# Ismail II

_Safavid Shah of Iran from 1576 to 1577_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/ismail-ii
Last updated: 2026-11-04

> Ismail II was the third shah of Safavid Iran from 1576 to 1577. He was the second son of Tahmasp I with his principal consort, Sultanum Begum of the Mawsillu clan of the Aq Qoyunlu confederation. On the orders of Tahmasp, Ismail spent twenty years imprisoned in Qahqaheh Castle; whether for his recurrent conflicts with the realm's influential vassals, or for his growing popularity with the Qizilbash tribes, resulting in Tahmasp becoming wary of his son's influence.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 31 August 1533 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q123088#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Qom ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q123088#P19))
- **Died:** 24 November 1577 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q123088#P570))
- **Place of death:** Qazvin ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q123088#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Safavid Iran ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q123088#P27))
- **Occupation:** monarch; astronomer; poet ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q123088#P106))
- **Positions held:** list of Safavid monarchs (22 August 1576 – 24 November 1577) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q123088#P39))

## Questions

**When was Ismail II born?**  
Ismail II was born on 31 August 1533 in Qom.

**What positions has Ismail II held?**  
Positions held by Ismail II include: list of Safavid monarchs (1576–1577).

## Related

- [Abbas the Great](https://diginpl.com/people/abbas-the-great)
- [Suleiman I of Persia](https://diginpl.com/people/suleiman-i-of-persia)
- [Ismail I](https://diginpl.com/people/ismail-i)
- [Abbas II of Persia](https://diginpl.com/people/abbas-ii-of-persia)
- [Tahmasp I](https://diginpl.com/people/tahmasp-i)
- [Mohammad Khodabanda](https://diginpl.com/people/mohammad-khodabanda)

## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Ismail II](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ismail_II) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q123088](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q123088) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Shah Ismail II hunting. Frontispiece. Isma'il II Shahnama. Attributed to Ali Asghar. Qazvin, 1576-77.jpg by Attributed to Ali Asghar. Qazvin, 1576-77 (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Shah_Ismail_II_hunting._Frontispiece._Isma%27il_II_Shahnama._Attributed_to_Ali_Asghar._Qazvin,_1576-77.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Ismail II, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Shah Ismail II hunting. Frontispiece. Isma'il II Shahnama. Attributed to Ali Asghar. Qazvin, 1576-77.jpg — Attributed to Ali Asghar. Qazvin, 1576-77, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Ismail II". DigiNepal. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/ismail-ii. Retrieved 5 November 2026.