Ali-Qoli Khan Shamlu was a Safavid officer of Turkoman origin. He is mostly remembered for leading a rebellious coalition against then-incumbent kings (shahs) Ismail II and Mohammad Khodabanda. This rebellion guaranteed the survival of the young prince Abbas, for whom he was guardian (laleh).
Coin minted during the reign of Mohammad Khodabanda
Abbas I, commonly known as Abbas the Great, was the fifth shah of Safavid Iran from 1588 to 1629. The third son of Shah Mohammad Khodabanda, he is generally considered one of the greatest rulers of Iranian history and the Safavid dynasty.
Shah Abbas I in a 16th or 17th century portrait
Ismail II, the third Shah of Iran and Abbas' uncle.
Prince ʽAbbās proclaimed Shah in Khorasan in 1581. Page from Ahmad Monshi Ghomi's Kholāsat al-tavārikh
Accession of Shah Abbas to the throne in Qazvin. Page from Ahmad Monshi Ghomi's Kholāsat al-tavārikh