Battle of Shiraz, 1393

The battle of Shiraz (1393) was the final clash between Tamerlane and the Muzaffarid Dynasty of southern Persia, and was a victory for Tamerlane that was followed by the total destruction of the dynasty.

Shah Shuja, the last truly successful ruler of the Muzaffarid Dynasty had offered his son's loyalty to Tamerlane from his deathbed. Zain Al-Abidin, his son and heir, had soon repudiated this offer, and had been deposed by Tamerlane, before being captured by one of his uncles, Shah Mansur. Mansur submitted to Tamerlane, and the family was restored to most of its lands. A civil war soon broke out between members of the dynasty, and this eventually pulled Tamerlane back into Persia.

In the spring of 1393 Tamerlane approached Shiraz, at the head of an army said to be at least 30,000 strong. Shah Mansur was badly outnumbered, but despite this decided to launch an attack on Tamerlane's army, almost certainly hoping to use his 4,000 armoured horsemen to kill Tamerlane.

The attack came close to success. Shah Mansur's small force was able to break through the middle of Tamerlane's army, and then charge straight at Tamerlane, possibly coming close enough to exchange blows with him. Unfortunately for Shah Mansur the rest of his force didn't do as well, and he was forced away from Tamerlane. During the retreat that followed he was caught by a force led by Tamerlane's son Shah Rukh, and beheaded. The remaining members of the Muzaffrid dynasty were soon seized and executed.

How to cite this article: Rickard, J (14 April 2010), Battle of Shiraz, 1393 , http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_shiraz.html

Help - F.A.Q. - Contact Us - Search - Recent - About Us - Privacy