Biography

Qazan was the son of Yasa'ur

Yasa'ur

Yasa'ur was a Chagatai prince who launched a revolt against the Ilkhan Abu Sa'id. He was the son of Chübei, and a great-great-grandson of Chagatai Khan.Yasa'ur had originally resided within the Chagatai ulus...

, a Chagatayid prince who had revolted in the 1310s. Upon his ascension to the throne, he attempted to increase his power within the ulus. These measures provoked the anger of the nobility, who threw their support behind the Qara'unas

Qara'unas

Qaraunas, or Neguderis, or Nikudari, were a Mongol group that settled in Afghanistan and east of Iran.- Foundation :...

 Amir Qazaghan

Amir Qazaghan

Qazaghan was the amir of the Qara'unas and the effective ruler of the Chagatai ulus .Qazaghan's lineage is mostly unknown; it is possible that he became head of the Qara'unas through appointment instead of inheritance In 1345 he rebelled against his sovereign, the Chagatai Khan Qazan, but was...

. The two went to war in 1345; Qazan defeated Qazaghan in a battle north of the Iron Gates

Iron Gate (Central Asia)

The Iron Gate is a defile between Balkh and Samarkand. It breaks up the mountains which extend from the Hisar range south towards the Amu Darya. In ancient times it was used as the passage between Bactria and Sogdia and was likely of great importance to any power in the region. Its name comes from...

. Defeated and wounded, Qazaghan withdrew, but Qazan decided to spend the winter at his palace at Qarshi

Qarshi

Qarshi is a city in southern Uzbekistan. It is the capital of Qashqadaryo Province and has a population of 197,600 . It is about 520 km south-southwest of Tashkent, and about 335 km north of Uzbekistan's border with Afghanistan. It is located at latitude 38° 51' 48N; longitude 65° 47'...

, allowing Qazaghan to rebuild his forces. In the next year he again fought Qazan's army and this time defeated it; Qazan was killed during the battle.

Qazan's death marked the end of the effective power of the house of Chagatai within Transoxiana

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...

 (except for a brief period from 1360 until 1363); the amirs seized control of the ulus and the khans ruled in name only. The next khan, Danishmendji

Danishmendji

Danishmendji was khan of the Chagatai Khanate from 1346 to 1348. He was the second khan of the Chagatai ulus to be descended from Ögedei....

, was a puppet of Qazaghan, who became the effective leader of the ulus.