Khalil Sultan
Encyclopedia
Khalil Sultan was the Timurid ruler of Transoxiana
from 1405 to 1409. He was a son of Miran Shah
and a grandson of Timur
.
and in 1402 was given rule of Ferghana. Upon Timur's death in 1405 Khalil viewed himself as his successor. Timur's appointed successor Pir Muhammad
was quickly cast aside, and Khalil gained control of Samarkand
. Khalil gained Timur's treasury and bestowed the puppet title of Chagatai Khan
(which before had always been granted by Timur to a descendant of Genghis Khan
to legitimize his rule) to a Timurid prince. Khalil also gained an ally, Sultan Husain, who had previously also made claims to the throne as a grandson of Timur.
Meanwhile, Shah Rukh, who was ruling in Herat
, also decided to press his claims. He advanced to the Oxus River against Khalil but turned back when Khalil's father Miran Shah, as well as his brother Aba Bakr, marched from Azerbaijan
in support. Nevertheless, Khalil's position began to weaken. He was unpopular in Samarkand, where the nobility despised his wife Shad Mulk. The latter had considerable influence over Khalil, convincing him to appoint people of low birth to high positions at the expense of the nobility. A famine caused him to be even more despised. He decided to return to Ferghana with his former mentor, Khudaidid Husain, who went to Moghulistan
(the realm of the eastern Chagatai Khans) in an attempt to win their support.
Khalil's rule in Samarkand finally ended when Shah Rukh entered the city unopposed on May 13, 1409. Transoxiana was then given to Shah Rukh's son Ulugh Beg
. Khalil decided to surrender to Shah Rukh, who had captured Shad Mulk. He received his wife back, and was appointed governor of Ray
. He died there in 1411. His wife committed suicide shortly after his death.
Transoxiana
Transoxiana is the ancient name used for the portion of Central Asia corresponding approximately with modern-day Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, southern Kyrgystan and southwest Kazakhstan. Geographically, it is the region between the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers...
from 1405 to 1409. He was a son of Miran Shah
Miran Shah
Miran Shah was a son of Timur, and a Timurid governor during his father's lifetime.Miran Shah's first charge was a vast region centered around Qandahar, which he was granted in 1383. That same year, he destroyed a rebellion against Timurid authority by the Kartids, then vassals of Timur in...
and a grandson of Timur
Timur
Timur , historically known as Tamerlane in English , was a 14th-century conqueror of West, South and Central Asia, and the founder of the Timurid dynasty in Central Asia, and great-great-grandfather of Babur, the founder of the Mughal Dynasty, which survived as the Mughal Empire in India until...
.
Biography
During Timur's lifetime, Khalil Sultan gained the conqueror's particular favor. He distinguished himself during the campaign in IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and in 1402 was given rule of Ferghana. Upon Timur's death in 1405 Khalil viewed himself as his successor. Timur's appointed successor Pir Muhammad
Pir Muhammad
Pir Muhammad was a grandson and appointed successor of Timur. He was the son of Jahangir.In 1392 he received the governorship of Qandahar. His territory extended from the lands west of the Hindu Kush to the Indus River...
was quickly cast aside, and Khalil gained control of Samarkand
Samarkand
Although a Persian-speaking region, it was not united politically with Iran most of the times between the disintegration of the Seleucid Empire and the Arab conquest . In the 6th century it was within the domain of the Turkic kingdom of the Göktürks.At the start of the 8th century Samarkand came...
. Khalil gained Timur's treasury and bestowed the puppet title of Chagatai Khan
Chagatai Khanate
The Chagatai Khanate was a Turko-Mongol khanate that comprised the lands ruled by Chagatai Khan , second son of the Great Khan Genghis Khan, and his descendents and successors...
(which before had always been granted by Timur to a descendant of Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan , born Temujin and occasionally known by his temple name Taizu , was the founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his death....
to legitimize his rule) to a Timurid prince. Khalil also gained an ally, Sultan Husain, who had previously also made claims to the throne as a grandson of Timur.
Meanwhile, Shah Rukh, who was ruling in Herat
Herat
Herāt is the capital of Herat province in Afghanistan. It is the third largest city of Afghanistan, with a population of about 397,456 as of 2006. It is situated in the valley of the Hari River, which flows from the mountains of central Afghanistan to the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan...
, also decided to press his claims. He advanced to the Oxus River against Khalil but turned back when Khalil's father Miran Shah, as well as his brother Aba Bakr, marched from Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
in support. Nevertheless, Khalil's position began to weaken. He was unpopular in Samarkand, where the nobility despised his wife Shad Mulk. The latter had considerable influence over Khalil, convincing him to appoint people of low birth to high positions at the expense of the nobility. A famine caused him to be even more despised. He decided to return to Ferghana with his former mentor, Khudaidid Husain, who went to Moghulistan
Moghulistan
Moghulistan or Mughalistan is a historical geographic unit in Central Asia that included parts of modern-day Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and the Chinese Autonomous Region of Xinjiang...
(the realm of the eastern Chagatai Khans) in an attempt to win their support.
Khalil's rule in Samarkand finally ended when Shah Rukh entered the city unopposed on May 13, 1409. Transoxiana was then given to Shah Rukh's son Ulugh Beg
Ulugh Beg
Ulugh Bek was a Timurid ruler as well as an astronomer, mathematician and sultan. His commonly-known name is not truly a personal name, but rather a moniker, which can be loosely translated as "Great Ruler" or "Patriarch Ruler" and was the Turkic equivalent of Timur's Perso-Arabic title Amīr-e...
. Khalil decided to surrender to Shah Rukh, who had captured Shad Mulk. He received his wife back, and was appointed governor of Ray
Ray, Iran
Rey or Ray , also known as Rhages and formerly as Arsacia, is the capital of Rey County, Tehran Province, Iran, and is the oldest existing city in the province....
. He died there in 1411. His wife committed suicide shortly after his death.