| Muhammad Mirza محمد میرزا | |
|---|---|
| TimuridPrince | |
 Sultan Muhammad, son of Miran Shah | |
| Spouse | Shah Islam |
| Issue | Sultan Abu Sa'id Mirza Manuchihr Mirza |
| Dynasty | Timurid |
| Father | Miran Shah |
| Mother | Mihr Nush |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
Sultan Muhammad Mirza (Persian:محمد میرزا) was aTimurid prince and grandson of theCentral Asian conquerorTimur by his third sonMiran Shah. Little is known about his life, though through his sonSultan Abu Sa'id Mirza, he was the great-grandfather ofBabur, founder of theMughal Empire ofIndia.
Muhammad Mirza was the sixth son ofMiran Shah, himself the third son ofTimur.[1] According toAbu'l Fazl, theGrand Vizier of his descendantAkbar, Muhammad Mirza's mother was Mihr Nush of the Fulad Qiya tribe.[2][note 1] OrientalistHenry Beveridge stated that, while he does not know of this tribe, the fact that Muhammad Mirza is described as always living with his brotherKhalil Sultan suggests that the two were likely full-siblings.[4] This would imply that 'Mihr Nush' was an alternate name for Khalil Sultan's motherKhanzada Begum, the daughter ofAq Sufi Qunqirat ofKhwarezm and granddaughter ofJani Beg, Khan of theGolden Horde.[5]
Muhammad Mirza was at some point appointed governor ofSamarqand and married Shah Islam, daughter of Suhrab Kurd. She was a relative ofIzz al-din Shir, theKurdish ruler ofHakkâri and a former adversary ofTimur.[6][7][8] By this marriage he had two sons: Manuchihr Mirza (d. 1468) andAbu Sa'id Mirza.[7]
The date of Muhammad Mirza's death is not recorded.[1] TheZafarnama does not include his name among the thirty-six sons and grandsons of Timur who were alive as of 807Hijri (1404 – 1405). This, along with the fact that he was not mentioned byClavijo during his 1404 visit to Timur's court, ledHenry Beveridge to theorise that Muhammad Mirza had by this point already died, predeceasing his father and grandfather.[2] However, this contradicts references to him living withKhalil Sultan in 1410, during the reign of their uncleShah Rukh.[5]
During his fatal illness, Muhammad Mirza was visited by his cousinUlugh Beg, with whom he had shared a close relationship. The dying prince entrusted to Ulugh Beg the guardianship of his sonAbu Sa'id Mirza, who was then raised under his care.[4]