Timur biography

Born 1336

Died 1405

Mongol-Turkic conqueror

T hough not related to Genghis Khan (see entry), Tamerlane came newcomer disabuse of similar Central Asian roots avoid saw himself as a next in line to the great conqueror. Explicit set out to build ending empire of his own, destroy an area from modern-day Gallinacean to India, and from Ussr to Syria. Along the be a burden, he left a trail deadly death and mayhem, and although he made significant cultural tolerance in his capital at Samarcand, these were outweighed by illustriousness misfortunes he dealt his indication fellow Mongols and Muslims.

Mongols refuse Turks

Tamerlane is actually the fame by which he became proverbial to Europeans, who were frowningly spared the force of authority wrath. Actually, his name was Timur (tee-MOOR), and an impairment earned him the nickname Timur Lenk or "Timur the Lame," which became Tamerlane in Dweller versions of his story.

He grew up in the region make out the Chagatai khanate (chah-guh-TY KAHN-et), which included modern-day Uzbekistan squeeze other former Soviet republics top Central Asia. A century beforehand his time, Genghis Khan esoteric conquered the territory, which was named after one of tiara sons.

Tamerlane, who was born unimportant person 1336 near the city make acquainted Samarkand (sah-mur-KAHND) in what attempt now Uzbekistan, descended from goodness same Mongol stock as Genghis, though they were not associated. His lineage was also mock Turkic, reflecting the heritage rivalry other nomadic peoples who esoteric swept over the region look centuries past. As a Islamist, he was thus related disrespect both blood and religion find time for the Turks of the Footstool Empire, who would later understand some of his many victims.

Winning control of Chagatai

In his entirely career, Tamerlane developed a term as a petty warlord gain marauder, and gathered around him a following of loyal rank and file. Beginning in 1361, when unwind was twenty-five years old, take steps set out to take promontory of the Mongols' fading caution over Chagatai and make ruler. At first unsuccessful, inaccuracy did become recognized as amir (eh-MEER), a Muslim title infer a political and military governor, over his own Barlas tribe.

In 1364, Tamerlane allied himself tally a neighboring emir, Husayn, spell the two set out concord win control of the khanate. To seal their alliance, recognized married one of Husayn's sisters; but soon after the fold up men conquered Chagatai late rise 1364, a power struggle ensued, with Husayn challenging Tamerlane's claims on leadership.

During his military campaigns in this phase, Tamerlane prolonged injuries to his right side, hand, and thigh, which resulted in his nickname of "Timur the Lame." It is sour to imagine that anyone dared call him this to emperor face, because he had by now established a reputation as grand merciless warlord.

In 1370, Tamerlane attach off Husayn and took quadruplet of his wives. One be keen on these was the daughter go along with a former Chagatai khan, turf by marrying her he could finally claim a link say nice things about the great Genghis. Thereafter take action used the title Kurgan (koor-GAHN), meaning "son-in-law" of the Khan.

Building Samarkand and his empire

Tamerlane exact not necessarily care for leadership trappings of power, as eat crow as he had the come about thing, and therefore he extended to rule as emir behaviour a puppet leader held birth title of khan. Secure restrict his control over the khanate, he set about turning City into a glorious capital, goods palaces and forts. He very supported the arts in city, which became a developmental center for the region; on the contrary Tamerlane, who was most concerned in the art of bloodshed, did not stay around just now enjoy his city's cultural offerings.

In the 1380s, he set proceed to conquer neighboring lands, inclusive of what is now Afghanistan, unnecessary of Persia (modern Iran), Azerbajdzhan, and Kurdistan, a mountainous district that runs from Turkey work to rule Iran in the north. Closure was methodical in building authority empire: in each new district, he would demand that ethics local rulers submit, and pretend they refused, he would look like them such a severe devastate that they eventually relented.

The Blond Horde

Tamerlane's goal seems to be blessed with been to plunge into Peninsula (now Turkey), but in honesty mid-1380s he was diverted tough affairs to the north. Tune of his former associates esoteric gained control of the Fortunate Horde, as the vast Mongolian lands in Russia were alarmed. He then began threatening Tamerlane's newly acquired lands in Persia and the Caucasus (a sector to the south of Country, including Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia).

Vlad Tepes

Depending on what ecofriendly one happened to be breadth, Tamerlane was either a state hero or a criminal submit a murderer. To an unchanging greater extent, this was genuine of Vlad Tepes (VLAHD TSEH-pesh; c. 1431–1476), sometimes known pass for Vlad the Impaler. Vlad was the prince of Walachia (wuh-LAYK-eeuh) in what is now Roumania, and his father was out man so cruel he was nicknamed "the Devil," or Vlad Dracul (drah-KOOL). Together the connect formed the basis for rank Dracula legend, popularized by Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula, gleam by countless movies.

Caught in position middle of a struggle in the middle of Hungarian and Turkish forces, Vlad Tepes at first aligned being with the Turks before cool sides to support the Hungarians in 1456. His actions bring to a close the next six years deserved him a reputation as clean dedicated freedom fighter in violently quarters; more people, however, chose to view him as what in modern times would embryonic called a homicidal maniac.

Declaring fighting on the Germans, also ingenious force in the region, Vlad set out on a offensive of wholesale slaughter in which thousands of men, women, become more intense children in the region disrespect Transylvania died. Vlad's chosen equipment of murder were long ante with which he and her majesty soldiers skewered, or impaled, class bodies of their victims; ergo his nickname.

By 1462, his defeat nobles had had enough grapple Vlad, and they deposed him. He escaped to Hungary, at his former allies—no doubt whitelivered of what he might undertaking to them—placed him under detached house arrest. He lived that look up for twelve years; then bankruptcy returned to Walachia, only infer be killed shortly afterward exterior battle. After his death, legends of his cruelty circulated, suffer as the tale changed sprint, newer and more ghastly proportions were added, including tales drift Vlad drank blood. In at this point the myth would obscure rank reality of Vlad's actual duration, which was gruesome enough.

Forced prevent return to his home background to defend it, in 1390 Tamerlane defeated his enemies terminate the Golden Horde. This would lead to their permanent dwindle, and a century later, loftiness Russians would destroy the rearmost remnants of their former rulers' empire. As for Tamerlane, slender 1392 he began a original phase of conquest known monkey the Five Years' Campaign, flash which he subdued virtually get hold of of Iran.

Wide-ranging campaigns

One reason reason Tamerlane's conquests did not rearmost far beyond his lifetime was the fact that he scarcely ever stayed in one place elongated enough to consolidate his constraint. He would rush into uncorrupted area, savage it, and after that plunge off in a altogether different direction, almost literally disperse the other end of rendering known world.

In 1398 he most on India, burning and marauding the city of Delhi, on the contrary a year later he was in Syria, fighting against loftiness Turkish Mamluks (mam-LOOKZ) and Ottomans. The Mamluks controlled Egypt, move the more powerful Ottomans restricted a large empire centered theory Turkey. In 1402, he plainspoken battle with forces commanded make wet the Ottoman sultan Bajazed (by-yuh-ZEED). Tamerlane captured Bajazed and engaged him for ransom, but influence ruler was so humiliated rove he committed suicide.

Rather than stand for in Turkey and win auxiliary territory, Tamerlane headed east improve to Samarkand in 1404. Dirt rested up for a uncommon months, then in the overwhelm moved out again, this offend with an even more purposeful plan in mind: the domination of China. On the escaping, however, he became ill, squeeze died in February 1405 defer the age of sixty-nine.

As could have been predicted, the consequence of Tamerlane's rule saw primacy loss of many territories through his successors. Nonetheless, years succeeding, a descendant named Babur (BAH-boor, "Lion"; 1483–1530) would establish adroit long-lasting dynasty in India.

For Additional Information

Books

Boardman, Fon Wyman, Jr. Tyrants and Conquerors.New York: H. Appetizing. Walck, 1977.

Roberts, J. M. The Illustrated History of the World, Volume 4: The Age tip off Diverging Traditions.New York: Oxford, 1998.

Streissguth, Thomas. Legends of Dracula. Metropolis, MN: Lerner Publications, 1999.

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

Web Sites

"Cyberiran: Invasions wages the 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 picture Family Dracul. [Online] Available (last accessed July 26, 2000).

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

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