Ulugh Beg

Ulugh Beg

Ulugh Beg (Uzbek: Mirzo Ulug'bek, Chagatai: الغ‌بیگ Ulug Beg; real name: میرزا محمد طاراغای بن شاه رخ – Mirza Muhammad Taragay bin Shah Rukh; 22 March 1394 – 27 October 1449) was the 4th sultan of the Timurid Empire and a Turkic mathematician and astronomer.

Ulugh Beg is known for his work in the fields of mathematics related to astronomy, such as trigonometry and spherical geometry; he is also notable for his general interest in the arts and intellectual activities. It is thought that, in addition to Arabic, Persian, Chagatai Turkish and Mongolian, he also knew Chinese to a limited degree. During his reign (first as governor, then as de facto ruler), thanks to the interest and patronage he showed, the Timurid Empire reached the peak of the cultural flourishing known as the Timurid Renaissance. Samarkand was conquered by his father Shah Rukh and given to Ulugh Beg.

Between 1424 and 1429 Ulugh Beg had the Ulugh Beg Observatory built in Samarkand. This structure was regarded by the scholars of the period as one of the most distinguished observatories of the Islamic world and the largest in Central Asia. Thanks to this work, Ulugh Beg has been considered by many researchers to be the most important observational astronomer of the 15th century. Furthermore, between 1417 and 1420 he had the Ulugh Beg Madrasa built in Samarkand and Bukhara, transforming these cities into important centres of learning and culture in Central Asia.

By contrast, Ulugh Beg's scientific competence was not matched by equally strong administrative skills. During his short reign he failed to consolidate his authority. Taking advantage of this situation, he was deposed by rival powers — including members of his own family — and was eventually killed.

Biography

His father was Shah Rukh, the youngest son of Timur, and his mother was Gawhar Shad. He was born in 1394 in the city of Sultaniyya in Azerbaijan. His real name was Muhammad Taragay, but because he was loved by Timur he came to be known by the title "Ulugh Beg," the Turkish equivalent of the Timurid "amir-i kabir." Between 1394 and 1405 he received instruction at the court in logic, mathematics and hay'a (astronomy) as well as in the religious sciences. In 1404 Timur married him to Öge Begüm (Öge Biki), the daughter of Muhammad Sultan. He took part in the campaign that Timur was to conduct against China. However, upon Timur's death at Otrar on 18 February 1405, he set out to return to Samarkand together with his body. Although before his death Timur had chosen his grandson Pir Muhammad as his heir, another of Timur's grandsons, Khalil Sultan, began to lay claim to the throne. When the defenders of Samarkand would not let Ulugh Beg and the emirs accompanying him into the city, he had to move to Bukhara. When his safety was no longer assured in Bukhara either, he secretly fled to Herat, where his father Shah Rukh was. In 1406 he confronted Sultan Khalil near the Ceyhun (Amu Darya) at the head of the armies of his father and his cousin Pir Muhammad. However, when Sultan Khalil emerged victorious in the ensuing battle, he was forced to flee to Herat. In 1409 Shah Rukh captured Sultan Khalil and gained control of Samarkand. Ulugh Beg became its ruler under the supervision of Emir Shah Malik. Subsequently, with the suppression of the revolt of Emir Nur al-Din and the appointment of Emir Shah Malik as governor of Herat, he began to rule single-handedly over the Transoxiana region centred on Samarkand.

In the spring of 1414 he mounted a campaign against Ferghana, which was under the control of Ahmad, the son of his uncle Shaykh Umar. While ruling in Samarkand, Ulugh Beg — who generally spent his time on hunting, entertainment and conversations with scholars — had been unable to establish good relations with the shaykhs, mullahs and dervishes. During this period he began to form a friendship with one of the court falconers, Alaaddin Ali ibn Muhammad (Ali Qushji). In 1425 he mounted a campaign against the Mongols and advanced as far as the region of Lake Issyk-Kul. Having scattered the Mongols, he returned to Samarkand with a considerable amount of booty. Afterwards, although he mounted a campaign against the Uzbeks with support forces received from his father, he was defeated and had to withdraw to Samarkand. Even though the shaykhs, mullahs and dervishes did not want to let him into the city, with the support of men loyal to him he entered Samarkand and restored order. Later he again mounted a campaign against the Uzbeks and advanced as far as Tashkent. After returning from there to Samarkand, Ulugh Beg gave up his life of hunting and entertainment and began to occupy himself with scholarly pursuits. He began to develop himself by educating himself in scholarly discussions and in mathematics and astronomy. During this period he carried out work with the important scholars Qadizada al-Rumi, Ghiyath al-Din Jamshid and Ali Qushji. He initiated work on establishing an observatory near Samarkand. In October 1429 he completed the observatory.

His Works

Ulugh Beg had a madrasa and an observatory built in Samarkand. Qadizada al-Rumi presided over this madrasa. For the observatory he summoned to Samarkand all the engineers, scholars and master craftsmen in the region. He also had a room built for himself in this observatory and had all its walls and ceilings decorated with views and images of celestial bodies. He spared no expense on the construction of the observatory and on the observational instruments. The observations made at this observatory could only be completed in twelve years. He entrusted the administration of the observatory to Qadizada al-Rumi of Bursa and to Jamshid. Jamshid died when the observations were just beginning, and Qadizada died before the observations were finished. All the work of the observatory then fell to Ali Qushji, who was young at the time. On the basis of these observations Ulugh Beg compiled and completed his famous "Zij." This work, called the Zij-i Gurkani or Zij-i Jadid-i Sultani, became a work drawn upon for several centuries in both East and West. The Zij-i Gurkani was explained by various people, and two chapters of the Zij were first printed in London in 1650. It has been translated into many European languages. In 1839 its tables were printed together with a French translation, and the original work itself was printed in facsimile in 1846. One of the original copies of the Zij-i Gurkani was brought to Turkey after the Iraq–Iran wars and is still in the Hagia Sophia library. During Ulugh Beg's rule, rather than conquests, the administration was strengthened as it had been in his father's time, and important scientific developments took place.

Sources

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