Qutb al-Din Muhammad ibn Shams al-Din Shah 'Ali
Encyclopedia
Qutb al-Din Muhammad was the Mihrabanid malik
of Sistan
from 1403 until his death. He was the son of Shams al-Din Shah 'Ali.
representative in Sistan during the latter's absence while campaigning with Timur
. After Shams al-Din Shah 'Ali's death Qutb al-Din was selected by the malik as his replacement. Both Shah-i Shahan and Qutb al-Din participated in Timur's campaign against the Ottomans
in 1402; on the return journey Shah-i Shahan died and Timur appointed Qutb al-Din as his successor.
After assuming the governorship of Sistan, Qutb al-Din handed out the governorship of several towns to other Mihrabanids, at the same time initiating a purge amongst the Mihrabanid ranks by executing several family members he considered troublesome. In 1405 he was summoned by Timur, who was preparing to invade China
, to Otrar
. At the head of an army of Sistan, Qutb al-Din marched north, but at Herat
he received news of Timur's death from Shah Rukh
and turned around. Shah Rukh, who established himself as the ruler of Khurasan
in the aftermath of Timur's death, confirmed Qutb al-Din's position as governor of Sistan.
Soon after Qutb al-Din's ascension the neighboring province of Farah
was invaded by one of Shah Rukh's commanders, Hasan Jandar. Fearing that Hasan Jandar would target Sistan next, Qutb al-Din gave refuge to the malik of Farah, Iksandar ibn Inaltigin. He then dispatched an army to Farah, which drove out Hasan Jandar and put Iksandar back on his throne.
In the fall of 1408 Sistan was invaded by Shah Rukh, who had been angered by Qutb al-Din's failure to acknowledge the Timurid's suzerainty in the khutba
or on the coinage, and by the malik's grant of refuge to one of Shah Rukh's rivals, Abu Bakr ibn Miran Shah. Uq was captured and Abu Bakr fled Sistan, but Shah Rukh was reluctant to risk a battle with the Mihrabanid army outside Shahr-i Sistan
. Instead, the Timurids went around Sistan destroying agricultural fields and dams, which caused famine in the province. Shah Rukh then departed for Herat, leaving behind some of his forces and appointing a rival Mihrabanid, Shah Sultan ibn Shah Khusraw ibn Shah Arslan as governor of Sistan.
Qutb al-Din, however, was determined to maintain his rule over Sistan, and was able to kill Shah Sultan while the latter was still en route to take over the province. The Mihrabanid army then captured a Timurid garrison at the fortress of Lash and was victorious against a Timurid army that had been sent from Herat. The heads of the defeated Timurid soldiers were sent to Shahr-i Sistan and a pyramid of them was made at the gate of the city. Uq was retaken and the Timurids had been forced out of Sistan by mid-1409. At this point the Timurids and Mihrabanids decided to make peace with each other. Qutb al-Din agreed to place Shah Rukh's name first in the khutba and on the coinage, and to send one of his sons or brothers as a hostage to Herat; his son Jalal al-Din was eventually sent to honor this agreement.
Both Jalal al-Din and his brother Shams al-Din 'Ali
ended up in the service of Shah Rukh's army. Qutb al-Din himself participated in a 1416 Timurid campaign to quell a rebellion in Kerman
. In the meantime, trouble in Sistan arose Qutb al-Din's half-brother Najm al-Din Shah Mahmud Hajji demanded a share of power and threatened to revolt. When his appeal to Shah Rukh for support in this endeavor was denied, however, he backed down and decided to go to Arabia to participate in the Hajj
. When he returned in 1417 he made no further moves to undermine Qutb al-Din's authority.
Qutb al-Din died in 1419 from an illness; the Mihrabanids and amirs then chose his successor, his son Shams al-Din 'Ali.
Malik
Malik is an Arabic word meaning "king, chieftain".It has been adopted in various other, mainly Islamized or Arabized, Asian languages for their ruling princes and to render kings elsewhere. It is also sometimes used in derived meanings...
of Sistan
Sistan
Sīstān is a border region in eastern Iran , southwestern Afghanistan and northern tip of Southwestern Pakistan .-Etymology:...
from 1403 until his death. He was the son of Shams al-Din Shah 'Ali.
Biography
Qutb al-Din's father had served as the malik Shah-i Shahan'sTaj al-Din Shah-i Shahan Abu'l Fath
Taj al-Din Shah-i Shahan Abu'l Fath was the Mihrabanid malik of Sistan from 1383 until his death. He was the son of Mas'ud Shihna.-Biography:...
representative in Sistan during the latter's absence while campaigning with 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...
. After Shams al-Din Shah 'Ali's death Qutb al-Din was selected by the malik as his replacement. Both Shah-i Shahan and Qutb al-Din participated in Timur's campaign against the Ottomans
Battle of Ankara
The Battle of Ankara or Battle of Angora, fought on July 20, 1402, took place at the field of Çubuk between the forces of the Ottoman sultan Bayezid I and the Turko-Mongol forces of Timur, ruler of the Timurid Empire. The battle was a major victory for Timur, and it led to a period of crisis for...
in 1402; on the return journey Shah-i Shahan died and Timur appointed Qutb al-Din as his successor.
After assuming the governorship of Sistan, Qutb al-Din handed out the governorship of several towns to other Mihrabanids, at the same time initiating a purge amongst the Mihrabanid ranks by executing several family members he considered troublesome. In 1405 he was summoned by Timur, who was preparing to invade China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, to Otrar
Otrar
Otrar or Utrar is a Central Asian ghost town that was a city located along the Silk Road near the current town of Karatau in Kazakhstan. Otrar was an important town in the history of Central Asia, situated on the borders of settled and agricultural civilizations...
. At the head of an army of Sistan, Qutb al-Din marched north, but at 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...
he received news of Timur's death from Shah Rukh
Shah Rukh (Timurid dynasty)
Shāhrukh Mīrzā was the ruler of the eastern portion of the empire established by the Central Asian warlord Timur - the founder of the Timurid dynasty - governing most of Persia and Transoxiana between 1405 and 1447...
and turned around. Shah Rukh, who established himself as the ruler of Khurasan
Greater Khorasan
Greater Khorasan or Ancient Khorasan is a historical region of Greater Iran mentioned in sources from Sassanid and Islamic eras which "frequently" had a denotation wider than current three provinces of Khorasan in Iran...
in the aftermath of Timur's death, confirmed Qutb al-Din's position as governor of Sistan.
Soon after Qutb al-Din's ascension the neighboring province of Farah
Farah Province
Farah is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the southwest of the country. Its capital is Farah. Farah is a spacious and sparsely populated province that lies on the Iranian border...
was invaded by one of Shah Rukh's commanders, Hasan Jandar. Fearing that Hasan Jandar would target Sistan next, Qutb al-Din gave refuge to the malik of Farah, Iksandar ibn Inaltigin. He then dispatched an army to Farah, which drove out Hasan Jandar and put Iksandar back on his throne.
In the fall of 1408 Sistan was invaded by Shah Rukh, who had been angered by Qutb al-Din's failure to acknowledge the Timurid's suzerainty in the khutba
Khutba
Khutbah serves as the primary formal occasion for public preaching in the Islamic tradition.Such sermons occur regularly, as prescribed by the teachings of all legal schools. The Islamic tradition can be formally at the dhuhr congregation prayer on Friday...
or on the coinage, and by the malik's grant of refuge to one of Shah Rukh's rivals, Abu Bakr ibn Miran Shah. Uq was captured and Abu Bakr fled Sistan, but Shah Rukh was reluctant to risk a battle with the Mihrabanid army outside Shahr-i Sistan
Zaranj
Zaranj or Zarang is a border town in south-western Afghanistan, with a population of approximately 49,851 people as of 2004. It is the capital of Nimruz province and is situated next to Milak, Iran. It is linked by highways with Lashkar Gah to the east, Farah to the north and Zabol in Iran to the...
. Instead, the Timurids went around Sistan destroying agricultural fields and dams, which caused famine in the province. Shah Rukh then departed for Herat, leaving behind some of his forces and appointing a rival Mihrabanid, Shah Sultan ibn Shah Khusraw ibn Shah Arslan as governor of Sistan.
Qutb al-Din, however, was determined to maintain his rule over Sistan, and was able to kill Shah Sultan while the latter was still en route to take over the province. The Mihrabanid army then captured a Timurid garrison at the fortress of Lash and was victorious against a Timurid army that had been sent from Herat. The heads of the defeated Timurid soldiers were sent to Shahr-i Sistan and a pyramid of them was made at the gate of the city. Uq was retaken and the Timurids had been forced out of Sistan by mid-1409. At this point the Timurids and Mihrabanids decided to make peace with each other. Qutb al-Din agreed to place Shah Rukh's name first in the khutba and on the coinage, and to send one of his sons or brothers as a hostage to Herat; his son Jalal al-Din was eventually sent to honor this agreement.
Both Jalal al-Din and his brother Shams al-Din 'Ali
Shams al-Din 'Ali ibn Qutb al-Din
Shams al-Din 'Ali was the Mihrabanid malik of Sistan from 1419 until his death. He was the son of Qutb al-Din Muhammad.-Biography:...
ended up in the service of Shah Rukh's army. Qutb al-Din himself participated in a 1416 Timurid campaign to quell a rebellion in Kerman
Kerman
- Geological characteristics :For the Iranian paleontologists, Kerman has always been considered a fossil paradise. Finding new dinosaur footprints in 2005 has now revealed new hopes for paleontologists to better understand the history of this area.- Economy :...
. In the meantime, trouble in Sistan arose Qutb al-Din's half-brother Najm al-Din Shah Mahmud Hajji demanded a share of power and threatened to revolt. When his appeal to Shah Rukh for support in this endeavor was denied, however, he backed down and decided to go to Arabia to participate in the Hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
. When he returned in 1417 he made no further moves to undermine Qutb al-Din's authority.
Qutb al-Din died in 1419 from an illness; the Mihrabanids and amirs then chose his successor, his son Shams al-Din 'Ali.