Political processes under the Timurids

Amir Temur died on 18 February 1405 in Otrar during the march against China. His huge realm was too wide and varied to be ruled from one centre, which suited forces wanting to break away. Temur had named his grandson Pir Muhammad as heir, but Khalil Sultan, son of Miranshah, seized Samarkand on 18 March 1405 and declared himself ruler of Transoxiana. Amirs, other princes and Pir Muhammad rose against him; Pir Muhammad was killed by conspirators on 22 February 1407, while Miranshah died in a battle with Qara Yusuf, the Qara Qoyunlu Turkmen chief, on 22 April 1408, and Azerbaijan and Iraq slipped out of Timurid hands. Shahrukh, Temur’s son and governor of Khorasan, crossed the Amu Darya on 25 April 1409 and marched on Samarkand; most people, weary of almost five years of wars, supported him. Shahrukh ruled Khorasan from Herat, and his son Ulugh Beg governed Transoxiana from Samarkand. In practice the state became two parts.