<P> Mohammad allowed others to direct the affairs of state, but none of them had either the prestige, skill or ruthlessness of either Tahmāsp or Ismail II to rein in the ethnic or palace factions, and each of his rulers met grim ends . Mohammad's younger sister, who had a hand in elevating and deposing Ismail II and thus had considerable influence among the Qizilbash, was the first . She did not last much longer than Mohammad's installation at Qazvin, where she was murdered . She was done in by intrigues by the vizier Mirza Salman Jaberi (who was a holdover from Ismail II's reign) and Mohammad's chief wife Khayr al - Nisa Begum, known as Mahd - i' Ulyā . There is some indication that Mirza Salman was the chief conspirator . Pari Khān Khānum could master strong support among the Qizilbash, and her uncle, Shamkhal Sultan, was a prominent Circassian who held a high official position . Mirza Salman left the capital before Pari Khān Khānum closed the gates and was able to meet Mohammad Khodabanda and his wife in Shiraz, to whom he offered his services . He may have believed that he would rule once their enemy was disposed of, but Mahd - i' Ulyā proved the stronger of the two . </P> <P> She was by no means content to exercise a more or less indirect influence on affairs of state: instead, she openly carried out all essential functions herself, including the appointment of the chief officers of the realm . In place of the usual royal audience, these high dignitaries had to assemble each morning at the entrance to the women's apartments in order to receive the Begum's orders . On these occasions the royal edicts were drawn up and sealed . </P> <P> The amirs demanded that she will be removed, and Mahd - i Ulya was strangled in the harem in July 1579 on the ground of an alleged affair with the brother of the Crimean khan, Adil Giray, who was captured during the 1578 - 1590 Ottoman war and held captive in the capital, Qazvin . None of the perpetrators were brought to justice, although the shah lectured the assembled amirs on how they departed from the old ways when the shah was master to his Sufi disciples . The shah used that occasion to proclaim the 11 - year - old Sultan Hamza Mirza (Mahd - i' Ulyā's favorite) crown - prince . </P> <P> The palace intrigues reflected ethnic unrest which would soon erupt into open warfare . Persia's neighbors improved upon the opportunity to attack Persia . The Uzbeks struck in the Spring of 1578 but were repelled by Murtaza Quli Sultan, governor of Mashhad . More seriously the Ottomans ended the Peace of Amasya and commenced a war with Persia that would last until 1590 by invading Iran's territories of Georgia and Shirvan . While the initial attacks were repelled, the Ottomans continued and grabbed considerable territory in Transcaucasia, Dagestan, Kurdistan and Luristan and in 993 / 1585 they even took Tabriz . </P>

3. how did persian rulers oversee such a vast empire (1 point)