Qutb al-Din Muhammad ibn Shams al-Din Shah 'Ali

Qutb al-Din Muhammad (c. 1366 – February 11, 1419) was the Mihrabanid malik of Sistan from 1403 until his death. He was the son of Shams al-Din Shah 'Ali.

Qutb al-Din's father had served as the malik Shah-i Shahan's representative in Sistan during the latter's absence while campaigning with Timur. After Shams al-Din Shah 'Ali's death Qutb al-Din was selected by the malik as his replacement. Both Shah-i Shahan and Qutb al-Din participated in Timur's campaign against the Ottomans in 1402; on the return journey Shah-i Shahan died and Timur appointed Qutb al-Din as his successor.

After assuming the governorship of Sistan, Qutb al-Din handed out the governorship of several towns to other Mihrabanids, at the same time initiating a purge amongst the Mihrabanid ranks by executing several family members he considered troublesome. In 1405 he was summoned by Timur, who was preparing to invade China, to Otrar. At the head of an army of Sistan, Qutb al-Din marched north, but at Herat he received news of Timur's death from Shah Rukh and turned around. Shah Rukh, who established himself as the ruler of Khurasan in the aftermath of Timur's death, confirmed Qutb al-Din's position as governor of Sistan.

Soon after Qutb al-Din's ascension the neighboring province of Farah was invaded by one of Shah Rukh's commanders, Hasan Jandar. Fearing that Hasan Jandar would target Sistan next, Qutb al-Din gave refuge to the malik of Farah, Iksandar ibn Inaltigin. He then dispatched an army to Farah, which drove out Hasan Jandar and put Iksandar back on his throne.

In the fall of 1408 Sistan was invaded by Shah Rukh, who had been angered by Qutb al-Din's failure to acknowledge the Timurid's suzerainty in the khutba or on the coinage, and by the malik's grant of refuge to one of Shah Rukh's rivals, Abu Bakr ibn Miran Shah. Uq was captured and Abu Bakr fled Sistan, but Shah Rukh was reluctant to risk a battle with the Mihrabanid army outside Shahr-i Sistan. Instead, the Timurids went around Sistan destroying agricultural fields and dams, which caused famine in the province. Shah Rukh then departed for Herat, leaving behind some of his forces and appointing a rival Mihrabanid, Shah Sultan ibn Shah Khusraw ibn Shah Arslan as governor of Sistan.

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