One of the most famous personalities in world history is Amir Temur, a great commander and statesman of the Middle Ages. He was called differently - Lame Gurgan, but everywhere the name of this conqueror was pronounced with horror. Amir Temur, the great commander, inspired awe in all nations. The biography of this ruler and military leader will be the subject of our discussion.

Pedigree

First of all, let's find out the pedigree of the great conqueror. The ancestors of Amir Temur came from the Mongolian Barlas tribe, which had largely become Turkish by the time of his birth. Its ancestor is considered to be Baralutai, the son of Khachiu.

Let's take a look at interesting facts from the life of Amir Temur.

It is known that even in his youth he was captured together with his brother-in-arms Hussein by one of the Turkmen princes. They intended to sell them into slavery. Only thanks to the intercession of the brother of this ruler, Temur and Hussein were released.

One of Tamerlane's main hobbies was playing shatranj, which is considered the founder of modern chess.

Characteristic

Of course, it is difficult to give a full description of such a versatile personality as Amir Temur was. A short biography does not allow us to do this fully. Nevertheless, we know that Tamerlane was interested not only in war and the conduct of state affairs, but devoted quite a lot of time to science and art.

Of course, Amir Temur was one of the brightest personalities of his era. He was a strong-willed and purposeful man who, thanks to incredible charisma and extraordinary intelligence, managed to create the greatest empire.

Participation in wars: War for power. Hiking to Mogolistan. War with the Golden Horde. Hikes to Iran and the Caucasus. A three-year campaign into the Mongolian possessions. March on India. War with the Ottoman Empire. War with the Egyptian Sultans. Trip to China.
Participation in battles: Battle in the gorges west of Issyk-Kul. Battle of the Kondurcha River. Battle of Terek. Angora battle. Conquest of Balkh, Shibergan, Badkhiz, Seistan. Capture of Khorasan, Serax, Jami, Qausia, Isferain, Tue, Kelat, Astrabad, Amuli, Sari, Sultaniya, Tabriz. The devastation of Azov, Kafu, Sarai-Batu, Astrakhan. Capture of Sivas, Aleppo, Damascus, Smyrna

(Tamerlan) Great commander of the Middle Ages, founder of the largest power of the era, winner of the Golden Horde

The Great Timur, who almost repeated his success Genghis Khan in creating a worldwide empire, born in 1336

In Europe, he became known as Tamerlane (this comes from the Persian “Timurleng” - “lame Timur”) and as the “iron lame.” He called himself a “gurgan” - that is, a “son-in-law” of the house of the descendants of Genghis Khan, although no relative Chingizids was not. The conquered peoples fearfully called it Sahibkiran, which means victorious - the owner of a lucky combination of stars. Truly he was a lucky man and a darling of fate. And truly - a horror for his enemies: one only has to remember Vereshchagin’s painting “The Apotheosis of War” with a mound of skulls. This is exactly how Timur preferred to communicate with rebellious captives who did not want to recognize his will over their fate.

And there were many of them - for Timur’s saber swing reached far. To many countries. He was a worthy spiritual successor Genghis Khan, who saw the limits of his empire where the hooves of Mongol horses could reach. Timur developed this idea even further: “The entire space of the inhabited part of the world does not deserve to have more than one king.” Timur himself.

Formally, Timur never proclaimed himself a khan and always kept with him dummy khans from Chingizidov. Thus, he demonstrated his loyalty to the covenants Genghis Khan and once again reminded everyone of his own roots. He was of Barlas origin - a representative of one of the four Chagatai tribes, descendants of nomads who once came to Central Asia with Genghis Khan and his heirs.

Timur was born into the family of Barlas bek Toragai, a poor but influential man, in the village of Khoja Ilgar, not far from the city of Shakhrisyabz. He was raised as a future warrior and early became a good rider and an excellent archer. But Timur never forgot that he was the son of a bek, and therefore he always tried to be the leader in all children's games. By nature he was a true leader and therefore, already in adolescence, he acquired for himself four devoted nukers (future warriors, for now - only horse servants). At the head of his nukers, he famously attacked distant and close neighbors, stealing almost every day a sheep, a cow, and occasionally a horse - the main value of yesterday's nomads.

At first, for Timur it was a brave thing, an attempt to prove to everyone, and above all to himself, that he could already live according to the great law of nomads, who consider everything that a neighbor cannot protect or hide as theirs. Over time, this great nomadic wisdom became clear to young Timur. For, following her, he became stronger and stronger. Not only by his own strength and polished military skills, but also by the number of his supporters. For the captured booty testified to his luck, one of the most necessary qualities of a future leader. The rumor about her spread throughout the area. As did the news of his generosity, for he divided everything he got with his unstinting hand among his associates. Believing that this booty is not what he wants for himself. That everything is still ahead of him. And the surrounding youth whispered about this among themselves, deciding to throw in their lot with Timur. Soon he had more nukers. And the goals of his detachment became different - the extraction of entire villages, caravans of merchants passing by.

In 1361 Timur offered his services Mongol Khan Toklug-Timur, who appeared with his army in Transoxiana. So Timurleng became the ruler of Kashkadarya.

Soon the khan sent his son as governor of the entire country. But Timur, who collected soldiers without sparing the treasury, refused to recognize the power of the khan’s son over Kashkadarya and declared himself an independent ruler.

This was largely possible thanks to Emir Hussein, grandson of the great Emir of Kazagan. The emir saw great potential in the young robber and began to help him, relying in his policy on the growing strength of Timur. They became related - and Hussein’s sister Uljay Turkan-aga became the beloved wife of Timur, from now on also the emir.

Together the two emirs went on campaigns against their neighbors. They were looking for glory, but more so for booty. For Hussein was never lazy to repeat that the strong are always right. However, he was not the only one who thought so - and therefore not every joint raid was successful. Once in Seistan, together with Hussein, they attacked shepherds guarding a flock of sheep. But this time they were ambushed. Most of Timur's detachment was cut down. They wounded him in the right leg with a saber blow, knocked him off his horse and tried to finish him off on the ground.

Wounded, he accepted the battle and emerged victorious. True, he lost two fingers on his right hand, which fell under the cunning striking blow of the horseman. But Timur managed to kill the enemy with his left hand. In 1365, someone expelled from here after his death came to Transoxiana. Toklug-Timur his son Ilyas Khoja. Timur and Hussein, having recruited an army, went to meet him. The troops met between Chinaz and Tashkent. And so began what will go down in history as “ mud battle" Heavy rain turned the clay into sticky mud. Timur and Hussein were forced to flee to Samarkand, Hussein’s possession, and further beyond the Amu Darya, to the Balkh region, leaving the battlefield and their lands to the winner.

Luckily for the people of Samarkand, there were many serbedars in the city, which means “gallows,” for the serbedars said that it was better to die on the gallows than to submit to the Mongols. Timur and Hussein by this time had already become close to the local population, while Ilyas Khoja was a real Mongol khan. And the Serbedars swore to defend the city from him.

They left the main roads free, but blocked the internal narrow streets with barricades and chained them on top. Archers were placed above the key barricades. And they hit the Mongols from the flanks when they, not expecting a trick, were drawn into the city. In the first ambush battle Ilyas Khoja lost about two thousand soldiers. The rest were drawn into a grueling urban war. Soon the invaders suffered another blow - a pestilence began among their horses: out of every four, only one survived. A Mongol without a horse is not a warrior, and their khan hastily retreated from Samarkand, leading his army, which was almost on foot.

The Serbedars remained the masters of the city. A few months later they returned to Samarkand Hussein and Timur. They did not return immediately - they were saving up their strength so that they would have something to oppose to the armed townspeople, who had tasted victory over a strong enemy and were now not particularly eager to submit to the old rulers again.

Without entering the city, the emirs stopped in a small village and widely informed everyone that they fully approved of all the actions of the Serbedars and invited their leaders to their headquarters. The first ceremonial reception was held in an atmosphere of love and friendship - all the Serbedar rulers were shown almost royal signs of attention. Rumors of such an honor spread widely throughout the area. The next day, Hussein and Timur again invited the people of Samarkand to their place to talk about business, about the future of the city. They invited me, knowing that they couldn’t come to an agreement. They didn’t really try - almost immediately they were captured and accused of usurping power, violating the rights of the existing dynasty, and causing offense to worthy people of the city...

Almost immediately after the accusations were made, the Serbedar leaders were executed. And Samarkand, shocked by the determination of the emirs, unconditionally recognized their power.

Soon disagreements began between father-in-law and son-in-law, each of whom wanted to be the first in the country. The disagreement ended in 1370 with the death of Hussein. In the same year, the military leaders of Maverannahr proclaimed Timur the sole sovereign of the country, and Timur himself appointed Chingizid Suyurgatmysh as khan, the first of a chain of dummy khans, under whom he would be the real ruler for many decades.

In 1372 Timur moved march to Khorezm, an ancient and rich country, and a year later he undertook another campaign. The result of the two campaigns was the humility of Khorezm and the entry of its southern part into the state of Timur.

Soon from White Horde ran to Timur Emir Tokhtamysh, the son of the closest associate of the Khan of the White Horde, who was recently executed for speaking out against the intention of the Khan of the White Horde to unite the entire ulus Jochi, subjugating the Golden Horde.

Timur helped several times Tokhtamysh organize a campaign against the Khan of the White Horde. Finally, in 1379 Tokhtamysh became the khan of the White Horde, immediately forgetting about Timur’s help and deciding to become the head of everything himself ulus Jochi.

Fulfilling this intention, he soon after the defeat Mom, I on the Kulikovo field Dmitry Donskoy in the same 1380 he defeated again Mom, I on the Kalka River. After which he became the single khan of the Golden and White Hordes, i.e. ulus Jochi.

His aggressive policy in Transcaucasia increasingly came into conflict with Timur. Thus, Tokhtamysh incited the Shah of Khorezm to fight against Timur. He responded by marching towards Northern Khorezm.

Its ruler, Yusuf Sufi, closed with his army in his capital, Urgench. Seeing the inaccessibility of the walls of this fortress city, Timur threw his army with fiery lava against the surrounding villages. Then Yusuf decided to try his luck and offered to meet Timur in a personal duel.

Timur accepted the challenge - despite everyone's persuasion. In light armor, with a saber and shield, he shouted for a long time at the city moat, calling Yusuf and reminding that death is better than breaking one's word. Yusuf did not come out, suddenly remembering Timur's glory as a skilled warrior.

Urgench held out for almost three more months. The last assault, which broke the defenders, took place after the death of Yusuf, who defended himself to the end. The city fell. For ten days it was robbed, burned and destroyed by the will of Timur. Of all the buildings, only one mosque with minarets survived as a result of this. Timur ordered the rest of the land, which until recently had been a beautiful city, to be sown with barley, so that not a trace would remain of the city that dared to resist him.

Timur walked three times march on Tokhtamysh. In 1391, at the head of a 200,000-strong army between present-day Samara and Chistopol, he defeated the khan. In 1395, in the Terek Valley, Timur again defeated Tokhtamysh, moved to his capital - the city of Saray Berke, in the Volga region, and captured it. The cities of Crimea, the Sea of ​​Azov, the Volga delta, and the North Caucasus also came under Timur’s attack.

After this blow, the Golden Horde never recovered. Which largely ensured the end of the yoke in Rus' in 1480.

During these same years, Timur made several long campaigns. Their goal is conquest and extraction. 1381— trip to Iran, to Herat, which Timur took by storm, capturing large amounts of valuables and people.

A few years later he captured Seistan(its capital - Zaranj - will be crushed by the army of conquerors: all the walls are demolished to the ground, all the inhabitants are killed), so by the mid-80s most of Eastern Iran belonged to Timur. And by the end of the century - three campaigns later - he will conquer all of Iran. It was on these trips - when conquest of the city of Isfahan- 70 thousand people were killed, from which high towers were built by the will of the emir...

He loved such constructions from his victims. Isfahan Towers- the most famous. But there was a construction of a tower of two thousand living people, layered with broken bricks and clay, during the capture of the Afghan city of Isfizar.

Sometimes he simply ordered the rebellious to be buried alive - this is how four thousand people died during the conquest of the Asia Minor city of Sivas. And before the general battle with the Delhi Sultan, on his orders, one hundred thousand prisoners were slaughtered - Timur heard a rumor that his unarmed prisoners were allegedly preparing to stab him in the back at the most critical moment.

His troops awed not only the East, but also the West. In 1392, Armenia and Georgia became his possessions, and five years later - Azerbaijan.

The next year he goes on a campaign to India, takes over Delhi and takes out huge booty from there, including two white parrots, who for many years “guarded” the peace of the Sultans of Delhi.

Immediately after completing his campaign in India in 1400, he began to fight against Turkish Sultan

1. The real name of one of the greatest commanders in world history is Timur ibn Taragay Barlas, which means “Timur son of Taragai from the Barlas family.” Various Persian sources mention a derogatory nickname Timur-e Liang, that is "Timur the Lame", given to the commander by his enemies. "Timur-e Liang" migrated to Western sources as "Tamerlane". Having lost its derogatory meaning, it became the second historical name of Timur.

2. Since childhood, he loved hunting and war games, Timur was a strong, healthy, physically developed person. Anthropologists who studied the commander’s tomb in the 20th century noted that the biological age of the conqueror who died at 68, judging by the condition of the bones, did not exceed 50 years.

Reconstruction of Tamerlane's appearance based on his skull. Mikhail Mikhailovich Gerasimov, 1941 Photo: Public Domain

3. From the time of Genghis Khan Only the Chingizids could bear the title of Great Khan. That is why Timur formally bore the title of emir (leader). At the same time, in 1370 he managed to become related to the Chingizids by marrying his daughter Kazan KhanBarn-mulkHanim. After this, Timur received the prefix Gurgan to his name, which means “son-in-law,” which allowed him to live and act freely in the houses of the “natural” Chingizids.

4. In 1362, Timur, who was waging a guerrilla war against the Mongols, was seriously injured during the battle in Seistan, losing two fingers on his right hand and receiving a severe wound to his right leg. The wound, the pain from which haunted Timur for the rest of his life, led to lameness and the appearance of the nickname “Timur the Lame.”

5. Over several decades of virtually continuous wars, Timur managed to create a huge state, which included Transoxiana (the historical region of Central Asia), Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He himself gave the created state the name Turan.

Conquests of Tamerlane. Source: Public Domain

6. At the peak of his power, Timur had at his disposal an army of about 200 thousand soldiers. It was organized according to a system created by Genghis Khan - tens, hundreds, thousands, as well as tumens (units of 10 thousand people). A special management body, whose functions were similar to the modern Ministry of Defense, was responsible for order in the army and its provision with everything necessary.

7. In 1395, Timur’s army found itself in Russian lands for the first and last time. The conqueror did not consider Russian territories as an object for annexation to his power. The cause of the invasion was Timur’s struggle with the Golden Horde Khan Tokhtamysh. And although Timur’s army devastated part of the Russian lands, capturing Yelets, in general the conqueror, with his victory over Tokhtamysh, contributed to the fall of the influence of the Golden Horde on the Russian principalities.

8. The conqueror Timur was illiterate and in his youth did not receive any education other than military education, but at the same time he was a very talented and capable person. According to the chronicles, he spoke several languages, loved to talk with scientists and demanded that works on history be read aloud to him. Possessing a brilliant memory, he then cited historical examples in conversations with scientists, which greatly surprised them.

9. Waging bloody wars, Timur brought from his campaigns not only material booty, but also scientists, artisans, artists, and architects. Under him, there was an active restoration of cities, the founding of new ones, the construction of bridges, roads, irrigation systems, as well as the active development of science, painting, secular and religious education.

Monument to Tamerlane in Uzbekistan. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

10. Timur had 18 wives, among whom are often distinguished Uljay-Turkana yeah And Barn-mulk Hanim. These women, who are called “Timur’s beloved wives,” were relatives of each other: if Uljay-Turkan aga was the sister of Timur’s comrade-in-arms Emir Hussein, then Sarai-mulk khanum is his widow.

11. Back in 1398, Timur began preparing for his conquest in China, which began in 1404. As often happens in history, the Chinese were saved by chance - the campaign that had begun was interrupted due to an early and extremely cold winter, and in February 1405 Timur died.

Tomb of Tamerlane. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

12. One of the most famous legends associated with the name of the great commander is associated with the “curse of Tamerlane’s grave.” Allegedly, immediately after the opening of Timur’s grave, a great and terrible war should begin. Indeed, Soviet archaeologists opened the tomb of Timur in Samarkand on June 20, 1941, that is, two days before the start of the Great Patriotic War. Skeptics, however, recall that the plan to attack the USSR was approved in Nazi Germany long before the opening of Timur’s grave. As for the inscriptions promising trouble to those who open the grave, they were no different from similar ones made on other burials of Timur’s era, and were intended to scare away tomb robbers. It is worth noting one more point - the famous Soviet anthropologist and archaeologist Mikhail Gerasimov, who not only participated in the opening of the tomb, but also restored Timur’s appearance from his skull, lived safely until 1970.

• Timur was born in 1336 in Kesh (now Shakhrisabz), a city south of Samarkand (region of modern Uzbekistan).
• Timur's father, Taragai, most likely was the leader of the Mongol-Turkic Barlas tribe and descended from Genghis Khan.
• In his youth, Timur served in the army of Kazgan, the ruler of Mesopotamia.
• Around 1361 - Timur becomes the son-in-law of Kazgan's grandson, Emir Hussein.
• Throughout his life, Tamerlane would have several dozen wives and a corresponding number of children. The sons of the conqueror became governors of the conquered lands.
• 1361 - 1370 - Timur and Hussein fight in Mesopotamia, trying to conquer it.
• Around 1370 - Timur rebels against Hussein and takes him prisoner. After this, he announces that he is a descendant of Genghis Khan and intends to revive the Mongol empire. Timur made Samarkand the capital of his empire.
• Famous for his extraordinary cruelty, Timur strives for the equally extraordinary grandeur and beauty of his capital. The beauty and luxury of Samarkand are more than once enthusiastically described by travelers of that time.
• 1370 - 1380 - Tamerlane goes towards his goal. He fights with numerous khans and conquers Khorezm. Timur is known as an extremely cruel conqueror, and many cities themselves open their gates to him, solemnly welcoming their conquerors.
• 1380 - Timur intervenes in the conflict between the Golden Horde and Rus'. He helps Khan Tokhtamysh defeat the ruling Khan Mamai and take the throne. Thanks to this, Moscow was captured in 1382 in revenge for the defeat on the Kulikovo Field.
• 1381 - Timur conquers Persia.
• 1382 - 1385 - Khorasan and Eastern Persia were conquered.
• 1386 - 1387 - Tamerlane conquers Fars, Iraq, Azerbaijan and Armenia.
• 1389 - campaign in the Mongol possessions. In the northern direction, Timur then reaches the Irtysh.
• 1389 - 1395 - during this period, Timur periodically and with varying success fought with Tokhtamysh.
• 1391 - during his campaign against the Golden Horde, Timur reaches the Volga.
• 1394 - Mesopotamia and Georgia come under the rule of Timur.
• 1395 - Tokhtamysh leads his troops to the Caucasus. Timur finally defeats him on the Kura River and pursues him across Russian territory. Here the conqueror invades the Ryazan lands and ravages Yelets. After this, his army stood motionless for two weeks.
• Realizing the threat to Moscow, the Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily I Dmitrievich leads his army to the banks of the Oka River near Kolomna. The Moscow troops are smaller in number than the Mongol ones, and many fear that the Russians will not survive the first battle. Then Metropolitan Cyprian orders the miraculous Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God to be brought from Vladimir. On August 26, the icon is brought to Moscow, and on the same day (according to legend) Tamerlane’s army turns back. Since then, the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God has been considered the patroness of Moscow, and August 26 is the Orthodox church holiday of the Presentation of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. The Russian epic describes this incident; Timur in these sources is called “Temir Aksak-Tsar”.
• A more official version of the fact that Tamerlane did not go to Moscow is the need to return to Persia, where uprisings constantly break out, and therefore the presence of a tyrant is required. On the way, Timur burns the cities of Saray, Azak (Azov), Astrakhan, Kafa (modern Feodosia). In one of the battles he was seriously wounded in the leg and remains lame forever. This is where his nickname Tamerlane (“The Iron Lame”) comes from.
• The cruelty with which Timur suppressed the uprisings in Persia became legendary. Cities were completely destroyed. Residents were exterminated without exception, and their heads were embedded in the walls of the towers.
• 1396 - Tamerlane returns to Samarkand.
• 1398 - the beginning of the campaign in India. On September 24, Timur's army enters Delhi. After this, the city was restored for more than 100 years... In April of the following year, Tamerlane returned to his capital with rich booty.
• 1399 – the beginning of the “Seven Years” Campaign. In one of the previously conquered regions, where Timur's son was the governor, unrest occurs, which the conqueror's heir is not able to cope with. The father comes to the aid of his son, deposes him and drives his enemies out of his area.
• 1400 - war with the Ottoman Sultan Bayazet and at the same time with the Egyptian Sultan Faraj. Both wars end successfully for Tamerlane. He goes through all the cities of Asia Minor, robbing them and killing the inhabitants.
• 1401 - Timur regains power in Baghdad, killing just under 90,000 of its population.
• 1404 - Timur begins a campaign against China, for which he has been preparing for several years.
• January 1405 - the army arrives in the city of Otrar.
• February 15 or 18, 1405 - Tamerlane dies of illness in Orar.

Tamerlane's name

Timur's full name was Timur ibn Taragay Barlas (Tīmūr ibn Taraġay Barlas - Timur son of Taragay from Barlasy) in accordance with the Arabic tradition (alam-nasab-nisba). In Chagatai and Mongolian (both Altaic) Temür or Temir Means " iron».

Not being a Genghisid, Timur formally could not bear the title of Great Khan, always calling himself only an emir (leader, leader). However, having intermarried with the house of Chingizids in 1370, he took the name Timur Gurgan (Timur Gurkānī, (تيموﺭ گوركان ), Gurkān is an Iranianized variant of Mongolian kurugen or Khurgen, "son-in-law". This meant that Tamerlane, having become related to the Chingizid khans, could freely live and act in their houses.

The Iranianized nickname is often found in various Persian sources Timur-e Liang(Tīmūr-e Lang, تیمور لنگ) “Timur the Lame”, this name was probably considered at that time as contemptuously derogatory. It passed into Western languages ​​( Tamerlan, Tamerlane, Tamburlaine, Timur Lenk) and into Russian, where it does not have any negative connotation and is used along with the original “Timur”.

Monument to Tamerlane in Tashkent

Monument to Tamerlane in Samarkand

Personality of Tamerlane

The beginning of Tamerlane's political activity is similar to the biography of Genghis Khan: they were the leaders of the detachments of adherents they personally recruited, who then remained the main support of their power. Like Genghis Khan, Timur personally entered into all the details of the organization of military forces, had detailed information about the forces of his enemies and the state of their lands, enjoyed unconditional authority among his army and could fully rely on his associates. Less successful was the choice of persons placed at the head of the civil administration (numerous cases of punishment for extortion of high dignitaries in Samarkand, Herat, Shiraz, Tabriz). Tamerlane loved to talk with scientists, especially to listen to the reading of historical works; with his knowledge of history, he surprised the medieval historian, philosopher and thinker Ibn Khaldun; Timur used stories about the valor of historical and legendary heroes to inspire his soldiers.

Timur left behind dozens of monumental architectural structures, some of which have entered the treasury of world culture. Timur's buildings, in the creation of which he took an active part, reveal his artistic taste.

Timur cared primarily about the prosperity of his native Maverannahr and the elevation of the splendor of his capital, Samarkand. Timur brought craftsmen, architects, jewelers, builders, architects from all the conquered lands in order to equip the cities of his empire: the capital Samarkand, his father’s homeland - Kesh (Shakhrisyabz), Bukhara, the border city of Yassy (Turkestan). He managed to express all the care that he put into the capital Samarkand through words about it: “There will always be a blue sky and golden stars above Samarkand.” Only in recent years did he take measures to improve the well-being of other regions of the state, mainly border ones (in 1398 a new irrigation canal was built in Afghanistan, in 1401 - in Transcaucasia, etc.)

Biography

Childhood and youth

Timur spent his childhood and youth in the Kesh mountains. In his youth, he loved hunting and equestrian competitions, javelin throwing and archery, and had a penchant for war games. From the age of ten, mentors - atabeks who served under Taragai, taught Timur the art of war and sports games. Timur was a very brave and reserved man. Possessing sobriety of judgment, he knew how to make the right decision in difficult situations. These character traits attracted people to him. The first information about Timur appeared in sources starting in 1361, when he began his political activity.

Timur's appearance

Timur at a feast in Samarkand

File:Temur1-1.jpg

As shown by the opening of the tomb of Gur Emir (Samarkand) by M. M. Gerasimov and the subsequent study of the skeleton from the burial, which is believed to belong to Tamerlane, his height was 172 cm. Timur was strong and physically developed, his contemporaries wrote about him: “If Most warriors could pull the bow string to the level of the collarbone, but Timur pulled it to the ear.” His hair is lighter than most of his people. A detailed study of the remains of Timur showed that, anthropologically, he was characterized by the Mongoloid South Siberian type

Despite Timur's old age (69 years), his skull, as well as his skeleton, did not have pronounced, actually senile features. The presence of most of the teeth, the clear relief of the bones, the almost absence of osteophytes - all this most likely indicates that the skull of the skeleton belonged to a person full of strength and health, whose biological age did not exceed 50 years. The massiveness of healthy bones, the highly developed relief and their density, the width of the shoulders, the volume of the chest and relatively high height - all this gives the right to think that Timur had an extremely strong build. His strong athletic muscles, most likely, were distinguished by a certain dryness of form, and this is natural: life on military campaigns, with their difficulties and hardships, almost constant stay in the saddle could hardly contribute to obesity. .

A special external difference between Tamerlane and his warriors and other Muslims was the braids they kept, according to Mongolian custom, which is confirmed by some Central Asian illustrated manuscripts of that time. Meanwhile, examining ancient Turkic sculptures and images of Turks in the paintings of Afrasiab, researchers came to the conclusion that the Turks wore braids back in the 5th-8th centuries. The opening of Timur's grave and analysis by anthropologists showed that Timur did not have braids. “Timur’s hair is thick, straight, gray-red in color, with a predominance of dark chestnut or red.” “Contrary to the accepted custom of shaving his head, at the time of his death Timur had relatively long hair.” Some historians believe that the light color of his hair is due to the fact that Tamerlane dyed his hair with henna. But, M. M. Gerasimov notes in his work: “Even a preliminary study of beard hair under a binocular convinces that this reddish color is natural, and not dyed with henna, as historians described.” Timur wore a long mustache, not a trim one above the lip. As we managed to find out, there was a rule that allowed the highest military class to wear a mustache without cutting it above the lip, and Timur, according to this rule, did not cut his mustache, and it hung freely above the lip. “Timur’s small thick beard was wedge-shaped. Her hair is coarse, almost straight, thick, bright brown (red) in color, with significant gray streaks.” Huge scars were visible on the bones of the left leg in the area of ​​​​the kneecap, which is fully consistent with the nickname “lame”

Timur's parents, brothers and sisters

His father's name was Taragai or Turgai, he was a military man and a small landowner. He came from the Mongolian Barlas tribe, which by that time had already been Turkified and spoke the Chagatai language.

According to some assumptions, Timur's father Taragay was the leader of the Barlas tribe and a descendant of a certain Karachar noyon (a large feudal landowner in the Middle Ages), a powerful assistant to Chagatai, the son of Genghis Khan and a distant relative of the latter. Timur's father was a pious Muslim, his spiritual mentor was Sheikh Shams ad-din Kulal.

Timur is considered a Turkic conqueror in Encyclopedia Britannica.

In Indian historiography, Timur is considered the head of the Chagatai Turks.

Timur's father had one brother, whose name in Turkic was Balta.

Timur's father was married twice: his first wife was Timur's mother Tekina Khatun. There is conflicting information about its origin. And the second wife of Taragay/Turgay was Kadak-khatun, the mother of Timur’s sister Shirin-bek aga.

Muhammad Taragay died in 1361 and was buried in Timur’s homeland - in the city of Kesh (Shakhrisabz). His tomb has survived to this day.

Timur had an older sister, Kutlug-Turkan aga, and a younger sister, Shirin-bek aga. They died before the death of Timur himself and were buried in mausoleums in the Shahi Zinda complex in Samarkand. According to the source “Mu'izz al-ansab”, Timur had three more brothers: Juki, Alim Sheikh and Suyurgatmysh.

Spiritual mentors of Timur

Mausoleum Rukhabad in Samarkand

Timur's first spiritual mentor was his father's mentor, the Sufi sheikh Shams ad-din Kulal. Also known are Zainud-din Abu Bakr Taybadi, a major Khorosan sheikh, and Shamsuddin Fakhuri, a potter and prominent figure in the Naqshbandi tariqa. Timur's main spiritual mentor was a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad, Sheikh Mir Seyid Bereke. It was he who presented Timur with the symbols of power: the drum and the banner, when he came to power in 1370. Handing these symbols, Mir Seyid Bereke predicted a great future for the emir. He accompanied Timur on his great campaigns. In 1391, he blessed it before the battle with Tokhtamysh. In 1403, they together mourned the unexpected death of the heir to the throne, Muhammad Sultan. Mir Seyid Bereke was buried in the Gur Emir mausoleum, where Timur himself was buried at his feet. Another mentor of Timur was the son of the Sufi sheikh Burkhan ad-din Sagardzhi Abu Said. Timur ordered the construction of the Rukhabad mausoleum over their graves.

Timur's knowledge of languages

During the campaign against the Golden Horde against Tokhtamysh in 1391, Timur ordered to knock out an inscription in the Chagatai language in Uyghur letters - 8 lines and three lines in Arabic containing the Koranic text near Mount Altyn-Chuku. In history, this inscription is known as the Karsakpai inscription of Timur. Currently, the stone with Timur's inscription is kept and exhibited in the Hermitage in St. Petersburg.

Tamerlane's contemporary and captive Ibn Arabshah, who knew Tamerlane personally since 1401, reports: "As for Persian, Turkic and Mongolian, he knew them better than anyone else." Princeton University researcher Svat Soucek writes about Timur in his monograph that “He was a Turk from the Barlas tribe, Mongolian in name and origin, but in all practical senses Turkic by that time. Timur's native language was Turkic (Chagatai), although he may have also spoken Persian to some extent due to the cultural environment in which he lived. He almost certainly did not know Mongolian, although Mongolian terms had not yet completely disappeared from documents and were found on coins.”

Legal documents of Timur's state were compiled in two languages: Persian and Turkic. For example, a document from 1378 giving privileges to the descendants of Abu Muslim who lived in Khorezm was written in the Chagatai Turkic language.

The Spanish diplomat and traveler Ruy Gonzalez de Clavijo, who visited the court of Tamerlane in Transoxiana, reports that "Beyond this river(Amu Darya - approx.) the kingdom of Samarkand extends, and its land is called Mogalia (Mogolistan), and the language is Mughal, and this language is not understood in this(southern - approx.) side of the river, since everyone speaks Persian", then he reports “the letter that the people of Samarkant use,[living-approx.] on the other side of the river, those who live on this side do not understand and do not know how to read, but they call this letter mogali. A senor(Tamerlane - approx.) keeps with him several scribes who can read and write in this[language - note] » Orientalist professor Robert McChesney notes that by the Mugali language, Clavijo meant the Turkic language.

According to the Timurid source “Muiz al-ansab”, at Timur’s court there was a staff of only Turkic and Tajik clerks.

Ibn Arabshah, describing the tribes of Transoxiana, provides the following information: “The mentioned Sultan (Timur) had four viziers who were completely engaged in useful and harmful matters. They were considered noble people, and everyone followed their opinions. As many tribes and tribes as the Arabs had, the Turks had the same number. Each of the above-mentioned viziers, being representatives of one tribe, were a luminary of opinions and illuminated the arch of minds of their tribe. One tribe was called Arlat, the second - Zhalair, the third - Kavchin, the fourth - Barlas. Temur was the son of the fourth tribe."

Timur's wives

He had 18 wives, of which his favorite wife was the sister of Emir Hussein - Uljay-Turkan aga. According to another version, his beloved wife was Kazan Khan's daughter Sarai-mulk khanum. She did not have her own children, but she was entrusted with the upbringing of some of Timur's sons and grandchildren. She was a famous patron of science and the arts. By her order, a huge madrasah and mausoleum for her mother were built in Samarkand.

During Timur's childhood, the Chagatai state collapsed in Central Asia (Chagatai ulus). In Transoxiana, since 1346, power belonged to the Turkic emirs, and the khans enthroned by the emperor ruled only nominally. The Mogul emirs in 1348 enthroned Tughluk-Timur, who began to rule in East Turkestan, the Kulja region and Semirechye.

Rise of Timur

Beginning of political activity

Timur entered the service of the ruler of Kesh - Hadji Barlas, who was supposedly the head of the Barlas tribe. In 1360, Transoxiana was conquered by Tughluk-Timur. Haji Barlas fled to Khorasan, and Timur entered into negotiations with the khan and was confirmed as the ruler of the Kesh region, but was forced to leave after the departure of the Mongols and the return of Haji Barlas.

The next year, at dawn on May 22, 1365, a bloody battle took place near Chinaz between the army of Timur and Hussein with the army of Mogolistan led by Khan Ilyas-Khoja, which went down in history as the “battle in the mud.” Timur and Hussein had little chance to defend their native land, since the army of Ilyas-Khoja had superior forces. During the battle, a torrential downpour began, it was difficult for the soldiers to even look forward, and the horses got stuck in the mud. Despite this, Timur’s troops began to gain victory on his flank; at the decisive moment, he asked Hussein for help in order to finish off the enemy, but Hussein not only did not help, but also retreated. This predetermined the outcome of the battle. The warriors of Timur and Hussein were forced to retreat to the other side of the Syrdarya River.

Composition of Timur's troops

Representatives of various tribes fought as part of Timur’s army: Barlas, Durbats, Nukuz, Naimans, Kipchaks, Bulguts, Dulats, Kiyats, Jalairs, Sulduz, Merkits, Yasavuri, Kauchins, etc.

The military organization of troops was built like the Mongols, according to the decimal system: tens, hundreds, thousands, tumens (10 thousand). Among the sectoral management bodies was the wazirat (ministry) for the affairs of military personnel (sepoys).

Hikes to Mogolistan

Despite the laid foundation of statehood, Khorezm and Shibergan, which belonged to the Chagatai ulus, did not recognize the new government in the person of Suyurgatmish Khan and Emir Timur. It was restless on the southern and northern borders of the border, where Mogolistan and the White Horde caused trouble, often violating borders and plundering villages. After Uruskhan captured Sygnak and moved the capital of the White Horde, Yassy (Turkestan), Sairam and Transoxiana to it were in even greater danger. It was necessary to take measures to strengthen statehood.

The ruler of Mogolistan, Emir Kamar ad-din, tried to prevent the strengthening of Timur’s state. Mogolistan feudal lords often carried out predatory raids on Sairam, Tashkent, Fergana and Turkestan. The raids of Emir Kamar ad-din in the 70-71s and the raids in the winter of 1376 on the cities of Tashkent and Andijan brought especially great troubles to the people. In the same year, Emir Kamar ad-din captured half of Fergana, from where its governor, Timur’s son Umar Sheikh Mirza, fled to the mountains. Therefore, solving the problem of Mogolistan was important for calm on the borders of the country.

But Kamar ad-din was not defeated. When Timur's army returned to Transoxiana, he invaded Fergana, a province that belonged to Timur, and besieged the city of Andijan. Enraged, Timur hurried to Fergana and for a long time pursued the enemy beyond Uzgen and the Yassy mountains all the way to the At-Bashi valley, the southern tributary of the upper Naryn.

The Zafarnama mentions Timur's sixth campaign in the Issyk-Kul region against Kamar ad-din in the city, but the khan again managed to escape.

Tamerlane's next goals were to curb the Jochi ulus (known in history as the White Horde) and establish political influence in its eastern part and unite Mogolistan and Maverannahr, previously divided, into a single state, at one time called the Chagatai ulus.

Realizing the danger to the independence of Transoxiana from the Jochi ulus, from the very first days of his reign, Timur tried in every possible way to bring his protege to power in the Jochi ulus. The Golden Horde had its capital in the city of Sarai-Batu (Sarai-Berke) and extended across the North Caucasus, northwestern Khorezm, Crimea, Western Siberia and the Volga-Kama principality of the Bulgars. The White Horde had its capital in the city of Sygnak and extended from Yangikent to Sabran, along the lower reaches of the Syr Darya, as well as on the banks of the Syr Darya steppe from Ulu-tau to Sengir-yagach and the land from Karatal to Siberia. Khan of the White Horde, Urus Khan, tried to unite the once powerful state, whose plans were thwarted by the intensified struggle between the Jochids and the feudal lords of the Dashti Kipchak. Timur strongly supported Tokhtamysh-oglan, whose father died at the hands of Urus Khan, who eventually took the throne of the White Horde. However, after ascending to power, Khan Tokhtamysh seized power in the Golden Horde and began to pursue a hostile policy towards the lands of Transoxiana.

Timur's campaign against the Golden Horde in 1391

Timur's campaign against the Golden Horde in 1395

After the defeat of the Golden Horde and Khan Tokhtamysh, the latter fled to the Bulgar. In response to the plunder of the lands of Maverannahr, Emir Timur burned the capital of the Golden Horde - Sarai-Batu, and gave the reins of its government into the hands of Koyrichak-oglan, who was the son of Uruskhan. Timur's defeat of the Golden Horde also had broad economic consequences. As a result of Timur's campaign, the northern branch of the Great Silk Road, which passed through the lands of the Golden Horde, fell into decay. Trade caravans began to pass through the lands of Timur's state.

In the 1390s, Tamerlane inflicted two severe defeats on the Horde khan - at Kondurch in 1391 and Terek in 1395, after which Tokhtamysh was deprived of the throne and forced to wage a constant struggle with the khans appointed by Tamerlane. With this defeat of the army of Khan Tokhtamysh, Tamerlane brought indirect benefit in the struggle of the Russian lands against the Tatar-Mongol yoke.

Three great campaigns of Timur

Timur made three large campaigns in the western part of Persia and the adjacent regions - the so-called “three-year” (from 1386), “five-year” (from 1392) and “seven-year” (from 1399).

Three-year trek

For the first time, Timur was forced to return back as a result of the invasion of Transoxiana by the Golden Horde Khan Tokhtamysh in alliance with the Semirechensk Mongols ().

Death

Mausoleum of Emir Timur in Samarkand

He died during the campaign against China. After the end of the seven-year war, during which Bayezid I was defeated, Timur began preparations for the Chinese campaign, which he had long planned due to Chinese claims to the lands of Transoxiana and Turkestan. He gathered a large army of two hundred thousand, with which he set out on a campaign on November 27, 1404. In January 1405, he arrived in the city of Otrar (its ruins are not far from the confluence of the Arys and the Syr Darya), where he fell ill and died (according to historians - on February 18, according to Timur's tombstone - on the 15th). The body was embalmed, placed in an ebony coffin, lined with silver brocade, and taken to Samarkand. Tamerlane was buried in the Gur Emir mausoleum, which was still unfinished at that time. Official mourning events were held on March 18, 1405 by Timur's grandson Khalil-Sultan (1405-1409), who seized the Samarkand throne against the will of his grandfather, who bequeathed the kingdom to his eldest grandson Pir-Muhammad.

A look at Tamerlane in the light of history and culture

Code of laws

Main article: Code of Timur

During the reign of Emir Timur, there was a set of laws called the “Timur Code,” which set out the rules of conduct for members of society and the responsibilities of rulers and officials, and also contained rules for managing the army and the state.

When appointed to a position, the “great emir” demanded devotion and fidelity from everyone. He appointed 315 people to high positions who had been with him from the very beginning of his career and fought side by side with him. The first hundred were appointed as tens, the second hundred as centurions, and the third as thousands. Of the remaining fifteen people, four were appointed beks, one as the supreme emir, and others to the remaining high posts.

The judicial system was divided into three stages: 1. Sharia judge - who was guided in his activities by the established norms of Sharia; 2. Judge ahdos - who was guided in his activities by well-established morals and customs in society. 3. Kazi askar - who led the proceedings in military cases.

The law was recognized as equal for everyone, both emirs and subjects.

Viziers under the leadership of Divan-Beghi were responsible for the general situation of their subjects and troops, for the financial condition of the country and the activities of government institutions. If information was received that the vizier of finance had appropriated part of the treasury, then this was checked and, upon confirmation, one of the decisions was made: if the embezzled amount was equal to his salary (uluf), then this amount was given to him as a gift. If the amount appropriated is twice the salary, then the excess must be withheld. If the embezzled amount was three times higher than the established salary, then everything was taken away in favor of the treasury.

Army of Tamerlane

Drawing on the rich experience of his predecessors, Tamerlane managed to create a powerful and combat-ready army, which allowed him to win brilliant victories on the battlefields over his opponents. This army was a multinational and multi-religious association, the core of which were Turkic-Mongol nomadic warriors. Tamerlane's army was divided into cavalry and infantry, the role of which greatly increased at the turn of the 14th-15th centuries. However, the bulk of the army was made up of mounted detachments of nomads, the core of which consisted of elite units of heavily armed cavalry, as well as detachments of Tamerlane’s bodyguards. Infantry often played a supporting role, but was necessary during sieges of fortresses. The infantry was mostly lightly armed and consisted mainly of archers, but the army also included heavily armed infantry shock troops.

In addition to the main branches of the military (heavy and light cavalry, as well as infantry), Tamerlane’s army included detachments of pontooners, workers, engineers and other specialists, as well as special infantry units that specialized in combat operations in mountainous conditions (they were recruited from residents of mountain villages). The organization of Tamerlane's army generally corresponded to the decimal organization of Genghis Khan, but a number of changes appeared (for example, units of 50 to 300 people, called “koshuns,” appeared; the number of larger units, “kuls,” was also variable).

The main weapon of light cavalry, like infantry, was the bow. Light cavalrymen also used sabers or swords and axes. Heavily armed horsemen were clad in armor (the most popular armor was chain mail, often reinforced with metal plates), protected by helmets, and fought with sabers or swords (in addition to bows and arrows, which were common). Simple infantrymen were armed with bows, heavy infantry warriors fought with sabers, axes and maces and were protected by armor, helmets and shields.

Banners

During his campaigns, Timur used banners with the image of three rings. According to some historians, the three rings symbolized earth, water and sky. According to Svyatoslav Roerich, Timur could have borrowed the symbol from the Tibetans, whose three rings meant the past, present and future. Some miniatures depict the red banners of Timur's army. During the Indian campaign, a black banner with a silver dragon was used. Before his campaign against China, Tamerlane ordered a golden dragon to be depicted on the banners.

Several less reliable sources also report that the tombstone contains the following inscription: "When I rise (from the dead), the world will tremble". Some undocumented sources claim that when the grave was opened in 1941, an inscription was found inside the coffin: “Whoever disturbs my peace in this life or the next will suffer and die.”.

According to sources, Timur was fond of playing chess (more precisely, shatranj).

Personal belongings that belonged to Timur, by the will of history, ended up scattered among various museums and private collections. For example, the so-called Ruby of Timur, which adorned his crown, is currently kept in London.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, Timur's personal sword was kept in the Tehran Museum.

Tamerlane in art

In literature

Historical

• Giyasaddin Ali. Diary of Timur's campaign in India. M., 1958.
• Nizam ad-Din Shami. Zafar-name. Materials on the history of the Kyrgyz and Kyrgyzstan. Issue I. M., 1973.
• Yazdi Sharaf ad-Din Ali. Zafar-name. T., 2008.