The Jalayirid sultanate, a Mongol descendant dynasty that has ruled over Iraq and western Persia since the breakup of the Mongol Khanate of Persia (or Ilkhanate) in the 1330s, has been disrupted by the conquests of the Chagatai amir Timur and the revolts of the "Black sheep Turks" or Kara Koyunlu.

In 1393, Timur had renewed the war with Sultan Ahmad, arrived at Baghdad, where Ahmad was residing, near the end of August.

Deciding that defending the city was impossible, Ahmad had fled and traveled to Mamluk Syria, and had been granted asylum by Sultan Berquq.

Although Baghdad had been forced to pay a ransom and many captives, including Ahmad's son Ala al-Daula, had been taken with Timur when he left the city, most of the citizenry had been left unharmed.

A Sarbadar, Khwaja Mas'ud Sabzavari, had been given control of the city with his three thousand troops.

In 1394, Ahmad had returned to Baghdad and Khwaja Mas'ud had withdrawn his forces to Shushtar rather than fight.

As a result, Ahmad has able to regain control of the city for the past six years.

He has grown increasingly unpopular, however, and in 1397 or 1398 an unsuccessful conspiracy had been hatched against him.

Feeling unsafe in Baghdad, he had left the city and requested the assistance of the Black Sheep under Qara Yusuf.

The Turkmen had arrived at the city, but Ahmad had had a difficult time in preventing them from plundering Baghdad, and he eventually turned them back.

In 1398, Timur's son and governor of Azerbaijan, Miran Shah, had attempted to take Baghdad but Ahmad had successfully resisted him.