Death·Later empires
Ulugh Beg Killed Near Samarkand
- Date
- October 1449 CE853 AH577 years ago
- Place
- Samarkand, Timurid Empire
- People
- Ulugh Beg, Abd al-Latif
Ulugh Beg, the Timurid ruler and astronomer, was killed near Samarkand in October 1449. His son Abd al-Latif had turned against him, and a religious court ruled against him. Ulugh Beg had built a large observatory and made star observations for years. After his death the observatory fell out of use, and its main building did not survive.
Why it matters
Abd al-Latif's rise ended Ulugh Beg's rule and split the Timurid family in Transoxiana.