Ghiyath ud-din Baysunghur ( غیاث‌الدین بایسنقر) commonly known as Baysonqor or Baysongor, Baysonghor or (incorrectly) as Baysunqar, also called Sultan Bāysonḡor Bahādor Khan (1397–1433) was a prince of the

Timurid dynasty The Timurid dynasty, self-designated as Gurkani (), was the ruling dynasty of the Timurid Empire (1370–1507). It was a Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslim dynasty or Barlās clan of Turco-Mongol originB.F. Manz, ''"Tīmūr Lang"'', in Encyclopaedia of I ...

. He was known as a patron of arts and architecture, the leading patron of the

Persian miniature A Persian miniature (Persian language, Persian: نگارگری ایرانی ''negârgari Irâni'') is a small Persian painting on paper, whether a book illustration or a separate work of art intended to be kept in an album of such works called a ...

in Iran, commissioning the

Baysunghur Shahnameh The Baysunghur ''Shahnameh'' () is an illustrated manuscript of the ''Shahnameh'', the national epic of Greater Iran. The work on this manuscript was started in 1426 at the order of Baysonqor, Baysunghur Mirza, the Timurid dynasty, Timurid prince ...

and other works, as well as being a prominent calligrapher. Baysunghur was a son of

Shah Rukh Shah Rukh or Shahrukh Mirza (, ''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 dynasty in 1370 ...

, the ruler of

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

and

Transoxiana Transoxiana or Transoxania (, now called the Amu Darya) is the Latin name for the region and civilization located in lower Central Asia roughly corresponding to eastern Uzbekistan, western Tajikistan, parts of southern Kazakhstan, parts of Tu ...

, and Shah Rukh's most prominent wife, Gawhar Shad. In the view of modern historians, Baysunghur was actually a better statesman than his more famous elder brother,

Ulugh Beg Mīrzā Muhammad Tarāghāy bin Shāhrukh (; ), better known as Ulugh Beg (; 22 March 1394 – 27 October 1449), was a Timurid sultan, as well as an astronomer and mathematician. Ulugh Beg was notable for his work in astronomy-related ma ...

, who inherited Shah Rukh's throne, but who "must have envied his younger brother, Baisunghur, whom his father never saddled with major responsibilities, which left him free to build his elegant madrasas in Herat, gather his ancient books, assemble his artists, and drink". He was well-versed in Persian, Arabic, as well his native Chagatai. He was a patron of Persian historians, including

Hafiz-i Abru Hafez-e AbruMaria Eva Subtelny and Charles Melville, (; died June 1430) was a Persian historian working at the courts of Timurid rulers of Central Asia. His full name is ʿAbdallah (or Nur-Allah) Ebn Lotf-Allah Ebn 'Abd-al-Rashid Behdadini; ...

(died 1430), who dedicated his book ''Zubdat al-tawārīkh-i bāysunghurī'' to him. Herat_Gawhar_Shad_mausoleum

Baysunghur was living in

Herat Herāt (; Dari/Pashto: هرات) is an oasis city and the third-largest city in 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 (''Se ...

as governor by 1417. After temporarilly taking

Tabriz Tabriz (; ) is a city in the Central District (Tabriz County), Central District of Tabriz County, in the East Azerbaijan province, East Azerbaijan province of northwestern Iran. It serves as capital of the province, the county, and the distric ...

from the

Qara Qoyunlu The Qara Qoyunlu or Kara Koyunlu (, ; ), also known as the Black Sheep Turkomans, were a culturally Persianate, Muslim Turkoman "Kara Koyunlu, also spelled Qara Qoyunlu, Turkish Karakoyunlular, English Black Sheep, Turkmen tribal federation tha ...

in 1421, together with his father

, he brought back to Herat a group of Tabrizi artists and calligraphers, formerly working for Ahmad Jalayir, who he installed in Herat to add to his existing artists from

Shiraz Shiraz (; ) is the List of largest cities of Iran, fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars province, which has been historically known as Pars (Sasanian province), Pars () and Persis. As of the 2016 national census, the popu ...

. They became the most important school of artists in Iran, merging the two styles. File:Prince Baysungur Dallying with His Ladies, 1426, Academy of Baysungur (Baysungur detail).jpg, Baysungur dallying with his Ladies, 1426 painting File:Baysunghur watches a hunt. Herat 1427.jpg, Baysunghur watching a hunt. Herat, 1427 File:Baysunghur attending a hunt. Shahnama (Baysunghur) (Gulistan Museum Ms 716) Frontispiece, 1430 painting.jpg, Baysunghur attending a hunt. 1430 painting

Personal life

;Consorts Baysunghur had five wives: *Jan Malik Agha, daughter of Amir Chulpan Qauchin; *Gawhar Nasab Agha, a lady from

Khwarezm Khwarazm (; ; , ''Xwârazm'' or ''Xârazm'') or Chorasmia () is a large oasis region on the Amu Darya river delta in western Central Asia, bordered on the north by the (former) Aral Sea, on the east by the Kyzylkum Desert, on the south by ...

; *Khandan Agha; *Afaq Agha; *Shah Begi Agha; ;Sons Baysunghur had three sons: *

Ala al-Dawla Mirza Rukn-ud-din Ala al-Dawla Mirza, also spelt Ala ud-Dawla Mirza and Ala ud-Daula Mirza, (1417 – 1460) was a Timurid prince and a grandson of the Central Asian ruler Shah Rukh. Following his grandfather's death, Ala al-Dawla became embroiled i ...

- with Jan Malik Agha; * Abul-Qasim Babur Mirza - with Gawhar Nasab Agha; * Sultan Muhammad Mirza - with Khandan Agha; ;Daughters Baysunghur had eight daughters: *Ruqaiya Begi Begum - with Shah Begi Agha; *Fatima Sultan Begum - with Gawhar Nasab Agha; *Zuhra Begi Begum - with Gawhar Nasab Agha; *Aisha Begi Begum - with Afaq Agha, married to Sultan Masud Mirza, son of Sayorghatmish Mirza, son of Shah Rukh; *Sa'adat Begi Begum - with Khandan Agha; *Bakht Daulat Begum; *Payanda Sultan Begum; *Sahib Sultan Begum, married to Muhammad Khalil Mirza son of Muhammad Jahangir Mirza, son of Muhammad Sultan Mirza, son of

Jahangir Mirza Jahangir Mirza (c. 1472 – c. 1515)Muhammad Haidar says (p. 329) that he is 42 years old in 1514, but he is notoriously unreliable with dates. was a Dughlat prince and briefly the ruler of Yarkand (1514). He was the eldest son of Mirza Abu Bakr ...

;

References

Sources

* * {{Authority control Timurid dynasty People from Herat 1397 births 1433 deaths Calligraphers of the medieval Islamic world