Shah Jahan's Central Asian campaign

**Shah jahan's central Asian campaign** also known as **The Indian invasion of Balkh and Badakhshan** was a series of battles fought between the Mughal Empire and the Khanate of Bukhara which resulted in Shah Jahan of Hindustan occupying Balkh and southern Uzbek lands temporarily, resulting in the Imperial Army plundering and sacking the region many times.

## Backround

Shah Jahan knew that capturing Uzbek lands and adding it to Hindustan wouldn't economically benefit the empire much. However there were various other reasons for Mughals to invade Balkh and Badakhasthan, One of the primary reason was to halt the repeated Uzbek raids from Balkh into India. The Khanate of Bukhara which was the kingdom holding overlordship over the Uzbek territories of Balkh and Badakhshan was going through a period of internal strife, which made it an opportune moment to invade. Addition to this, the imperialistic inclinations of the Safavid Dynasty of Iran, which too was eyeing a foothold in Central Asia, made Shah Jahan want to anticipate any incursions from them. Moreover, Babur himself was born north of Balkh, in the fertile valley of Ferghana. He spent most of his life wandering the Khanates of Central Asia and Afghanistan, squandering one kingdom only to gain another. While the Mughals were Emperors of Hindustan and had been so for more than a century by Shah Jahan's time, Transoxiana was still ubiquitous in their imperial imaginings.

## Campaign

Shah Jahan dispatched an army 60,000 strong under the command of Prince Murad Bakhsh. The invasion was launched from Kabul and the Emperor stationed himself at Kabul to keep a close watch on it. On the face of it, Shah Jahan told Nazr Muhammad that the Mughal army will only restore order in the turkic provinces of Balkh and Badakhshan. However, Nazr Muhammad very well understood the traditional enmity between the Mughals and the Uzbek Turks. Thus decided to flee Balkh as the Mughal army closed in. Murad Bakhsh’s march had begun in June 1646, and he arrived at Balkh on 2 July. The city came under Mughal control without much resistance and the Mughal army marched in with a great show of pageantry. Nazr Muhammad was pursued and driven into Khurasan. His treasury at Balkh, worth 12 million rupees, fell into Mughal hands. Although the Rajput and other main Indian Corps of the Mughal army found the terrain inhospitable and cold. They managed to secure their conquests.

## Aftermath

Balkh and Badakhasthan was captured by the Mughals. Several Indian coins were minted in these central Asian turkic uzbek lands. Mughals held control over these territories for 7 years with Murad Baksh being it's governor. Mughals tried expanding further into Ferghana and other parts of Uzbekistan by besieging them and plundering few towns but retreated because of whether conditions, Also because it was too far from their capital in Delhi. When Mughals first occupied Balkh and other Uzbek lands. They issued a currency based not on the Central Asian system, but the Indian one.

## Infobox (military conflict)

- **conflict**: Shah Jahan's Central Asian campaign
- **image**: File:Joppen1907India1700a.jpg
- 50px
- **image title**: Mughal Empire at its greatest extent
- **partof**: Mughal-Uzbek Wars
- **date**: 1646
- **place**: Balkh, Badakhasthan, Central Asia
- **result**: **Mughal Empire, Mughal victory**
- **territory**: *Uzbek territories of Balkh and Badakhasthan Falls  to Mughal Empire, Mughal India with Murad Baksh becoming it's governor
- **combatant2**: ** Bukhara,  Khanate of Bukhara**
- **combatant1**: ** Mughal Empire**
- **commander2**: ** Nazar Muhammad khan**
- **commander1**: **Shah Jahan**
  Murad Baksh
  Aurangzeb
  Jai Singh I
- **strength2**: 120,000 Uzbek forces
- **strength1**: 60,000 cavalry
- **casualties2**: Unknown but much more
- **casualties1**: 5,000 men
- **notes**: The combatants in **bold** are sovereigns