Occupation of Balkh (1447)

Occupation of Balkh Part of Timurid Civil Wars Sabz Masjid or Green Mosque built by Shahrukh Mirza &/or Goharshad Date 1447 Location Balkh, Afghanistan Result Decisive Timurids of Samarkand Victory Belligerents Timurids of Balkh Timurids of Samarkand Commanders and leaders Mirza Abu Bakr  (POW)  † Ulugh Beg

Second Timurid Succession Crisis Ulugh Beg's campaigns 1st Balkh Tarnab 1st Herat Khurasan Amu Darya Samarkand Dimishq Abdal-Latif Mirza's campaigns Urdu Bazar Revolt Damghan Nishapur 2nd Balkh Tarnab 1st Herat Khurasan Amu Darya Dimishq Abul-Qasim Babur Mirza's campaigns Urdu Bazar Revolt Damghan Khurasan 1st Sistan 1st Asterabad Farhadgerd 2nd Asterabad Herat Balkh Herat Kaburan 2nd Sistan Ala-ud-Daulah Mirza's campaigns Nishapur 2nd Balkh Tarnab 1st Herat Balkh Sarakhs Abu Sa'id Mirza's campaigns 1st Samarkand 2nd Samarkand Yasi 3rd Samarkand 4th Samarkand 1st Herat Murghab 2nd Herat Sarakhs Jauzi Wali 3rd Herat Shahrukhiya Sultan Husayn Mirza Bayqarah's campaigns Jauzi Wali 1st Herat Torshiz Khurasan 2nd Herat

With the death of Shahrukh Mirza 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. Goharshad and Abdal-Latif Mirza were with Shahrukh Mirza 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 Mirza 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 Shahrukh 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.

Aftermath

The taking of Balkh was a clear signal for all that Ulugh Beg did not recognize the rights of any of his nephews. Next operations though, would be difficult since the other nephews of Ulugh Beg were hardened warriors and sons of his now deceased yet famously able brother Baysonqor Mirza. They were Ala-ud-Daulah Mirza stationed at Herat; Abul-Qasim Babur Mirza who was at that time in Shahrukh Mirza's army when he died and when Abdal-Latif Mirza took over as commander to which Babur Mirza reacted by plundering the Urdu Bazar (Camp Market) with Khalil Sultan and made a dash for Herat to come under his brother's protection; And finally Sultan Muhammad Mirza who was at Luristan in hiding after his failed revolt against Shahrukh Mirza but since returned to Fars.

See also

• "Khorasan / Khwarazm (Transoxiana / Sogdia / Sogdiana)", The History Files, UK