Overview
Mohammad Khodabanda, Tahmasp I's eldest son, came to the throne because his poor eyesight had saved him from his brother's purge. He could not control the Qizilbash chiefs, and the state came close to breaking apart.
Rise to Power
He succeeded his brother Ismail II in February 1578.
Rule and Achievements
- His wife Khayr al-Nisa Begum governed in his name until the Qizilbash chiefs murdered her in 1579
- Lost Georgia, Shirvan and much of Azerbaijan, including Tabriz in 1585, in the war with the Ottomans that began in 1578
- Faced Qizilbash revolts in Khorasan in favour of his son Abbas
Legacy
In 1587 Abbas, backed by Qizilbash chiefs from Khorasan, entered Qazvin and took the throne. Mohammad lived on in confinement and died around 1595.