Siege of Balkh (1447)

Siege of Balkh Part of the Timurid Civil Wars Date Winter of 1447 Location Balkh, Afghanistan Result Status quo ante bellum Belligerents Timurids of Khurasan Timurids of Samarkand Commanders and leaders Ala-ud-Daulah Mirza Abdal-Latif Mirza

After the Battle of Nishapur and the peace treaty which gave the Chechektu valley to Ala-ud-Daulah Mirza, he placed in that out post a certain Mirza Saleh who was an enemy of Abdal-Latif Mirza. Furthermore, Ala-ud-Daulah Mirza kept hostages, certain men of importance, who were in the entourage of Abdal-Latif Mirza against the treaty. This forced Abdal-Latif Mirza's hand to take action which he did by attacking Mirza Saleh who then escaped to Herat. On this Ala-ud-Daulah Mirza marched from Herat with his army and besieged Balkh in the winter of 1447 C.E. Abdal-Latif Mirza sent a letter to his father Ulugh Beg for reinforcements. In response Ulugh Beg sent an envoy to Ala-ud-Daulah Mirza to admonish him and to let him know to address his grievances to Samarkand in the future rather than go to war. Finally, realizing his mistake Ala-ud-Daulah Mirza agreed to move his army back to Herat.