at the behest of Hasan Buzurg, the Chobanid offered Sati's hand to him in marriage. Using this to receive letters of assurance from Togha Temur, Hasan Kuchak forwarded these to the Jalayirids. Hasan Buzurg, feeling betrayed, stopped his advance in support of Togha, and the latter was forced to retreat in July 1339. As a result of Jahan Temür's being raised to throne by Buzurg, Kuchak found a new suitable male puppet in the form of Suleiman Khan, whom he forced Sati Beg to marry in May 1339. Hasan decided to march against the Jalayirids again. Supported by Pir Hosayn, as well as his uncle Surgan, he defeated the Jalayirids on June 26, 1340, in the Zarrinarüd valley near Maraga. Surgan was made governor of Iraq and Pir Hosayn was sent to Fars.