Upon the death of the Sufi saint Khwaja Najamuddin Ahmed Mushtaq (507-577 A.H.; 1129-1199 C.E.), the two elder sons - Khwaja Baha-ud-din Muhammad and Khwaja Nizam-ud-din Ali - could not decide as to who should be their father's successor while the third son - Khwaja Rukun-ud-din Hussain - kept quiet.
In 1220 CE, Genghis Khan invaded Afghanistan and the Muslim provinces with widespread destruction, looting, and death.