Battle of Tarnab (1448)

Battle of Tarnab
Part of the Timurid Civil Wars
DateSpring 1448
Location
Tarnab (east of Herat), Afghanistan
Result Timurids of Samarkand victory
Belligerents
Timurids of Khurasan Timurids of Samarkand
Commanders and leaders
Ala al-Dawla Mirza Ulugh Beg
Abdal-Latif Mirza

The Battle of Tarnab took place in 1448.[1]

In spring 1448, Ala al-Dawla Mirza was making preparations for the celebration of his son's circumcision ceremony. He had announced a general relief from taxes to all citizens of Herat when he heard the news that Ulugh Beg crossing the Amu Darya with 90,000 troops.[2] He hastily made his way towards the Tarnab through the Sanjab Pass. The two forces met at Tarnab and after a brief engagement, Ulugh Beg decisively defeated Ala al-Dawla Mirza who fled towards Mashad and then towards Quchan in the protection of his brother Abul-Qasim Babur Mirza.[3][4] Ulugh Beg followed up his victory by taking Herat and then Mashad.[5] Gawhar Shad and many Tarkhans left Herat before Ulugh Beg's arrival.

  1. ^ Barthold, Vasilii (1958). Four Studies on the History of Central Asia. Leiden, Netherlands: E. J. Brill. p. 156.
  2. ^ Bartol'd, Vasilij V. (1963). Four studies on the history of Central Asia. Brill. p. 149. OCLC 163626572.
  3. ^ al-Dīn ibn Humām al-Dīn Khvānd Mīr, Ghiyās̲ (1994). Habibü's-siyer: Moğol ve Türk hâkimiyeti. Harvard University: Dept. of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations. p. 365.
  4. ^ Manz, Beatrice (2007). Power, Politics and Religion in Timurid Iran. Cambridge University Press. pp. xvii. ISBN 9780521865470.
  5. ^ Lockhart, Lawrence (1986). The Cambridge History of Iran, Volume 6. Cambridge University Press. p. 107. ISBN 0521200946.