Mīrzā Muhammad Tāraghay bin Shāhrukh, better known as Ulugh Beg, was a Timurid sultan, as well as an astronomer and mathematician.
The Timurid Empire, self-designated as Gurkani, was a Persianate Turco-Mongol empire that dominated Greater Iran in the early 15th century, comprising modern-day Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, much of Central Asia, the South Caucasus, as well as most of contemporary Pakistan and parts of contemporary North India and Turkey.
Shah Rukh or Shahrukh was the ruler of the Timurid Empire between 1405 and 1447.
Sultan Husayn Bayqara Mirza was the Timurid ruler of Herat from 1469 until May 4, 1506, with a brief interruption in 1470.
Ala al-Dīn Ali ibn Muhammed, known as Ali Qushji was a Timurid theologian, jurist, astronomer, mathematician and physicist, who settled in the Ottoman Empire some time before 1472. As a disciple of Ulugh Beg, he is best known for the development of astronomical physics independent from natural philosophy, and for providing empirical evidence for the Earth's rotation in his treatise, Concerning the Supposed Dependence of Astronomy upon Philosophy. In addition to his contributions to Ulugh Beg's famous work Zij-i-Sultani and to the founding of Sahn-ı Seman Medrese, one of the first centers for the study of various traditional Islamic sciences in the Ottoman Empire, Ali Kuşçu was also the author of several scientific works and textbooks on astronomy.
Ghiyath ud-din Baysunghur, commonly known as Baysonqor or Baysongor, Baysonghor or (incorrectly) as Baysunqar, also called Sultan Bāysonḡor Bahādor Khan was a prince from the house of Timurids. He was known as a patron of arts and architecture, the leading patron of the Persian miniature in Iran, commissioning the Baysonghor Shahnameh and other works, as well as being a prominent calligrapher.
Abu Sa'id Mirza was the ruler of the Timurid Empire during the mid-fifteenth century.
Abul-Qasim Babur Mirza, was a Timurid ruler in Khurasan (1449–1457). He was the son of Ghiyath-ud-din Baysunghur ibn Shah Rukh Mirza, and thus a great-grandson of Amir Timur.
Badi' al-Zaman Mirza was a Timurid ruler of Herat from 1506 to 1507. He was the son of Husayn Bayqarah, who was a great-great-grandson of Timur.
Battle of Sarakhs took place in March 1459, at a location between Merv and Sarakhs.
With the death of Shah Rukh in 1447 began the long drawn out Second Timurid Succession Crisis. His only surviving heir was his son Ulugh Beg who was at that time viceroy of Central Asia at Samarkand. Gawhar Shad and Abdal-Latif Mirza were with Shah Rukh when he died on his way back to Khurasan from Iran. Abdal-Latif Mirza became the commander of his grandfather's army and in conjunction with his father Ulugh Beg began operations against his cousins. As soon as Ulugh Beg heard of his father's death, he mobilized his forces and reached Amu Darya in order to take Balkh from his nephews. Balkh belonged to Ulugh Beg's brother Muhammad Juki who died in 1444. Balkh was divided among his sons Mirza Muhammad Qasim and Mirza Abu Bakr. However, Mirza Abu Bakr took his older brothers' possessions when Shah Rukh Mirza died. Ulugh Beg summoned Abu Bakr to his court and promised him his daughter in marriage. But while there he had him convicted of plotting against him and imprisoned at Kok Serai in Samarkand where he was later executed. Ulugh Beg then marched on Balkh and took that province unopposed.
After the death of Shah Rukh, Gawhar Shad allowed Abdal-Latif Mirza to be the commander of his army despite reservations of the Tarkhans as well as the reservations of Baysunghur Mirza's sons, especially Abul-Qasim Babur Mirza who was present there at the camp. Gawhar Shad wanted to please Ulugh Beg but at the same time encouraged the Baysunghur brothers to rebel. She contacted Ala al-Dawla Mirza at Herat conveying her sentiments. Therefore, Abul-Qasim Babur Mirza along with Khalil Sultan, son of Muhammad Jahangir and a daughter of Shah Rukh along with their troops raided the Urdu Bazar or Camp Market and went on towards Ala al-Dawla Mirza at Herat. As soon as Abdal-Latif Mirza got his army in order after several executions he marched towards Damghan and on his way imprisoned Gawhar Shad his grandmother and the Tarkhans.
During the Second Timurid Succession Crisis, the sons of Baysunghur; Ala al-Dawla Mirza and Abul-Qasim Babur Mirza had acted in cognizance and blocked Abdal-Latif Mirza's chances of uniting with his father Ulugh Beg. Abul-Qasim Babur Mirza had taken Mazandaran and Jurjan whereas Ala al-Dawla Mirza had taken Mashad thereby surrounding Abdal-Latif Mirza at Nishapur. On April 20, 1447, Ala al-Dawla Mirza's army surprised and attacked the city of Nishapur. Abdal-Latif Mirza was defeated and imprisoned whereas, Gawhar Shad and the Tarkhans were freed. They then marched towards Sadabad, Nishapur where Ala al-Dawla Mirza met Gawhar Shad and together they marched with the army towards Herat. At Herat, Abdal-Latif Mirza was kept in the fort of Iktiyar-al-Din. The army of Khurasan now marched against Ulugh Beg towards Samarkand.
After the Battle of Nishapur and the peace treaty which gave the Chechektu valley to Ala al-Dawla Mirza, he placed in that outpost a certain Mirza Saleh who was an enemy of Abdal-Latif Mirza. Furthermore, Ala-ud-Daulah Mirza kept hostages, certain men of importance, who were in the entourage of Abdal-Latif Mirza against the treaty. This forced Abdal-Latif Mirza's hand to take action which he did by attacking Mirza Saleh who then escaped to Herat. On this Ala al-Dawla Mirza marched from Herat with his army and besieged Balkh in the winter of 1447 C.E. Abdal-Latif Mirza sent a letter to his father Ulugh Beg for reinforcements. In response Ulugh Beg sent an envoy to Ala al-Dawla Mirza to admonish him and to let him know to address his grievances to Samarkand in the future rather than go to war. Finally, realizing his mistake Ala al-Dawla Mirza agreed to move his army back to Herat.
Ulugh Beg and his son Abdal-Latif Mirza marched towards Herat in the spring of 1448 in order to take Khurasan from his nephew, Ala al-Dawla Mirza, who had escaped to Quchan after the defeat at the Battle of Tarnab. They easily took the city except the Qila Ikhtiyar-al-Din and fort Neretu, both of which offered stiff resistance. At this point only the advance troops had reached Herat, which was unable to take the citadel or the Fort Neretu. The Bakharz Tajik archers offered stiff resistance and beat back many assaults by the Timurids of Samarkand. Eventually Ulugh Beg arrived 17 days after the siege had begun; after which all resistance crumbled before him in no time. Abdal-Latif Mirza succeeded in capturing the citadel Qila Ikhtiyar-al-Din in which he was imprisoned after the debacle at Nishapur and now here he managed to take 4,000 Iranian toman in coins. They followed up their victory by taking Mashhad. Ulugh Beg was unable to pursue his nephews and instead decided to return to Herat leaving his son Abdal-Latif Mirza in charge at Mashad.
Abul-Qasim Babur Mirza, a Timurid ruler in Khorasan, invaded other parts of the region in the winter of 1448–1449 that were held by the Timurids of Samarkand, led by Ulugh Beg. Abdul-Qasim Babur Mirza was victorious and ruled over the area until his death in 1457.
While Abul-Qasim Babur Mirza was away from Herat crushing the revolt of Amir Hendugha in Asterabad, Ala al-Dawla Mirza, his older brother, managed to escape from prison in Herat and went straight to his youngest brother Sultan Muhammad Mirza's province of Fars seeking his protection. Sultan Muhammad Mirza and Ala al-Dawla Mirza then marched with a large army and invaded Khurasan in 1449. This was the same time as the revolt of Abdal-Latif Mirza in Balkh against his father Ulugh Beg at Samarkand. While the father and son were busy facing off at the Amu Darya in the north, the Baysonqor brothers were about to engage in battle in Khurasan. Abul-Qasim Babur Mirza marched to face his brothers in battle and the two armies met at Farhadgerd. Sultan Muhammad Mirza and Ala al-Dawla Mirza defeated Abul-Qasim Babur Mirza who fled to the castle of Omad. Sultan Muhammad Mirza entered Herat and freed Ibrahim Mirza son of Ala al-Dawla Mirza. Abdal-Latif Mirza, who before the battle had sent an envoy to Abul-Qasim Babur Mirza professing peace during his revolt against his father Ulugh Beg, now congratulated Sultan Muhammad Mirza in taking Herat. But Sultan Muhammad Mirza was saddened by Ulugh Beg's defeat at Dimishq and his murder en route to Makkah by his son; however, he decided not to pursue a war in Transoxiana and instead wanted to concentrate on his holdings in Iraq-i-Ajam, Fars and now Khurasan as well.
Ulugh Beg II also known as Ulugh Beg Kabuli (d.1502) was the Timurid ruler of Kabul and Ghazni from 1461 to 1502.
Rukn-ud-din Ala al-Dawla Mirza, also spelt Ala ud-Dawla and Ala ud-Daula, was a Timurid prince and a grandson of the Central Asian ruler Shah Rukh. Following his grandfather's death, Ala al-Dawla became embroiled in the ensuing succession struggle. Though he initially possessed a strategic advantage, he was eventually overtaken by his more successful rivals. Ala al-Dawla died in exile after numerous failed attempts to gain the throne.
Muhammad Juki Mirza was a Timurid prince and a son of the Central Asian ruler Shah Rukh. He served as one of his father's military commanders and may have been favoured as his preferred successor. However, he died of illness in 1445, predeceasing Shah Rukh by two years.
