Battle of Merv

The Battle of Merv (Persian: نبرد مرو) occurred on 2 December 1510 as a result of Shah Ismail I's Safavid invasion of the Khorasan region of Uzbek. It ended with Safavid annexation of the Khorasan region.

Battle of Merv
Part of the Persian–Uzbek wars
A fresco "Battle of Merv between Shah Ismail I (center) and the Uzbek khan Muhammad Shaybani in 1510" in Chehel Sotoun palace in Isfahan, painted circa 1647.
Date 2 December 1510[1] Location Merv, Khorasan, Turkmenistan Result Safavid victory[2] Territorial changes Safavids regain control of Khorasan
Belligerents
Safavid Iran	Khanate of Bukhara
Commanders and leaders
Shah Ismail I	Muhammad Shaybani †
Strength
17,000[3]	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown	10,000 killed[4]

Battle

Shah Ismail reached Khorasan with great speed; Shaybani Khan retreated to Merv castle to await reinforcement from Uzbek tribes. The Safavid army then pretended to retreat, encouraging the Uzbeks to leave the castle in pursuit, only to be ambushed and destroyed by the Qizilbash ("Red Heads") troops of Shah Ismail once they were too far from the castle to regain its safety. The Safavid forces were reportedly heavily outnumbered by the army of Shaybani Khan, who was caught and killed trying to escape the battle. Shah Ismail had his body parts sent to various areas of the empire for display, while famously having his skull coated in gold and made into a jeweled drinking goblet.^[5]

See also

• Shi'a-Sunni relations
• Battle of Ghazdewan