Miran Shah facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jalal-ud-din Miran Shahجلال الدین میران شاہ |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Timurid Prince Miran Shah |
|||||
Mughal illumination of Miran Shah
|
|||||
| Born | 1366 | ||||
| Died | 20 April 1408 (aged 41–42) Sardrud, Timurid Empire (present-day Iran) |
||||
| Burial | Gur-e-Amir, Samarkand (present-day Uzbekistan) | ||||
| Wives | Daulatgaldi Agha Khanzada Urun Sultan Khanika |
||||
| Issue | Khalil Sultan Mirza Abu Bakr Mirza Sultan Muhammad Mirza Qutlugh Sultan Begum Several other children |
||||
|
|||||
| House | Timurid dynasty | ||||
| Father | Timur | ||||
| Mother | Mengli Khatun | ||||
| Religion | Islam | ||||
Miran Shah (1366 – 20 April 1408) was a powerful prince and military leader. He was a son of Timur, a famous conqueror from Central Asia who founded the Timurid Empire.
During his father's rule, Miran Shah was an important governor and army commander. He helped Timur win battles and stop rebellions. Later, he was removed from these roles. This happened because of reports about his behavior. After Timur died in 1405, Miran Shah supported his son, Khalil Sultan, in a fight for the throne. Miran Shah was killed in a battle against the Qara Qoyunlu, a rival group.
Even though Miran Shah never ruled the empire himself, his family line was very important. His grandson, Abu Sa'id Mirza, later ruled much of the Timurid lands. Abu Sa'id's grandson was Babur, who went on to create the Mughal Empire in India.
Contents
Early Life and First Role
Miran Shah was born in 1366. He was the third of Timur's four sons. His mother was Mengli Khatun.
In 1380, when Miran Shah was fourteen, Timur made him governor of Khorasan. This was before Timur conquered the region. The area was ruled by the Kurt dynasty. They quickly gave up to Timur's army.
In 1383, the former ruler, Ghiyas-uddin Pir 'Ali, planned against Timur. Miran Shah quickly stopped this rebellion. He took over Herat, the capital city, and made it his main base. Later, Miran Shah killed the last Kartid ruler, Pir Muhammad, at a feast.
Military Victories
Miran Shah was a skilled military commander. In 1386, Timur invaded Azerbaijan. Tokhtamysh, the leader of the Golden Horde, sent his army to fight. Tokhtamysh's army defeated Timur's first group of soldiers.
Miran Shah was ordered to get revenge. He defeated the enemy army and chased them far away. He captured some of Tokhtamysh's important followers. Miran Shah brought these prisoners to his father. Timur treated them kindly and sent them back to Tokhtamysh. This was Timur's last try to stop Tokhtamysh from fighting him.
Miran Shah also stopped several other revolts. In 1389, the governor of Tus tried to become independent. Timur sent Miran Shah, who attacked Tus for many months. The city was eventually destroyed, and many people died.
In 1394, Timur had a conflict with a religious group called the Hurufis. Miran Shah was told to arrest their leader, Fazlallah Astarabadi al-Hurufi. It is said that Miran Shah himself executed the leader. Because of this, the Hurufis hated the Timurids. They even called Miran Shah "King of Snakes."
Governor of Persia
By 1393, Timur had conquered all the lands that were once part of the Mongol Ilkhanate. Timur gave this large area to Miran Shah. Miran Shah's territory included all of northern Persia and Transcaucasia. It also included important cities like Baghdad, Tabriz, and Soltaniyeh.
However, Miran Shah started to have problems. He had fallen from his horse some years earlier. People reported that he began to act strangely. A visitor to Timur's court, Ruy González de Clavijo, said that Miran Shah ordered old buildings to be destroyed. He supposedly wanted people to know that he ordered the destruction of great works.
Reports about Miran Shah's behavior reached Timur. Stories spread about wild parties and gold coins being thrown from palace windows. Miran Shah's lifestyle also affected his health. He was described as "big and fat" and suffered from a painful condition.
Timur was also worried about problems in Miran Shah's lands. There were issues with taxes and unrest. Miran Shah also failed in some military tasks. For example, he could not capture the fortress of Alinja in 1395.
Timur also began to suspect Miran Shah's loyalty. Miran Shah had written letters hinting that his father was getting old. He questioned if Timur could still rule well. These worries grew when Miran Shah's wife, Khanzada Begum, spoke to Timur. Khanzada reported that her husband had rebellious plans. She also complained about how he treated her. Khanzada never returned to her husband and stayed with Timur.
In 1399, Timur sent his nephew to investigate. Miran Shah returned with them to face his father. Miran Shah begged for forgiveness. Timur almost ordered his son's execution. But his relatives and nobles asked him to stop. Instead, Miran Shah was removed from his lands. He had to stay with Timur for the next four years. His friends and advisors were punished, and some were executed. They were accused of leading the prince astray.
Fight for the Throne and Death
.jpg)
Timur had not clearly named who would rule after him. So, when he died in February 1405, his sons and grandsons fought for control. Miran Shah was Timur's oldest living son. But he was not seen as a main contender for the throne. Instead, his son, Khalil Sultan, was supported.
Khalil Sultan declared himself emperor after his grandfather's death. He took control of the royal treasury and Timur's capital city, Samarqand. Miran Shah and his other son, Abu Bakr, led an army to support Khalil Sultan.
However, Miran Shah and Abu Bakr had to leave before they could join Khalil Sultan. Ahmad Jalayir, an old enemy, took advantage of Timur's death. He tried to take back his former lands. The two princes drove out Jalayir. Then they had to fight another enemy: Qara Yusuf, the ruler of the Qara Qoyunlu.
In 1406, Qara Yusuf defeated the Timurids and captured Tabriz. Miran Shah and Abu Bakr tried to take back the city in the Battle of Sardrud on April 20, 1408. But they were badly defeated by the combined forces of the Qara Qoyunlu and Jalayirids. Because of this loss, all of Timur's western conquests were lost. The Timurids were driven out of western Persia.
Abu Bakr managed to escape. But Miran Shah was killed during the battle by a Turkoman chief. The chief did not recognize Miran Shah. Qara Yusuf then put Miran Shah's head on a pole outside Tabriz. This was to make the city surrender. Soon after, Qara Yusuf sent Miran Shah's head and body to Shah Rukh. Shah Rukh had won the fight for the throne. Miran Shah was buried next to his father in the Gur-e-Amir in Samarqand.
Family Life
Miran Shah had three wives:
- Daulatgaldi Agha
- Sevin Beg Agha, also known as Khanzada. She was the widow of his brother Jahangir Mirza.
- Urun Sultan Khanika
He had several children, including:
- Khalil Sultan (1384–1411)
- Abu Bakr ibn Miran Shah (1382–1409)
- Muhammad Mirza
See also
In Spanish: Miran Shah para niños
