Sultan Muhammad bin Baysonqor

Who was Sultan Muhammad bin Baysonqor?

Sultan Muhammad was the Timurid ruler of Persia and Fars from around 1447 until his death. He was the son of Baysonqor son of Shahrukh Mirza.

During the last years of Shahrukh's reign, Sultan Muhammad raised a revolt in the western provinces of the Timurid Empire. Shahrukh was able to stop the revolt and capture many of its supporters in 1446, but Sultan Muhammad took refuge in Luristan. After Shahrukh's death, Sultan Muhammad returned from Luristan and from there assumed control of central Persia. Together with his half-brother Mirza Abul-Qasim Babur bin Baysonqor of Khurasan and uncle Ulugh Beg of Transoxiana, he became one of the three most powerful rulers of the splintering empire.

Sultan Muhammad, eager to expand his domain, soon started a war with Mirza Abul-Qasim Babur and invaded Khurasan. At first the campaign went well; in 1450 he defeated Mirza Abul-Qasim Babur at Mashhad, following which the latter yielded some of his lands to him. Things soon turned south, however, and he was captured by Mirza Abul-Qasim Babur, who had him executed. Mirza Abul-Qasim Babur bin Baysonqor then took over Sultan Muhammad's territories, but soon lost them to the Qara Qoyunlu Turkmen under Jahan Shah.His son was Yadgar Muhammad Mirza, who would become ruler of Khorasan for 6 weeks.