← Explore on the interactive map

Babur's Struggle for Fergana

Type Event Region Central Asia Time 1494–1504

In the 1490s, Timurid descendant Babur repeatedly contested succession and control of the Fergana Valley against his brothers, cousins, and Uzbek lea…

Timeline

  1. 1494–1495Andijan · Fergana ValleyAt age 12, Babur became ruler of Fergana with the support of his followers after the sudden death of his father Umar Sheikh Mirza. The Timurid family was divided, and rivalry among branches over the Transoxiana heritage immediately intensified.
  2. 1495–1499Fergana Valley · Fergana ValleyBabur repeatedly fought his brother Jahangir and relatives from the Herat and Samarkand branches. In 1497 he briefly captured Samarkand but was forced to withdraw due to rebellion in his rear and exhaustion of supplies. Internal strife consumed the Timurids' ability to unite against outside enemies.
  3. 1499–1504Samarkand–Tashkent corridor · TransoxianaUzbek leader Muhammad Shaybani Khan marched south, exploiting Timurid divisions to defeat them one by one. Babur shuttled between Samarkand and Fergana, losing Samarkand in 1501 and Fergana in 1503, and was forced into exile. After capturing Kabul in 1504, the focus of his career shifted to Afghanistan and India.

Sources