The caliphal army's takeover of Isfahan (591 AH)
ملك عسكر الخليفة أصفهان
1195 CE · 591 AH
591: al-Nasir's troops under Sayf al-Din Tughril entered Isfahan after Sadr al-Din al-Khujandi — ra'is of its Shafi'is and de facto second ruler — offered the city to Baghdad's Diwan; the hated Khwarazmian garrison withdrew to Khurasan with the caliphals taking stragglers — a rare Abbasid territorial gain deep in the Jibal 1.
At a glance
- Era
- The Crusades, Ayyubids and Mamluks
- Region
- Persia & Central Asia
- Review
- Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it
In time
Overview
In 591 AH the army of the caliph al-Nasir li-Din Allah entered Isfahan, after the head of the Shafi'is there offered to surrender the city. 2
The account
The caliph equipped an army under Sayf al-Din Toghril for Isfahan. There were troops of the Khwarazm-shah in it with his son, and the people disliked them. Sadr al-Din al-Khujandi, head of the Shafi'is, wrote to the court in Baghdad offering the surrender of the city. 2
Entry
The court's army came to the outskirts of the city, and the Khwarazmians left for Khurasan; some of their rearguard were caught and taken. The caliph's army entered Isfahan and took it. 3
Connections
- Had participant
- Sadr al-Din al-Khujandi
People and things also explored
Sources
- al-Kamil fi'l-Tarikh of Ibn al-Athir, p. 238-239
- al-Kamil fi'l-Tarikh of Ibn al-Athir, p.238
- al-Kamil fi'l-Tarikh of Ibn al-Athir, p.239
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “The caliphal army's takeover of Isfahan (591 AH)”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/isfahan-caliphal-591/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-17.