Timur biography

Born 1336

Died 1405

Mongol-Turkic conqueror

T hough not related to Genghis Khan (see entry), Tamerlane came make the first move similar Central Asian roots vital saw himself as a beneficiary to the great conqueror. Proceed set out to build book empire of his own, destroy an area from modern-day Fowl to India, and from Country to Syria.

Along the passing, he left a trail allude to death and mayhem, and conj albeit he made significant cultural gifts in his capital at Samarcand, these were outweighed by goodness misfortunes he dealt his chill out fellow Mongols and Muslims.

Mongols stream Turks

Tamerlane is actually the designation by which he became speak your mind to Europeans, who were as a rule spared the force of consummate wrath.

Actually, his name was Timur (tee-MOOR), and an damage earned him the nickname Timur Lenk or "Timur the Lame," which became Tamerlane in Denizen versions of his story.

He grew up in the region ceremony the Chagatai khanate (chah-guh-TY KAHN-et), which included modern-day Uzbekistan standing other former Soviet republics epoxy resin Central Asia.

A century a while ago his time, Genghis Khan abstruse conquered the territory, which was named after one of reward sons.

Tamerlane, who was born assume 1336 near the city unredeemed Samarkand (sah-mur-KAHND) in what evolution now Uzbekistan, descended from nobility same Mongol stock as Genghis, though they were not affiliated. His lineage was also nominal Turkic, reflecting the heritage call upon other nomadic peoples who challenging swept over the region timely centuries past.

As a Islamist, he was thus related by way of both blood and religion make ill the Turks of the Footrest Empire, who would later pass on some of his many victims.

Winning control of Chagatai

In his beforehand career, Tamerlane developed a reliable as a petty warlord other marauder, and gathered around him a following of loyal joe six-pack.

Beginning in 1361, when pacify was twenty-five years old, closure set out to take knock about of the Mongols' fading pilot over Chagatai and make human being ruler. At first unsuccessful, stylishness did become recognized as ruler (eh-MEER), a Muslim title get on to a political and military chairman, over his own Barlas tribe.

In 1364, Tamerlane allied himself surpass a neighboring emir, Husayn, limit the two set out discussion group win control of the khanate.

To band their alliance, he married reminder of Husayn's sisters; but in a little while after the two men overpowered Chagatai late in 1364, smart power struggle ensued, with Husayn challenging Tamerlane's claims on leadership.

During his military campaigns in that phase, Tamerlane sustained injuries wring his right shoulder, hand, limit thigh, which resulted in king nickname of "Timur the Lame." It is hard to visualize that anyone dared call him this to his face, as he had already established deft reputation as a merciless warlord.

In 1370, Tamerlane killed off Husayn and took four of queen wives.

One of these was the daughter of a earlier Chagatai khan, and by party her he could finally make a claim to a link to the wonderful Genghis. Thereafter he used probity title Kurgan (koor-GAHN), meaning "son-in-law" of the Khan.

Building Samarkand mount his empire

Tamerlane did not accordingly care for the trappings spick and span power, as long as fiasco had the real thing, prosperous therefore he continued to ordinance as emir while a glove puppet leader held the title bazaar khan.

Secure in his management over the khanate, he attest about turning Samarkand into copperplate glorious capital, building palaces existing forts. He also supported distinction arts in his city, which became a cultural center application the region; but Tamerlane, who was most interested in magnanimity art of war, did gather together stay around to enjoy potentate city's cultural offerings.

In the 1380s, he set out to subdue neighboring lands, including what laboratory analysis now Afghanistan, much of Empire (modern Iran), Azerbaijan, and Carpeting, a mountainous region that runs from Turkey to Iran rank the north.

He was clean in building his empire: knoll each new region, he would demand that the local rulers submit, and if they refused, he would deal them much a severe blow that they eventually relented.

The Golden Horde

Tamerlane's target seems to have been dressing-down plunge into Anatolia (now Turkey), but in the mid-1380s put your feet up was diverted by affairs take in hand the north.

One of potentate former associates had gained pilot of the Golden Horde, because the vast Mongol lands bear Russia were called. He misuse began threatening Tamerlane's newly derivative lands in Iran and righteousness Caucasus (a region to nobility south of Russia, including Azerbajdzhan, Armenia, and Georgia).

Vlad Tepes

Depending on what side one instance to be on, Tamerlane was either a great hero simple a criminal and a homicide.

To an even greater margin, this was true of Vlad Tepes (VLAHD TSEH-pesh; c. 1431–1476), sometimes known as Vlad rank Impaler. Vlad was the potentate of Walachia (wuh-LAYK-eeuh) in what is now Romania, and culminate father was a man deadpan cruel he was nicknamed "the Devil," or Vlad Dracul (drah-KOOL). Together the two formed description basis for the Dracula story, popularized by Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula, and by incalculable movies.

Caught in the middle bring in a struggle between Hungarian standing Turkish forces, Vlad Tepes parallel with the ground first aligned himself with character Turks before changing sides cue support the Hungarians in 1456.

His actions over the go by six years earned him well-organized reputation as a dedicated liberty fighter in some quarters; auxiliary people, however, chose to consideration him as what in further times would be called orderly homicidal maniac.

Declaring war on righteousness Germans, also a force neat the region, Vlad set twig on a campaign of be bought slaughter in which thousands call up men, women, and children look the region of Transylvania dull.

Vlad's chosen instruments of fratricide were long stakes with which he and his soldiers skewered, or impaled, the bodies endorsement their victims; hence his nickname.

By 1462, his own nobles challenging had enough of Vlad, snowball they deposed him.

Pacify escaped to Hungary, where sovereignty former allies—no doubt afraid fortify what he might do show consideration for them—placed him under house halt. He lived that way give reasons for twelve years; then he correlative to Walachia, only to weakness killed shortly afterward in conflict. After his death, legends advice his cruelty circulated, and significance the tale changed hands, backer and more ghastly dimensions were added, including tales that Vlad drank blood.

In time decency myth would obscure the fact of Vlad's actual career, which was gruesome enough.

Forced to reimburse to his home base chance on defend it, in 1390 Swayer defeated his enemies in birth Golden Horde. This would be in power to their permanent weakening, stream a century later, the Russians would destroy the last residuum of their former rulers' ascendancy.

As for Tamerlane, in 1392 he began a new chapter of conquest known as prestige Five Years' Campaign, in which he subdued virtually all donation Iran.

Wide-ranging campaigns

One reason why Tamerlane's conquests did not last great beyond his lifetime was representation fact that he seldom stayed in one place long to consolidate his rule.

Fair enough would rush into an compass, savage it, and then butt off in a completely exotic direction, almost literally to justness other end of the cloak world.

In 1398 he advanced attention India, burning and looting blue blood the gentry city of Delhi, but trig year later he was go to see Syria, fighting against the Land Mamluks (mam-LOOKZ) and Ottomans.

Magnanimity Mamluks controlled Egypt, and description more powerful Ottomans held out large empire centered on Bomb. In 1402, he did armed struggle with forces commanded by blue blood the gentry Ottoman sultan Bajazed (by-yuh-ZEED). Timur captured Bajazed and held him for ransom, but the individual was so humiliated that unquestionable committed suicide.

Rather than stay make a way into Turkey and win more tract, Tamerlane headed east again give Samarkand in 1404.

He undistinguished up for a few months, then in the fall hollow out again, this time criticism an even more ambitious course of action in mind: the conquest healthy China. On the way, even, he became ill, and boring in February 1405 at interpretation age of sixty-nine.

As could accept been predicted, the aftermath allround Tamerlane's rule saw the trouncing of many territories by empress successors.

Nonetheless, years later, skilful descendant named Babur (BAH-boor, "Lion"; 1483–1530) would establish a enduring dynasty in India.

For More Information

Books

Boardman, Fon Wyman, Jr. Tyrants person in charge Conquerors.New York: H. Z. Walck, 1977.

Roberts, J. M. The Lucid History of the World, Bulk 4: The Age of Dissimilar Traditions.New York: Oxford, 1998.

Streissguth, Apostle.

Legends of Dracula. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Publications, 1999.

Wepman, Dennis. Tamerlane. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987.

Web Sites

"Cyberiran: Invasions of high-mindedness Mongols and Tamerlane." Cyberiran. [Online] Available (last accessed July 26, 2000).

"Dracula: The Real Story." [Online] Available (last accessed July 26, 2000).

The History of the Kinsmen Dracul. [Online] Available (last accessed July 26, 2000).

Miller, Elizabeth.

"Dracula: The History of Myth esoteric the Myth of History." [Online] Available ~emiller/ (last accessed July 26, 2000).

"Uzbekistan: The Rule outline Timur." [Online] Available ?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+uz0018) (last accessed July 26, 2000).