Sultan Husayn Tayichiud (1380 – 1405) was a noble of the
Timurid Empire
The Timurid Empire ( chg, , fa, ), self-designated as Gurkani (Chagatai language, Chagatai: کورگن, ''Küregen''; fa, , ''Gūrkāniyān''), was a PersianateB.F. Manz, ''"Tīmūr Lang"'', in Encyclopaedia of Islam, Online Edition, 2006 Tu ...
and a maternal grandson of its founder, the
Central Asia
Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...
n conqueror
Timur
Timur ; chg, ''Aqsaq Temür'', 'Timur the Lame') or as ''Sahib-i-Qiran'' ( 'Lord of the Auspicious Conjunction'), his epithet. ( chg, ''Temür'', 'Iron'; 9 April 133617–19 February 1405), later Timūr Gurkānī ( chg, ''Temür Kü ...
. Sultan Husayn held prominent positions in the Imperial army and accompanied his grandfather on several of his military campaigns. He was executed by his uncle
Shah Rukh
Shah Rukh or Shahrukh ( fa, شاهرخ, ''Šāhrokh'') (20 August 1377 – 13 March 1447) was the ruler of the Timurid Empire between 1405 and 1447.
He was the son of the Central Asian conqueror Timur (Tamerlane), who founded the Timurid dynas ...
during the war of succession following Timur's death.
Birth and family
Sultan Husayn was born in 1380, the son of Muhammad Beg of the
Tayichiud
The Tayichiud (Mongolian Cyrillic: Тайчууд, Taichuud) was one of the three core tribes of the Khamag Mongol confederation on the Mongolian Plateau during the 12th century, founded by Ambaghai Khan in 1148 CE, and finally ended with Sultan H ...
tribe and his wife Aka Biki, also known as (d.1382),
a daughter of
Timur
Timur ; chg, ''Aqsaq Temür'', 'Timur the Lame') or as ''Sahib-i-Qiran'' ( 'Lord of the Auspicious Conjunction'), his epithet. ( chg, ''Temür'', 'Iron'; 9 April 133617–19 February 1405), later Timūr Gurkānī ( chg, ''Temür Kü ...
. His paternal grandfather was Amir Musa, an influential noble and the uncle of the empress,
Saray Mulk Khanum
Saray Mulk Khanum ( 1341 – 1408) was the Empress consort of the Timurid Empire as the chief consort of Timur, also known as Tamerlane the Great, the founder of the Timurid Empire as well as the Timurid dynasty.
By birth, she was a princess of ...
Military career
Indian campaign
Sultan Husayn was recorded as accompanying Timur to the
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...
during his war against the
Delhi Sultanate in 1398. On 18 December, he led the left flank of the Timurid army in the Second Battle of
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders ...
against
Mahmud Shah Tughlaq. Following a surprise assault against Mahmud Shah's advance guard, Sultan Husayn's cousin
Pir Muhammad led a charge against the left wing of the Tughlaq army, whilst Sultan Husayn simultaneously attacked the right, pushing it back against the gates of the city. When an elephant-led charge against the Timurid centre was beaten back by volleys of arrows, the Tughlaq army was forced to retreat back into Delhi. On 20 December, the city surrendered to Timur.
Ottoman and Levantine campaigns
The following year, Timur declared war on the
Mamluks of
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
and the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
, ruled by
An-Nasir Faraj
Al-Nasir Faraj or Nasir-ad-Din Faraj ( Circassian: Фэрадж ан-Насир) (Urdu; Arabic; Persian: ; r. 1399–1412 CE) also Faraj ibn Barquq was born in 1386 and succeeded his father Sayf-ad-Din Barquq as the second Sultan of the Burji dyn ...
and
Bayezid I
Bayezid I ( ota, بايزيد اول, tr, I. Bayezid), also known as Bayezid the Thunderbolt ( ota, link=no, یلدیرم بايزيد, tr, Yıldırım Bayezid, link=no; – 8 March 1403) was the Ottoman Sultan from 1389 to 1402. He adopted ...
respectively. When approaching the Mamluk city of
Aleppo in October 1400, the emperor defeated the city's defenders during a battle in which Sultan Husayn led the
vanguard
The vanguard (also called the advance guard) is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force.
History
The vanguard derives fr ...
of the left flank. However, by the time the Timurids moved on to
lay siege to Damascus, soldiers in the army had begun to complain of weariness from the long campaign. Many started to desert to the enemy, including Sultan Husayn, who led a small band of followers to defect to the Egyptians on 30 December 1400. He was forced to change out of his Central Asian clothing and his
pigtail
A woman with long pigtails and braids.
In the context of hairstyles, the usage of the term pigtail (or twin tail or twintail) shows considerable variation. The term may refer to a single braid, but is more frequently used in the plural ("pi ...
, a style commonly worn among Timur's warriors, was cut off. He was captured following a sortie against the besiegers and brought before his grandfather, who ordered his
feet be whipped as punishment for his betrayal.
The wars culminated in the
Battle of Ankara
The Battle of Ankara or Angora was fought on 20 July 1402 at the Çubuk plain near Ankara, between the forces of the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I and the Emir of the Timurid Empire, Timur. The battle was a major victory for Timur, and it led to the ...
, fought against
Bayezid I
Bayezid I ( ota, بايزيد اول, tr, I. Bayezid), also known as Bayezid the Thunderbolt ( ota, link=no, یلدیرم بايزيد, tr, Yıldırım Bayezid, link=no; – 8 March 1403) was the Ottoman Sultan from 1389 to 1402. He adopted ...
on 20 July 1402. Sultan Husayn was once more placed at the command of the vanguard of the left flank. Bayezid's
Tatar
The Tatars ()[Tatar]
in the Collins English Dictionary is an umbrella term for different cavalry switched sides to Timur during the battle, whilst Sultan Husayn forced the Ottoman right flank into retreat. These prompted Bayezid's son,
Süleyman Çelebi
Süleyman Çelebi (also Emir Süleyman; d. 17 February 1411) was an Ottoman prince () and a co-ruler of the Ottoman Empire for several years during the Ottoman Interregnum. There is a tradition of western origin, according to which Suleiman th ...
, to flee the battlefield with his soldiers. Following the rout of the Ottoman infantry by the Timurid centre and the defeat of the
Janissaries, Bayezid was captured and victory was declared by Timur.
War of succession and death
In the winter of 1404, Timur launched his invasion of
Ming
The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peop ...
China, in what was to become his final campaign. Aware that the marches of
Moghulistan
Moghulistan (from fa, , ''Moghulestân'', mn, Моголистан), also called the Moghul Khanate or the Eastern Chagatai Khanate (), was a Mongol breakaway khanate of the Chagatai Khanate and a historical geographic area north of the Ten ...
, which lay between his empire and China, would need to be subjugated before any attack further east, Timur distributed his 200,000 strong force across the region. Sultan Husayn, commanding the left wing, was dispatched to
Yasi while
Khalil Sultan
Khalil Sultan ( Chagatai/ fa, خلیل سلطان) was the Timurid ruler of Transoxiana from 18 February 1405 to 1409. He was a son of Miran Shah and a grandson of Timur.
Biography
During Timur's lifetime, Khalil Sultan gained Timur's particular ...
, commanding the right, was sent to
Tashkent
Tashkent (, uz, Toshkent, Тошкент/, ) (from russian: Ташкент), or Toshkent (; ), also historically known as Chach is the capital and largest city of Uzbekistan. It is the most populous city in Central Asia, with a population of 2 ...
. Both grandsons were ordered to return with their men in the spring, while Timur himself continued on toward
Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
. He died however, on 18 February 1405, prior to ever reaching the Chinese border.
News of the emperor's death quickly reached his family, who began marshalling their forces in preparation for the imminent power struggle. Sultan Husayn, aware that he could not count on the loyalty of all his soldiers, abandoned his army and broke away with a detachment of 1000 troops towards
Samarqand
fa, سمرقند
, native_name_lang =
, settlement_type = City
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from the top: Registan square, Shah-i-Zinda necropolis, Bibi-Khanym Mosque, view inside Shah-i-Zin ...
.
[ He hoped to take his grandfather's imperial capital by surprise and by capturing it, bolster his claim as Timur's successor.
However, his cousin Khalil Sultan (who had declared himself emperor at Tashkent) reached the city first, claiming it alongside Timur's imperial treasury. Sultan Husayn, knowing that his claims were now hopeless, aligned himself with Khalil Sultan, who dispatched him at the head of a 30,000 strong army against Pir Muhammad, Timur's favoured successor. However, a noble named Pir 'AlI Taz convinced Sultan Husayn to abandon his cousin and reassert his own claim. Heeding this advice, he called an assembly of his nobles and immediately had two of them executed. The remaining number, in fear of their lives, swore their allegiance to Sultan Husayn, who then led his army against Samarqand. Khalil Sultan's troops went out to meet him and on July 1405, defeated Sultan Husayn and pursued him up to the city of Balkh, capturing his belongings and ]harem
Harem ( Persian: حرمسرا ''haramsarā'', ar, حَرِيمٌ ''ḥarīm'', "a sacred inviolable place; harem; female members of the family") refers to domestic spaces that are reserved for the women of the house in a Muslim family. A har ...
.
Sultan Husayn took refuge with Sulayman Shah Dughlat The Dughlat clan ( kk, Дулат, Dulat, lit=ruthless or fierce warrior; Mongolian: '' Dolood/sevens, Doloo/seven; Middle Mongolian: Doluga, Dolugad''; Dulğat; ) was a Mongol (later Turko-Mongol) clan that served the Chagatai khans as hereditary ...
, a nephew of Timur and a regional governor. While Khalil Sultan had no interest in pursuing his cousin further, Pir Muhammad insisted on his extradition. Sulayman Shah refused, and when Pir Muhammad sent an army against him in response, he and Sultan Husayn both fled to Timur's youngest son Shah Rukh
Shah Rukh or Shahrukh ( fa, شاهرخ, ''Šāhrokh'') (20 August 1377 – 13 March 1447) was the ruler of the Timurid Empire between 1405 and 1447.
He was the son of the Central Asian conqueror Timur (Tamerlane), who founded the Timurid dynas ...
, who ruled from 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 ...
. Shah Rukh, deciding that Sulayman Shah should have surrendered the pretender on the first demand, had the latter imprisoned. Sultan Husayn was subsequently executed. The skin of his head, stuffed with grass, was sent to Pir Muhammad, while his body parts were displayed in the bazaars of Herat.
Descendants
*Sultan Husayn Tayichiud – married Qutlugh Sultan, a daughter of his uncle Miran Shah
Mirza Jalal-ud-din Miran Shah Beg (1366 – 20 April 1408), commonly known as Miran Shah ( fa, میران شاہ), was a son of the Central Asian conqueror Timur, founder of the Timurid Empire.
During his father's reign, Miran Shah was init ...
**Firuza Begum (d.1489) – married Mansur Mirza, son of Bayqara Mirza I
Bayqara Mirza I (1392 – 1422?) was a Timurid prince and a grandson of the Central Asian conqueror Timur by his eldest son Umar Shaikh Mirza I.
Described by the biographer Dawlatshah as "the noblest, fairest, and bravest of Timur’s descend ...
, son of Umar Shaikh Mirza I
Mu'iz-ud-din Umar Shaikh Mirza (1356 – February 1394) ( fa, عمر شیخ میرزا) was a member of the Timurid dynasty and a son of its founder, the Central Asian conqueror Timur. Known for being a skilled soldier, Umar Shaikh was one o ...
***Bayqara Mirza II (d.1487) – married Sa'adat Sultan, a great-granddaughter of Umar Shaikh Mirza I
Mu'iz-ud-din Umar Shaikh Mirza (1356 – February 1394) ( fa, عمر شیخ میرزا) was a member of the Timurid dynasty and a son of its founder, the Central Asian conqueror Timur. Known for being a skilled soldier, Umar Shaikh was one o ...
***Aka Biki – married Sultan Ahmad Mirza, a grandson of both Miran Shah
Mirza Jalal-ud-din Miran Shah Beg (1366 – 20 April 1408), commonly known as Miran Shah ( fa, میران شاہ), was a son of the Central Asian conqueror Timur, founder of the Timurid Empire.
During his father's reign, Miran Shah was init ...
and Muhammad Sultan Mirza
Muhammad Sultan Mirza (1375 – 1403) was a member of the Timurid dynasty and a grandson of its founder, the Central Asian conqueror Timur. As Timur's favourite grandson, Muhammad Sultan served as one of his principal military commanders, he ...
***Badi al-Jamal – married Ahmad Khan, Khan of the Golden Horde
The Golden Horde, self-designated as Ulug Ulus, 'Great State' in Turkic, was originally a Mongol and later Turkicized khanate established in the 13th century and originating as the northwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. With the fragme ...
*** Sultan Husayn Bayqara Mirza (1438–1506) – married several women
***Urun Sultan Khanum
References
{{Reflist
Timurid dynasty
1380 births
1405 deaths