The Mughal–Safavid War of 1622–1623 was fought over the important fortress city of

Kandahar Kandahar (; Kandahār, , Qandahār) is a city in Afghanistan, located in the south of the country on the Arghandab River, at an elevation of . It is Afghanistan's second largest city after Kabul, with a population of about 614,118. It is the c ...

, in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

, between the Safavid Empire and the Mughal Empire. Muhammad Ali Beg

Shah Abbas desired to capture the strategic fortress on Kandahar since he had lost it in 1595.Burton 1997, p. 159 In 1605 the governor of

Herat Herāt (; Persian: ) is an oasis city and the third-largest city of Afghanistan. In 2020, it had an estimated population of 574,276, and serves as the capital of Herat Province, situated south of the Paropamisus Mountains (''Selseleh-ye Safē ...

, Hosayn Khan, besieged the city but the tenacious defense of the Mughal governor, Shah Beg Khan, and the arrival in the next year of a relieving Mughal army to Kandahar forced the Safavids to retreat.Iranica 2011Kohn 2007, p. 337 With the conclusion of the Ottoman–Safavid War (1603–18), Shah Abbas was secure enough for a war on his eastern frontier, so in 1621 he ordered an army to gather at Nishapur. After celebrating the new year at Tabas Gilaki in southern Khorasan, Abbas joined with his army and marched on Kandahar where he arrived on 20 May and immediately began the siege. Though Jahangir had information of the Persian's movements he was slow to respond, and without reinforcements the small garrison of 3,000 men could not hold for long.Chandra 2005, p. 221 The Emperor asked his son and heir apparent Khurram who was at Mandu in the

Deccan The large Deccan Plateau in southern India is located between the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats, and is loosely defined as the peninsular region between these ranges that is south of the Narmada river. To the north, it is bounded by the ...

to lead the campaign, but Khurram evaded the assignment fearing to lose his political power while he was away from court.Chandra 2005, p. 242 The relief force the Mughal's could assemble proved too small to raise the siege, so after a 45-day siege the city fell on 22 June followed shortly after by

Zamindawar Zamindawar is a historical region of Afghanistan. It is a very large and fertile valley the main sources for irrigation is the Helmand River. Zamindawar is located in the greater territory of northern Helmand and encompasses the approximate area of ...

.Burton 1997, p. 160 After fortifying the city and appointing

Ganj Ali Khan Ganj Ali Khan ( fa, گنج علی خان or گنجعلیخان) was a military officer in Safavid Iran of Kurdish origin, who served as governor in various provinces and was known for his loyal service to king (shah) Abbas I. Ganj Ali Khan cont ...

as governor of the city, Abbas returned to Khorasan via

Ghur Ghōr (Dari: ), also spelled Ghowr or Ghur, is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It is located in the western Hindu Kush in central Afghanistan, towards the northwest. The province contains eleven districts, encompassing hundreds ...

, subduing on the way troubling emirs in Chaghcharan and

Gharjistan Gharchistan or Gharjistan also known as Gharj Al-Shar was a medieval region on the north bank of the Murghab River, lying to the east of Herat and north of Hari River, Afghanistan, Hari River. It corresponds roughly to the modern Badghis Province o ...

.Burton 1997, p. 161 The rebellion of Khurram absorbed the Mughal's attention, so in the spring of 1623 a Mughal envoy arrived at the Shah's camp with a letter from the Emperor accepting the loss of Kandahar and putting an end to the conflict.Burton 1997, p. 162

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* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mughal-Safavid War (1622-23) 17th-century conflicts Battles involving the Mughal Empire Conflicts in 1622 Conflicts in 1623 Wars involving Safavid Iran Wars involving Afghanistan History of Kandahar 1622 in Asia 1623 in Asia 17th century in Afghanistan Wars involving the Mughal Empire