Sultan Husayn Tayichiud
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Herat, Timurid Empire (present-day Afghanistan)
| Sultan Husayn Tayichiud | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1380 |
| Died | 1405 (aged 24–25) Herat, Timurid Empire (present-day Afghanistan) |
| Spouse | Qutlugh Sultan |
| Issue | Firuza Begum |
| House | Tayichiud |
| Father | Muhammad Beg |
| Mother | Aka Biki |
| Religion | Islam |
Sultan Husayn Tayichiud (1380 – 1405) was a noble of the Timurid Empire and a maternal grandson of its founder, the Central Asian conqueror Timur. Sultan Husayn held prominent positions in the Imperial army and accompanied his grandfather on several of his military campaigns. He was executed by his uncle Shah Rukh during the war of succession following Timur's death.
Sultan Husayn was born in 1380, the son of Muhammad Beg of the Tayichiud tribe and his wife Aka Biki, also known as Taghay Shah [wd] (d.1382),[1] a daughter of Timur.[2] His paternal grandfather was Amir Musa, an influential noble and the uncle of Timur's chief consort, Saray Mulk Khanum.[3][4]
Military career
Indian campaign
Sultan Husayn was recorded as accompanying Timur to the Indian subcontinent during his war against the Delhi Sultanate in 1398. On 18 December, he led the left flank of the Timurid army in the Second Battle of Delhi against Mahmud Shah Tughlaq. Following a surprise assault against Mahmud Shah's advance guard, Sultan Husayn's cousin Pir Muhammad led a charge against the left wing of the Tughlaq army, whilst Sultan Husayn simultaneously attacked the right, pushing it back against the gates of the city. When an elephant-led charge against the Timurid centre was beaten back by volleys of arrows, the Tughlaq army was forced to retreat back into Delhi. On 20 December, the city surrendered to Timur.[5]
Ottoman and Levantine campaigns
The following year, Timur declared war on the Mamluks of Egypt and the Ottoman Empire, ruled by An-Nasir Faraj and Bayezid I respectively. When approaching the Mamluk city of Aleppo in October 1400, the emperor defeated the city's defenders during a battle in which Sultan Husayn led the vanguard of the left flank.[6] However, by the time the Timurids moved on to lay siege to Damascus, soldiers in the army had begun to complain of weariness from the long campaign. Many started to desert to the enemy, including Sultan Husayn, who led a small band of followers to defect to the Egyptians on 30 December 1400.[7] He was forced to change out of his Central Asian clothing and his pigtail, a style commonly worn among Timur's warriors, was cut off. He was captured following a sortie against the besiegers and brought before his grandfather, who ordered his feet be whipped as punishment for his betrayal.[8]
The wars culminated in the Battle of Ankara, fought against Bayezid I on 20 July 1402. Sultan Husayn was once more placed at the command of the vanguard of the left flank. Bayezid's Tatar cavalry switched sides to Timur during the battle, whilst Sultan Husayn forced the Ottoman right flank into retreat. These prompted Bayezid's son, Süleyman Çelebi, to flee the battlefield with his soldiers. Following the rout of the Ottoman infantry by the Timurid centre and the defeat of the Janissaries, Bayezid was captured and victory was declared by Timur.[9]