Battle of Nishapur (1447)

During the Second Timurid Succession Crisis, The Baysonqor brothers; Ala-ud-Daulah 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-ud-Daulah Mirza had taken Mashad thereby surrounding Abdal-Latif Mirza at Nishapur. On April 20, 1447, Ala-ud-Daulah Mirza's army surprised and attacked the city of Nishapur. Abdal-Latif Mirza was defeated and imprisoned whereas, Goharshad and the Tarkhans were freed.They then marched towards Sadabad, Nishapur where Ala-ud-Daulah Mirza met Goharshad 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.

Aftermath

But when Ala-ud-Daulah Mirza reached Murghab he received news of the betrayal of his brother Abul-Qasim Babur Mirza who was marching forward to take Herat. At that moment arrived Ulugh Beg's envoy Sadr Nizam-al-Din Mirak Mahmud who conveyed to Ala-ud-Daulah Mirza a message of peace and a treaty was concluded whereby Chechektu valley (east of Murghab river) was the limit of Ala-ud-Daulah Mirza's territory and of the Murghab basin his North-western limit. Abdal-Latif Mirza was released as a part of the treaty and was now appointed governor of Balkh by his father. Ala-ud-Daulah Mirza then turned his attention towards his renegade brother Abul-Qasim Babur Mirza whom he managed to stave off by making another territorial treaty with him settling Quchan as the border between them.

References