of defeated Ottomans. These were paraded at the battlefield of Chaldiran in a symbolic visit by Abbas. This was the very site where the first Safavid ruler, Ismail I (1501–1524), Abbas's great-grandfather, suffered a defeat in 1514 at the hands of the Ottomans. After receiving massive reinforcements, Sinan Pasha moved into Azerbaijan. Abbas's spies reported that Sinan Pasha's army was almost twice as large as his. Upon hearing this, Abbas considered withdrawing to Tabriz, as he did not want to risk losing the territories he had recovered. He considered it too dangerous attacking Sinan Pasha's army directly. Instead, he followed "a parallel route from Khoy to Marand, observing the Ottoman advance, but remaining as far as possible unobserved". He ordered the Safavid governor of Azerbaijan to adhere to the same scorched earth tactics which had been employed in 1604; all the people and food supplies were removed "from the Ottoman line of march". Battle On the eve of the battle, Abbas and his army ascended the top of a nearby hill to make a final assessment of the Ottoman army. Though his commanders concurred with the number the spies had reported, Abbas I ordered his commanders to tell their soldiers the Ottoman army was numerically inferior to boost their confidence. Finally, Abbas I consulted his aunt Zeynab Begum, as he frequently did. She soothed his anxieties and encouraged him to fight. On 6 November 1605, the section of the Safavid army led by Qarachaqay Beg reached the "top of rising ground" at Sufiyan, becoming visible to the Ottoman army. Remembering Abbas I's orders to avoid a major confrontation, Qarachaqay and his men retreated. Köse Sefer Pasha and some other commanders, who interpreted this as a sign of weakness, did not hesitate to launch the attack against Sinan Pasha's wishes. Abbas I led the vanguard himself whereas Allahverdi Khan led "a squadron detached from the main body of the army". As the massive central part of the Ottoman army consisting of cavalry moved towards the Iranian lines, Abbas ordered his light cavalry to "sweep around the Ottoman left flank and deliver a feint attack in the rear". Sinan Pasha became confused, thinking "this was the direction of the main Iranian attack and detached a large body of his advancing horse to meet it". This caused disorientation to both sides, "believing they were fleeing". Making use of the momentum, Abbas I threw