The name of Tamerlane.

Timur's full name was Timur ibn Taragai Barlas (Tīmūr ibn Taraġay Barlas - Timur son of Taragai from Barlas) 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 in 1370 with the Genghisid house, he took the name Timur Gurgan (Timūr Gurkānī, (تيمو گوركان), Gurkān - an Iranianized version of the Mongolian kүrүgen or kүrgen, "son-in-law". This meant that Tamerlane, having become related to the Genghisid khans, could live and act freely in their homes.

In various Persian sources, the Iranianized nickname Timur-e Lang (Tīmūr-e Lang, تیمور لنگ) “Timur the Lame” is often found, 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 has no negative connotation and is used along with the original "Timur".

Personality of Tamerlane.

The biography of Timur resembles the biography of Genghis Khan. The beginning of the political activity of both conquerors is similar: they were the leaders of the detachments of adherents recruited by them personally, 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 the enemies and the state of their lands, enjoyed unconditional authority among his troops 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 liked to talk with scientists, especially to listen to the reading of historical writings; 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 warriors.

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

Timur cared mainly about the prosperity of his native Maverannahr and about the exaltation 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 his care that he invested in the capital Samarkand through the words about it: - "There will always be a blue sky and golden stars over Samarkand." Only in last years he took measures to improve the welfare of other areas of the state, mainly border areas (in 1398 a new irrigation canal was built in Afghanistan, in 1401 in Transcaucasia, etc.)

Biography.

Childhood and youth.

Timur was born on April 9, 1336 in the village of Khoja-Ilgar near the city of Kesh (now Shakhrisabz, Uzbekistan) in Central Asia.

Timur's childhood and youth passed in the mountains of Kesh. 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 with Taragay, taught Timur the art of war and sports games. Timur was a very brave and restrained man. Possessing sober judgment, he was able to make the right decision in difficult situations. These character traits attracted people to him. The first information about Timur appeared in the sources starting from 1361, when he began his political activity.

The appearance of Timur.

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, physically developed, his contemporaries wrote about him: “If most warriors could pull the bowstring to the level of the collarbone, then Timur pulled it to the ear. His hair is lighter than most of his tribesmen.

Despite the senile age of Timur (69 years old), his skull, as well as his skeleton, did not have pronounced, actually senile features. The presence of most of the teeth, a clear relief of the bones, the almost absence of osteophytes - all this speaks rather for the fact 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, their highly developed relief and density, the width of the shoulders, the volume of the chest and relatively high growth - all this gives the right to think that Timur had an extremely strong build. His strong athletic muscles, most likely, were somewhat dry in form, and this is natural: life in 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 from other Muslims was the braids they preserved, according to the Mongolian custom, which is confirmed by some Central Asian illustrated manuscripts of that time. Meanwhile, studying the ancient Turkic sculptures, the images of the Turks in the paintings of Afrasiab, the researchers came to the conclusion that the Turks wore braids as early as the 5th-8th centuries. The opening of Timur's grave and the analysis of 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, by the time of his death Timur had relatively long hair." (Article by M. M. Gerasimov “Portrait of Tamerlane” from the book “Tamerlane”, published in Moscow in 1992). Some historians believe that the light color of the hair is due to the fact that Tamerlane dyed his hair with henna. But, M. M. Gerasimov in his work notes: “Even a preliminary study of the hair of a beard under a binocular convinces that this reddish-reddish color is her natural, and not dyed with henna, as described by historians.” Timur wore a long mustache, not trimmed above the lip. As it turned 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 they 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 graying.

Parents, brothers and sisters of Timur.

His father's name was Muhammad Taragay or Turgay, he was a military man, a small landowner. He came from the Mongolian tribe of the Barlas, by that time already Turkicized and speaking the Chagatai language.

According to some assumptions, Timur's father Taragai was the leader of the Barlas tribe and a descendant of a certain Karachar noyon (a major 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

In the Encyclopedia Britannica, Timur is considered a Turkic conqueror.

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: the first wife was Timur's mother Tekina khatun. Contradictory information has been preserved about its origin. And the second wife of Taragay/Turgay was Kadak-Khatun, the mother of Timur's sister Shirinbek-aka.

Muhammad Taragai 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-aka, and a younger sister, Shirin-bek-aka. They died before the death of Timur himself and were buried in mausoleums in the Shakhi Zinda complex in Samarkand. According to the Mu‘izz al-Ansab source, Timur had three more brothers: Juki, Alim Sheikh and Suyurgatmysh.

Spiritual mentors of Timur.

Timur's first spiritual mentor was his father's mentor, the Sufi sheikh Shams ad-din Kulal. The main spiritual mentor of Timur was a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad, Sheikh Mir Seyid Bereke. It was he who gave Timur the symbols of power: a drum and a banner when he came to power in 1370. Presenting these symbols, Mir Seyid Bereke predicted a great future for the emir. He accompanied Timur on his great campaigns. In 1391 he blessed him before the battle with Tokhtamysh. In 1403, they mourned together the unexpectedly deceased 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 Sagarji Abu Said. Timur ordered the construction of the Rukhabad mausoleum over their graves.

Timur's knowledge of languages.

When going to Golden Horde against Tokhtamysh in 1391, Timur ordered to knock out an inscription in the Chagatai language in Uighur letters - 8 lines and three lines in Arabic, containing a Koranic text near the mountain Altyn-Chuku. In history, this inscription is known as the Karsakpai inscription of Timur. Currently, the stone with the inscription of Timur is stored and exhibited in the Hermitage in St. Petersburg.

A contemporary and prisoner of Tamerlane, 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 of Timur in his monograph that “He was a Turk of the Barlas tribe, Mongolian in name and origin, but in every practical sense 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.

The legal documents of Timur's state were drawn up in two languages: Persian and Turkic. For example, a document dated 1378, giving privileges to the descendants of Abu Muslim, who lived in Khorezm, was drawn up in the Chagatai Turkic language.

The Spanish diplomat and traveler Ruy Gonzalez de Clavijo, who visited the court of Tamerlane in Maverannahr, reports that "Beyond this river (Amu Darya - approx.) the kingdom of Samarkante extends, and its land is called Mogaliya (Mogolistan), and the language is Mughal, and this language is not understood on this ( south - approx.) side of the river, since everyone speaks Persian", he further reports "the letter used by the Samarkand people [living - approx.] on the other side of the river is not understood and cannot be read by those who live on this side, but they call this letter the Moghals. And the seigneur (Tamerlane - approx.) keeps several scribes with him who can read and write on this"

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

Describing the tribes of Maverannahr, Ibn Arabshah gives the following information: “The mentioned sultan (Timur) had four viziers who were completely engaged in useful and harmful deeds. They were considered noble people, and everyone was a follower of their opinions. How many tribes and tribes the Arabs had, the Turks had the same number. Each of the aforementioned viziers, being representatives of one tribe, were the beacon of opinions and illuminated the set 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."

According to Alisher Navoi, although Timur did not write poetry, he knew both poetry and prose very well, and, by the way, he knew how to bring the proper bait to the place.

Timur's wife.

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 the daughter of Kazan Khan, Sarai Mulk Khanum. She had no children of her own, but she was entrusted with the upbringing of some of Timur's sons and grandsons. She was a renowned patroness of science and the arts. By her order, a huge madrasah and mausoleum for her mother was built in Samarkand.

In 1355, Timur marries the daughter of Emir Jaku-barlas Turmush-aga. Khan of Maverannahr Kazagan, convinced of the merits of Timur, in 1355 gave him his granddaughter Uljay Turkan-aga as his wife. Thanks to this marriage, Timur's alliance with Emir Hussein, the grandson of Kazagan, arose.

In addition, Timur had other wives: Tugdi bi, daughter of Ak Sufi kungrat, Ulus aga from the Sulduz tribe, Nauruz aga, Bakht sultan aga, Burkhan aga, Tavakkul-khanim, Turmish aga, Jani-bik aga, Chulpan aga, etc. Timur had 21 concubines.

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

Beginning of political activity.

In 1347, Emir Kazagan killed Genghis Khan Kazan Khan, after whose death the Chagatai ulus broke up into two separate states: Maverannahr and Mogolistan. After the collapse of the Chagatai ulus, the head of the Turkic emirs was Kazagan (1346-1358), who was not a Genghisid, but a native of the Karaunas. Formally, Chingizid Danishmadcha-oglan was elevated to the throne, and after his assassination, Bayankuli Khan. After the death of Kazagan, his son Abdullah really ruled the country, but he was killed and political anarchy swept the region.

Timur entered the service of the ruler of Kesh - Hadji Barlas, who was presumably the head of the Barlas tribe. In 1360 Maverannahr was conquered by Tugluk-Timur. Haji Barlas fled to Khorasan, and Timur entered into negotiations with the khan and was approved as the ruler of the Kesh region, but was forced to leave after the Mongols left and Haji Barlas returned.

In 1361, Khan Tugluk-Timur again occupied the country, and Haji Barlas again fled to Khorasan, where he was subsequently killed. In 1362, Tugluk-Timur hurriedly left Maverannahr as a result of the rebellion of a group of emirs in Mogolistan, transferring power to his son Ilyas-Khoja. Timur was approved as the ruler of the Kesh region and one of the assistants to the Mogul prince. Before the khan had time to cross the Syrdarya River, Ilyas-Khoja-oglan, together with Emir Bekchik and other close emirs, conspired to remove Timurbek from state affairs, and, if possible, to destroy him physically. The intrigues became more and more intensified and took on a dangerous character. Timur had to separate from the Mughals and go over to the side of their enemy - Emir Hussein (Kazagan's grandson). For some time they led a life of adventurers with a small detachment and went towards Khorezm, where in the battle near Khiva they were defeated by the ruler of those lands, Tavakkala-Kongurot, and with the remnants of their warriors and servants, they were forced to retreat deep into the desert. Subsequently, having gone to the village of Makhmudi in the area subject to Mahan, they were taken prisoner by the people of Alibek Janikurban, in whose dungeons they spent 62 days in captivity. According to the historian Sharafiddin Ali Yazdi, Alibek intended to sell Timur and Hussein to Iranian merchants, but in those days not a single caravan passed through Mahan. The prisoners were rescued by Alibek's elder brother Emir Muhammad-bek.

In 1361-1364, Timurbek and Emir Hussein lived on the southern bank of the Amu Darya in the regions of Kakhmard, Daragez, Arsif and Balkh and waged a guerrilla war against the Mongols. During a skirmish in Seistan that took place in the autumn of 1362 against the enemies of the ruler Malik Kutbiddin, Timur lost two fingers on his right hand and was seriously wounded in his right leg, which made him lame (the nickname "lame Timur" - Aksak-Temir in Turkic, Timur- e lang in Persian, hence Tamerlane).

In 1364, the Moghuls were forced to leave the country. Returning back to Maverannahr, Timur and Hussein put Kabul Shah from the Chagatand family on the throne.

The next year, at dawn on May 22, 1365, a bloody battle took place near Chinaz between the army of Timur and Hussein and the army of Mogolistan led by Khan Ilyas-Khoja, which went down in history as a "battle in the mud." Timur and Hussein had few chances 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 ahead, and the horses got stuck in the mud. Despite this, Timur's troops began to win on their flank, at the decisive moment he asked for help from Hussein 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 soldiers of Timur and Hussein were forced to retreat to the other side of the Syr Darya River.

Meanwhile, the army of Ilyas-Khoja was expelled from Samarkand by a popular uprising of the Serbedars, led by the teacher of the Mavlanazada madrasah, the artisan Abubakr Kalavi and the well-aimed marksman Mirzo Khurdaki Bukhari. People's government was established in the city. The property of the rich sections of the population was confiscated, so they turned to Hussein and Timur for help. Timur and Hussein agreed to oppose the Serbedars - they lured them with kind speeches to negotiations, where in the spring of 1366 the troops of Hussein and Timur suppressed the uprising by executing the Serbedar leaders, but by order of Tamerlane, they left the leader of the Serbedars, Mavlana-zade, to whom popular preferences were turned .

Election "Great Emir".

Hussein wanted to rule on the throne of the Chagatai ulus among the Turkic-Mongolian people, like his grandfather Kazagan, according to the established tradition, power from time immemorial belonged to the descendants of Genghis Khan. During the reign of Genghis Khan Kazankhan, the position of Supreme Emir was forcibly appropriated by the grandfather of Emir Hussein, Emir Kazagan, which was the reason for breaking the already not very good relations between the beks Timur and Hussein. Each of them began to prepare for the decisive battle.

Timur was greatly supported by the clergy in the person of the Termez seids, the Samarkand sheikh ul Islam and Mir Seyid Bereke, who became Timur's spiritual mentor.

Having moved from Sali-saray to Balkh, Hussein began to strengthen the fortress. He decided to act by deceit and cunning. Hussein sent Timur an invitation to a meeting in the Chakchak Gorge to sign a peace treaty, and as proof of his friendly intentions he promised to swear on the Koran. Going to the meeting, Timur, just in case, took with him two hundred horsemen, Hussein brought a thousand of his soldiers, and for this reason the meeting did not take place. Timur recalls this incident: “I sent a letter to Emir Hussein with a Turkic bait of the following content:

Who intends to deceive me, He will lie down in the ground, I'm sure. Having shown his deceit, He himself will perish from it.

When my letter reached Emir Hussein, he was extremely embarrassed and asked for forgiveness, but the second time I did not believe him.

Gathering all his strength, Timur crossed to the other side of the Amu Darya River. The advanced units of his troops were commanded by Suyurgatmish-oglan, Ali Muayyad and Hussein Barlas. On the approach to the village of Biya, Barak, the leader of the Andhud Sayinds, advanced to meet the army, and handed him the timpani and the banner of supreme power. On the way to Balkh, Timur was joined by Dzhaku Barlas, who arrived from Karkara, with his army, and Emir Kaykhusrav from Khuttalan, and on the other side of the river, Emir Zinda Chashm from Shibirgan, Khazarians from Khulm and Badakhshan Muhammadshah also joined. Having learned about this, many soldiers of Emir Hussein left him.

Before the battle, Timur gathers a kurultai, at which a man from the Chingizid family of Suyurgatmysh is elected khan. Shortly before Timur was approved as the “great emir,” a kind messenger, a sheikh from Mecca, came to him and said that he had a vision that he, Timur, would become a great ruler. On this occasion, he handed him a banner, a drum, a symbol of supreme power. But he does not personally take this supreme power, but remains next to it.

On April 10, 1370, Balkh was conquered, and Hussein was captured and killed by the ruler of Khutallyan Kaykhusrav on the rights of blood feud, since Hussein had previously killed his brother. A kurultai was also held here, in which Chagatai beks and emirs, high-ranking dignitaries of regions and fogs, Termezshahs took part. Among them were former rivals and childhood friends of Timur: Bayan-suldus, emirs Uljaitu, Kaikhosrov, Zinda Chashm, Jaku-barlas and many others. Kurultai elected Timur as the supreme emir of Turan, making him responsible for establishing the long-awaited peace, stability and order in the country. And the marriage with the daughter of Genghis Khan Kazan Khan, the captive widow of Emir Hussein Saray Mulk Khanum, allowed the Supreme Emir of Maverannahr Timur to add the honorary title “guragan”, that is, “son-in-law”, to his name.

At the kurultai, Timur took the oath from all the military leaders of Maverannahr. Like his predecessors, he did not accept the title of khan and was content with the title of "great emir" - under him, the descendant of Genghis Khan Suyurgatmysh (1370-1388), his son Mahmud (1388-1402) were considered khans. Samarkand was chosen as the capital, Timur began the struggle for the creation of a centralized state.

Strengthening the state of Timur.

The official name of the state of Timur.

In the Karsakpai inscription of 1391, made in the Chagatai Turkic language, Timur ordered the name of his state to be stamped: Turan.

The tribal composition of Timur's troops.

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

Campaigns to Mogolistan.

Despite the laid foundation of statehood, Khorezm and Shibirgan, which belonged to the Chagatai ulus, did not recognize the new power 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 anxiety, often violating the borders and plundering villages. After the capture of Sygnyak by Uruskhan and the transfer of the capital of the White Horde, Yassa (Turkestan), Sairam and Maverannahr were in even greater danger. It was necessary to take measures to strengthen the statehood.

The ruler of Moghulistan, Emir Kamar ad-din, tried to prevent the strengthening of Timur's state. Mogolistan feudal lords often made predatory raids on Sairam, Tashkent, Fergana and Turkestan. Particularly great troubles were brought to the people by the raids of Emir Qamar ad-Din in the 70-71s and the raids in the winter of 1376 on the cities of Tashkent and Andijan. In the same year, Emir Qamar al-Din captured half of Fergana, from where its governor, the son of Timur, Umar Sheikh Mirza fled to the mountains. Therefore, the solution of the problem of Mogolistan was important for peace on the borders of the country.

From 1371 to 1390, Emir Timur made seven campaigns against Mogolistan, finally defeating the army of Qamar ad-Din and Anka-Tur in 1390 during the last campaign. However, Timur reached only the Irtysh in the north, Alakul in the east, Emil and the headquarters of the Mongol khans Balig-Yulduz, but he could not conquer the lands east of the Tangri-tag and Kashgar mountains. Qamar al-Din fled and subsequently died of dropsy. The independence of Mogolistan was preserved.

Timur undertook the first two campaigns against the militant Khan Qamar ad-Din in the spring and autumn of 1371. The first campaign ended in a truce; during the second Timur, leaving Tashkent through Sairam, located to the north of the city, moved towards the village of Yangi on Taraz. There he put the nomads to flight and captured a large booty.

In 1375 Timur carried out the third successful campaign. He left Sairam and passed through the regions of Talas and Tokmak along the upper reaches of the Chu River. Timur returned to Samarkand via Uzgen and Khujand.

But Qamar ad-din was not defeated. When Timur's army returned to Maverannahr, he invaded Ferghana, a province that belonged to Timur, and laid siege to the city of Andijan. Enraged Timur hurried to Ferghana and pursued the enemy for a long time behind Uzgen and the mountains of Yassy to the very valley of At-Bashi, the southern tributary of the upper Naryn.

In 1376-1377. Timur made his fifth campaign against Qamar ad-din. He defeated his army in the gorges west of Issyk-Kul and pursued him to Kochkar.

The "Zafarname" mentions the sixth campaign of Timur to the Issyk-Kul region against Kamar ad-din in 1383, but the khan again managed to escape.

In 1389-1390. Timur intensified his actions in order to thoroughly defeat Qamar ad-din. In 1389, he crossed the Ili and crossed the Imil region in all directions, south and east of Lake Balkhash and around Ata-Kul. His vanguard, meanwhile, pursued the Mughals to the Black Irtysh, south of Altai. His forward detachments reached Kara Khoja in the east, that is, almost to Turfan.

In 1390, Qamar ad-din was finally defeated, and Mogolistan finally ceased to threaten the power of Timur.

Fight against the Golden Horde.

In 1360, northern Khorezm, which was part of the Golden Horde, became independent. The Kungrat-Sufi dynasty, which declared its independence, strengthened its position in 1371 and attempted to capture southern Khorezm, which was part of the Chagatai ulus. Emir Timur demanded the return of the occupied lands of southern Khorezm, first by peaceful means, sending first tavachi (quartermaster), then sheikhulislam (head of the Muslim community) to Gurganj, but Khorezmshah Hussein-sufi both times refused to fulfill this requirement, capturing the ambassador. Since then, Emir Timur has made five trips to Khorezm. At the last stage of the struggle, the Khorezmshahs tried to enlist the support of the Golden Horde Khan Tokhtamysh. In 1387, the Sufi Kungrats, together with Tokhtamysh, made a predatory raid on Bukhara, which led to Timur's last campaign against Khorezm and further military operations against Tokhtamysh.

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, which was once called the Chagatai ulus.

Realizing the danger to the independence of Maverannahr from the Jochi ulus, from the very first days of his reign, Timur tried in every possible way to bring his protege in the Jochi ulus to power. The Golden Horde had its capital in the city of Sarai-Batu (Saray-Berke) and stretched across the North Caucasus, the northwestern part of Khorezm, Crimea, Western Siberia and the Volga-Kama Principality of Bulgar. The White Horde had its capital in the city of Sygnak and stretched from Yangikent to Sabran, along the lower reaches of the Syr Darya, and also on the banks of the Syr Darya steppe from Ulu-tau to Sengir-yagach and the land from Karatal to Siberia. The 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 Uruskhan, 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 Maverannahr.

Tamerlane made three campaigns against Khan Tokhtamysh, finally defeating him on February 28, 1395.

After the defeat of the Golden Horde and Khan Tokhtamysh, the latter fled to Bulgar. In response to the plunder of the lands of Maverannahr, Emir Timur burned the capital of the Golden Horde - Saray-Batu, and gave the reins of government to Koirichak-oglan, who was the son of Uruskhan. The defeat of the Golden Horde by Timur had wide 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 Khan of the Horde - on Kondurcha in 1391 and on the 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 benefits in the struggle of the Russian lands against the Tatar-Mongol yoke.

In 1395, Tamerlane, who was on a campaign against Tokhtamysh, passed the Ryazan region and took the city of Yelets, after Tamerlane moved towards Moscow, but unexpectedly turned around and left on August 26 back. According to church tradition, it was at that time that Muscovites met the revered Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, which was transferred to Moscow to protect it from the conqueror. On the day of the meeting of the image, according to the chronicle, the Mother of God appeared to Tamerlane in a dream and ordered him to immediately leave the borders of Russia. The Sretensky Monastery was founded at the meeting place of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. Tamerlane did not reach Moscow, his army passed along the Don and took full.

There is also another point of view. According to the “Zafar-name” (“Book of Victories”) by Sheref-ad-din Yazdi, Timur ended up on the Don after his victory over Tokhtamysh near the Terek River and before the total defeat of the cities of the Golden Horde in the same 1395. Tamerlane personally pursued the retreating commanders of Tokhtamysh after the defeat until they were completely defeated. On the Dnieper, the enemy was finally defeated. Most likely, according to this source, Timur did not set out to march specifically on Russian lands. Some of his detachments approached the borders of Russia, and not he himself. Here, on the comfortable summer pastures of the Horde, stretching in the floodplain of the Upper Don to modern Tula, a small part of his army stopped for two weeks. Although the local population did not put up serious resistance, the region was severely devastated. As the Russian chronicle stories about Timur's invasion testify, his army stood on both sides of the Don for two weeks, "captured" (occupied) the land of Yelets and "captured" the prince of Yelets. Some coin treasures in the vicinity of Voronezh date back to 1395. However, in the vicinity of Yelets, which, according to the above-mentioned Russian written sources, was subjected to a pogrom, no treasures with such dating have been found so far. Sheref-ad-din Yazdi describes the great booty taken in the Russian lands and does not describe a single combat episode with the local population, although the main purpose of the "Book of Victories" was to describe the exploits of Timur himself and the valor of his soldiers. According to the legends recorded by Yelets local historians in XIX-XX centuries, the villagers put up stubborn resistance to the enemy. However, in the "Book of Victories" there is no mention of this, the names of the soldiers and commanders who took Yelets, who were the first to climb the rampart, who personally captured the Yelets prince, were not named. Meanwhile, Russian women made a great impression on Timur’s soldiers, about whom Sheref-ad-din Yazdi writes in a poetic line: “Oh, beautiful peris like roses stuffed into a snow-white Russian canvas!” Then in "Zafar-name" follows a detailed list of Russian cities conquered by Timur, where there is also Moscow. Perhaps this is just a list of Russian lands that did not want an armed conflict and sent their ambassadors with gifts. After the defeat of Bek Yaryk Oglan, Tamerlane himself began to methodically ravage the lands of his main enemy Tokhtamysh. The Horde cities of the Volga region never recovered from the ruin of Tamerlane until the final collapse of this state. Many colonies of Italian merchants in the Crimea and in the lower reaches of the Don were also defeated. The city of Tana (modern Azov) rose from the ruins for several decades. Yelets, according to Russian chronicles, existed for about twenty more years and was completely ruined by some "Tatars" only in 1414 or 1415.

Campaigns in Iran and the Caucasus.

In 1380, Timur went on a campaign against Malik Giyasiddin Pir Ali II, who ruled in the city of Herat. At first, he sent an ambassador to him with an invitation to the kurultai in order to solve the problem peacefully, but Malik rejected the offer, detaining the ambassador. In response to this, in April 1380, Timur, under the leadership of Emirzade Pirmuhammad Jahangir, sent ten regiments to the left bank of the Amu Darya River. He captured the regions of Balkh, Shibirgan and Badkhiz. In February 1381, Emir Timur himself marched with troops and took the cities of Khorasan, Serax, Jami, Kausia, Isferain, Tuye and Kelat, and Herat was taken after a five-day siege. also, in addition to Kelat, Sebzevar was taken, as a result of which the state of the Serbedars ceased to exist; in 1382 Timur's son, Miranshah, was appointed ruler of Khorasan; in 1383, Timur devastated Seistan and brutally crushed the uprising of the Serbedars in Sebzevar.

In 1383, he took Seistan, in which the fortresses of Zireh, Zave, Farah and Bust were defeated. In 1384, he captured the cities of Astrabad, Amul, Sari, Sultania and Tabriz, in fact capturing all of Persia. After that, he went on a campaign to Armenia, after which he made several more aggressive campaigns in Persia and Syria. These campaigns are known in world history as three-year, five-year and seven-year campaigns, during which he waged wars on the territory of modern Syria, India, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey and Iran.

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 trip.

For the first time, Timur was forced to return back as a result of the invasion of Maverannahr by the Golden Horde Khan Tokhtamysh in alliance with the Mongols of Semirechye (1387).

Timur in 1388 drove out the enemies and punished the Khorezmians for the alliance with Tokhtamysh, in 1389 he made a devastating campaign deep into the Mongol possessions to the Irtysh to the north and to the Big Zhyldyz to the east, in 1391 - a campaign against the Golden Horde possessions to the Volga. These campaigns achieved their goal.

Five year trip.

During the "five-year" campaign, Timur conquered the Caspian regions in 1392, and western Persia and Baghdad in 1393; Timur's son, Omar Sheikh, was appointed the ruler of Fars, Miran Shah - the ruler of Transcaucasia. The invasion of Tokhtamysh in Transcaucasia caused Timur's campaign against South Russia (1395); Timur defeated Tokhtamysh on the Terek, pursued him to the limits of the Moscow principality. There he invaded the Ryazan lands, ruined Yelets, posing a threat to Moscow. Having launched an offensive against Moscow, he unexpectedly turned back and left the Moscow lands on the very day when Muscovites met the image of the Vladimir Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, brought from Vladimir (from that day on, the icon is revered as the patroness of Moscow). Then Timur plundered the trading cities of Azov and Kafa, burned down Sarai-Bata and Astrakhan, but the lasting conquest of the Golden Horde was not the goal of Tamerlane, and therefore the Caucasus Range remained the northern border of Timur's possessions. In 1396 he returned to Samarkand and in 1397 appointed his youngest son Shahrukh as the ruler of Khorasan, Seistan and Mazanderan.

Timur's campaign in India.

In 1398 a campaign against India was undertaken, and the highlanders of Kafiristan were defeated along the way. In December, under the walls of Delhi, Timur defeated the army of the Indian sultan (Toghlukid dynasty) and occupied the city without resistance, which was sacked by the army a few days later. In 1399, Timur reached the banks of the Ganges, took several more cities and fortresses on the way back, and returned to Samarkand with huge booty, but without expanding his possessions.

Seven year trip.

Timur's campaign against the Ottoman Empire.

The "seven-year" campaign was originally caused by unrest in the area ruled by Miranshah. Timur deposed his son and defeated the enemies who invaded his possessions. In 1400, a war began with the Ottoman sultan Bayazet, who captured the city of Arzinjan, where Timur's vassal ruled, and with the Egyptian sultan Faraj, whose predecessor, Barkuk, ordered the assassination of Timur's ambassador back in 1393. In 1400, Timur took Sivas in Asia Minor and Aleppo (Aleppo) in Syria (which belonged to the Egyptian Sultan), in 1401 - Damascus.

In 1399, in response to the actions of Sultan Bayezid I the Lightning, who patronized Timur's enemy Kara Yusuf and wrote an insulting letter, Timur began his seven-year campaign against the Ottoman Empire.

In 1402, Timur won a major victory over the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I the Lightning, defeating him at the Battle of Ankara on July 28. The Sultan himself was taken prisoner. As a result of the battle, all of Asia Minor was captured, and the defeat of Bayezid led to the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, accompanied by a peasant war and civil strife among his sons. The official reason for the war was the alleged offering of gifts by Turkish ambassadors to Timur. Outraged by the fact that Bayezid was acting as a benefactor, Timur declared military action.

The fortress of Smyrna (belonging to the Joannite knights), which the Ottoman sultans, besieging, could not take for 20 years, he captured by storm in two weeks. The western part of Asia Minor was returned to the sons of Bayazet in 1403, and the petty dynasties deposed by Bayazet were restored in the eastern part.

Upon his return to Samarkand, Timur planned to declare his eldest grandson Mohammed Sultan (1375-1403), who was similar to his grandfather in actions and mind, as his successor. However, in March 1403 he fell ill and died suddenly.

The beginning of the campaign to China.

In August 1404, Timur returned to Samarkand and a few months later undertook a campaign against China, for which he began to prepare as early as 1398. In that year, he built a fortress on the border of the present Syr-Darya region and Semirechye; now another fortification has been built, 10 days' journey further east, probably near Issyk-Kul. The campaign was stopped due to the beginning of a cold winter, and in February 1405 Timur died.

diplomatic relations.

Timur, who created a huge empire, established diplomatic relations with a number of states, including China, Egypt, Byzantium, France, England, Spain, etc. In 1404, the ambassador of the Castilian king, Gonzalez de Clavijo, Ruy, visited the capital of his state, Samarkand. The original letters of Timur to the French king Charles VI have been preserved.

Children.

Timur had four sons: Jahangir (1356-1376), Umar Sheikh (1356-1394), Miran Shah (1366-1408), Shahrukh (1377-1447) and several daughters: Uka begim, Sultan Bakht aga, Bigi jan, Saadat Sultan, Musalla.

Death.

He died during a campaign against China. After the completion of the seven-year war, during which Bayezid I was defeated, Timur began preparations for the Chinese campaign, which he had long planned because of China's claims to the lands of Maverannahr and Turkestan. He gathered a large army of two hundred thousand, with whom 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 with 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 throne of Samarkand against the will of his grandfather, who bequeathed the kingdom to his eldest grandson Pirmukhammed.

A look at Tamerlane in the light of history and culture.

Code of laws.

During the reign of Emir Timur, there was a code of laws "Timur's Code", which set out the rules of conduct for members of society and the duties of rulers and officials, and also contain the rules for managing the army and the state.

When appointed to the post, the "great emir" demanded devotion and loyalty from everyone. He appointed to high positions 315 people who were next to him from the very beginning of his career and fought side by side with him. The first hundred were appointed tenants, the second hundred - centurions, and the third - thousanders. Of the remaining fifteen people, four were appointed beks, one was appointed supreme emir, and others were appointed to other high posts.

The judicial system was divided into three levels: 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 the mores and customs established in society. 3. Kazi askar - who conducted the proceedings on military matters.

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

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

Emirs, as well as viziers, must be from a noble family, possess such qualities as insight, courage, enterprise, caution and thrift, conduct business, having thoroughly thought through the consequences of each step. They must “know the secrets of conducting a battle, methods of dispersing an enemy army, not lose their presence of mind in the midst of a battle and be able to lead troops without trembling and hesitation, and in the event of a breakdown in battle formation, be able to restore it without delay.”

The protection of soldiers and common people was secured. The code obligated village and district elders, tax collectors and khokims (local rulers) to pay a fine to a commoner to the extent of the damage caused to him. If the harm was caused by a warrior, then he should be transferred into the hands of the victim, and he himself determined the measure of punishment for him.

As far as possible, the code secured the protection of the people in the conquered lands from humiliation and plunder.

A separate article is devoted to paying attention to the poor, who should have been gathered to a certain place, given food and work, and branded. If after that they continued to beg, then they should have been expelled from the country.

Emir Timur paid attention to the purity and morality of his people, he introduced the concept of the inviolability of the law and ordered not to rush to punish the criminals, but to carefully check all the circumstances of the case and only after that make a verdict. Orthodox Muslims were explained the basics of religion to establish Sharia and Islam, taught tafsir (interpretation of the Koran), hadith (a collection of legends about the Prophet Muhammad) and fiqh (Muslim jurisprudence). Ulema (scientists) and mudarrises (madrasah teachers) were also appointed to each city.

Decrees and laws in the state of Timur were drawn up in two languages: Persian-Tajik and Chagatai. At the court of Timur, there was a staff of Turkic and Tajik clerks.

Army of Tamerlane.

Based 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-confessional association, the core of which was the Turkic-Mongolian nomadic warriors. The army of Tamerlane was divided into cavalry and infantry, the role of which greatly increased at the turn of the XIV-XV centuries. Nevertheless, the main part of the army was made up of cavalry units of nomads, the backbone of which consisted of elite units of heavily armed cavalrymen, as well as detachments of Tamerlane's bodyguards. The infantry often played a supporting role, but was necessary during the sieges of fortresses. The infantry was mostly lightly armed and mainly consisted of archers, but the army also consisted of heavily armed shock troops of infantrymen.

In addition to the main types of troops (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, in general, corresponded to the decimal organization of Genghis Khan, but a number of changes appeared (for example, units numbering from 50 to 300 people called "koshuns" appeared, the number of larger "Kul" units was also inconsistent).

The main weapon of the light cavalry, like the infantry, was the bow. Light cavalrymen also used sabers or swords and axes. Heavily armed riders were armored (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 ubiquitous). Ordinary infantrymen were armed with bows, heavy infantry warriors fought with sabers, axes and maces and were protected by shells, 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 troops. During the Indian campaign, a black banner with a silver dragon was used. Before going to China, Tamerlane ordered to depict a golden dragon on the banners.

There is a legend that before the battle of Ankara, Timur and Bayazid the Lightning met on the battlefield. Bayezid, looking at the banner of Timur, said: "What impudence to think that the whole world belongs to you!" In response, Timur, pointing to the banner of the Turk, said: "Even more impudence to think that the moon belongs to you."

Urban planning and architecture.

During the years of his conquests, Timur brought to the country not only material booty, but also brought with him prominent scientists, artisans, artists, and architects. He believed that the more cultured people there are in the cities, the faster its development will go and the more comfortable the cities of Maverannahr and Turkestan will be. In the course of his conquests, he put an end to political fragmentation in Persia and the Middle East, trying to leave a memory of himself in every city he visited, he built several beautiful buildings in it. So, for example, he restored the cities of Baghdad, Derbend, Baylakan, fortresses destroyed on the roads, parking lots, bridges, irrigation systems.

In 1371, he began the restoration of the ruined fortress of Samarkand, defensive walls Shahristan with six gates of Sheikhzade, Akhanin, Feruz, Suzangaran, Karizgah and Chorsu, and in the arch were built two four-story buildings Kuksaray, which housed the state treasury, workshops and a prison, as well as Buston-saray, which housed the residence of the emir.

Timur made Samarkand one of the centers of trade in Central Asia. As the traveler Clavijo writes: “In Samarkand, goods brought from China, India, Tatarstan (Dasht-i Kipchak - B.A.) and other places, as well as from the richest kingdom of Samarkand, are sold annually. Since there were no special rows in the city where it would be convenient to trade, Timurbek ordered a street to be laid through the city, on both sides of which there would be shops and tents for selling goods.

Timur paid great attention to the development of Islamic culture and the improvement of sacred places for Muslims. In the mausoleums of Shahi Zinda, he erected tombs over the graves of his relatives, at the direction of one of his wives, whose name was Tuman aka, a mosque, a dervish abode, a tomb and Chartag were erected there. He also erected Rukhabad (the tomb of Burkhaniddin Sogardzhi), Kutbi chakhardakhum (the tomb of Sheikh Khoja Nuriddin Basir) and Gur-Emir (the family tomb of the Timurid family). Also in Samarkand, he built many baths, mosques, madrasahs, dervish cloisters, caravanserais.

During 1378-1404, 14 gardens were cultivated in Samarkand and nearby lands Bagh-i bihisht, Bag-i dilkusha, Bag-i shamal, Bag-i buldi, Bag-i nav, Bag-i jahannuma, Bag-i takhti karach and Bag-i davlatabad, Bag-zogcha (garden of rooks), etc. Each of these gardens had a palace and fountains. The historian Khafizi Abru mentions Samarkand in his writings, in which he writes that “Samarkand, built earlier from clay, was rebuilt by erecting buildings from stone.” None of these palaces has survived to this day.

In 1399-1404, a cathedral mosque and a madrasah opposite it were built in Samarkand. The mosque later received the name Bibi Khanum (madam grandmother - in Turkic).

Shakhrisabz (in Tajik "green city") was equipped, in which destroyed city walls, defensive structures, tombs of saints, majestic palaces, mosques, madrasahs, and tombs were erected. Timur also devoted time to the construction of bazaars and baths. Aksaray Palace was built from 1380 to 1404. In 1380, the family tomb Dar us-saadat was erected.

The cities of Yassy and Bukhara were also equipped. In 1388, the city of Shahrukhia was restored, which was destroyed during the invasion of Genghis Khan.

In 1398, after the victory over the Khan of the Golden Horde Tokhtamysh, in Turkestan, a mausoleum was built by Iranian and Khorezm masters on the order of Timur over the grave of the poet and Sufi philosopher Khoja Ahmad Yassawi. Here, a Tabriz master cast a two-ton copper cauldron, in which they were supposed to cook food for those in need.

The development of science and painting.

In Maverannakhr, applied art became widespread, in which artists could show all their mastery of their skills. It received its distribution in Bukhara, Yassy and Samarkand. The drawings in the tombs of the tomb of Shirinbek-aga and Tuman-aga, made in 1385 and 1405, respectively, have been preserved. The art of miniatures, which adorned such books by writers and poets of Maverannakhr as “Shahnameh” by Abulkasim Firdousi and “Anthology of Iranian Poets”, received special development. Great success in art at that time was achieved by the artists Abdulkhay, Pir Ahmad Bagishamali and Khoja Bangir Tabrizi.

In the tomb of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, located in Turkestan, there was a large cast-iron cauldron and candlesticks with the name of Emir Timur written on them. A similar candlestick was also found in the tomb of Gur-Emir in Samarkand. All this testifies to the fact that the Central Asian masters of their craft, especially woodworkers with stone and jewelers with weavers, also achieved great success.

In the field of science and education, jurisprudence, medicine, theology, mathematics, astronomy, history, philosophy, musicology, literature and the science of versification have spread. A prominent theologian at that time was Jalaliddin Ahmed al Khorezmi. Great success in astrology was achieved by Maulana Ahmad, and in jurisprudence Abdumalik, Isamiddin and Sheikh Shamsiddin Muhammad Jazairi. In musicology, Abdulgadir Maragi, father and son of Safiaddin and Ardasher Changi. Painting by Abdulkhay Baghdadi and Pir Ahmad Bagishamoli. In the philosophy of Sadiddin Taftazzani and Mirsaid Sharif Jurjani. In the story of Nizamiddin Shami and Hafizi Abru.

The legend about the tomb of Tamerlane.

According to the legend, the source and time of which it is not possible to establish, there was a prediction that if the ashes of Tamerlane were disturbed, a great and terrible war would begin.

In the tomb of Timur Gur Emir in Samarkand, on a large dark green jade gravestone in Arabic script in Arabic and Persian is inscribed:
“This is the tomb of the great Sultan, the gracious Khakan Emir Timur Gurgan; son of Emir Taragay, son of Emir Bergul, son of Emir Aylangir, son of Emir Anjil, son of Kara Charnuyan, son of Emir Sigunchinchin, son of Emir Irdanchi-Barlas, son of Emir Kachulai, son of Tumnai Khan. This is the 9th generation.

Genghis Khan comes from the same family from which the grandfathers of the glorious Sultan, buried in this sacred and beautiful tomb, descend: Khakan-Genghis-son. Emir Maisukai-Bahadur, son of Emir Barnan-Bahadur, son of Kabul-Khan, son of the mentioned Tumnai-Khan, son of Emir Baysungara, son of Kaidu-Khan, son of Emir Tutumtin, son of Emir-Buk, son of Emir-Buzanjar.

Whoever wants to know further, let it be known: the mother of the latter was called Alankuva, who was distinguished by her honesty and her impeccable morality. She once became pregnant from a wolf who appeared to her in the opening of the room and, taking the form of a man, announced that he was a descendant of the ruler of the faithful Aliya, the son of Abu-Talib. This testimony given by her is accepted as the truth. Her praiseworthy descendants will rule the world forever.

Died on the night of 14 Shagban 807 (1405)."

At the bottom of the stone there is an inscription: “This stone was placed by Ulugbek Gurgan after a trip to Jitta.”

Several less reliable sources also report that the tombstone bears 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: "Anyone who disturbs my peace in this life or the next will be subjected to suffering and perish."

Another legend says: In 1747, the Iranian Nadir Shah took away this jade tombstone, and on that day Iran was destroyed by an earthquake, and the Shah himself fell seriously ill. The earthquake was repeated when the Shah returned to Iran and the stone was returned.

From the memoirs of Malik Kayumov, who was a cameraman at the opening of the grave:

I entered the nearest tea house, I saw - there are three ancient old men sitting there. I also noted to myself: they are similar to each other, like brothers. Well, I sat down nearby, they brought me a teapot and a bowl. Suddenly, one of these old men turns to me: “Son, are you one of those who decided to open the grave of Tamerlane?” And I take it and say: “Yes, I am the most important in this expedition, without me all these scientists are nowhere!”. Jokingly decided to drive away his fear. Only, I see, the old people, in response to my smile, frowned even more. And the one who spoke to me beckons. I come closer, I look, in his hands is a book - an old, handwritten one, the pages are filled with Arabic script. And the old man runs his finger along the lines: “Look, son, what is written in this book. “Whoever opens the grave of Tamerlane will release the spirit of war. And there will be a slaughter so bloody and terrible, which the world has not seen forever and ever.

He decided to tell the others and was laughed at. It was June 20th. Scientists did not listen and on June 22 they opened the grave, and on the same day the Great Patriotic War began. No one could find those elders: the owner of the teahouse said that on that day, June 20, he saw the elders for the first and last time.

The opening of the tomb of Tamerlane was carried out on June 22, 1941 by the Soviet anthropologist M. M. Gerasimov. As a result of the study of the skull of the commander, the appearance of Tamerlane was recreated.

However, the plan for the war with the USSR was developed at Hitler's headquarters back in 1940, the date of the invasion was limitedly known in the spring of 1941 and finally determined on June 10, 1941, that is, long before the opening of the grave. The signal to the troops that the offensive should begin according to plan was transmitted on June 20.

According to Kayumov, while at the front, he managed to get a meeting with Marshal Zhukov in October 1942, explained the situation and offered to return the ashes of Tamerlane back to the grave. This was carried out on November 19-20, 1942; These days there was a turning point in the Battle of Stalingrad.

Kayumov's criticism of Aini provoked reciprocal criticism from Tajik society. Another version of events, owned by Kamal Sadreddinovich Aini (the son of a writer who participated in the excavations) was published in 2004. According to her, the book was dated to the end of the 19th century, and Kayumov did not know Farsi, so he did not understand the content of the conversation and considered that Aini shouted at the elders. The words written in Arabic in the margins are “traditional sayings that are similarly available in relation to the burial places of Ismail Somoni, and Khoja Ahrar, and Khazrati Bogoutdin, etc., in order to protect the burial places from seekers of easy money, looking for values ​​in the graves of historical figures” , about which he told the old people.

When everyone left the crypt, I saw three elders talking in Tajik with my father, with A. A. Semenov and T. N. Kary-Niyazov. One of the elders was holding some old book in his hand. He opened it and said in Tajik: “This book is old written. It says that whoever touches the grave of Timurlane, misfortune, war will overtake everyone. All those present exclaimed: "O Allah, save us from troubles!". S. Aini took this book, put on his glasses, carefully looked through it and addressed the elder in Tajik: “Dear, do you believe in this book?”

Answer: “Why, it begins with the name of Allah!”.
S. Aini: “Do you know what kind of book this is?”
Answer: "An important Muslim book that begins with the name of Allah and protects the people from disasters."
S. Aini: “This book, written in Farsi, is simply “Jangnoma” - a book about battles and fights, a collection of fantastic stories about certain heroes. And this book was compiled only recently, at the end of the 19th century. And those words that you are talking about the grave of Timurlane are written on the margins of the book with a different hand. By the way, you probably know that according to Muslim traditions, it is generally considered a sin to open graves and sacred places - mazars. And those words about the grave of Timurlane are traditional sayings that are similarly available in relation to the burial places of Ismail Somoni, and Khoja Akhrar, and Khazrati Bogoutdin Balogardon and others, in order to protect burial places from seekers of easy money, looking for values ​​in the graves of historical figures. But for the sake of scientific purposes in different countries, as in our country, ancient burial grounds and graves of historical figures were opened. Here is your book, study it and think with your head.”

T. N. Kary-Niyazov picked up the book, carefully looked through it and, in agreement with S. Aini, nodded his head. Then Malik Kayumov took the book into his hands, whom everyone there called “suratgir” (photographer). And I saw that he was turning the pages not from the beginning of the book, as it should be from right to left, but, on the contrary, in a European way, from left to right.

From the diary of S. Aini

According to sources, Timur was fond of playing chess.

In Bashkir mythology there is an ancient legend about Tamerlane. According to him, it was on the orders of Tamerlane in 1395-96 that the mausoleum of Hussein-bek, the first spreader of Islam among the Bashkir tribes, was built, since the commander, having accidentally found the grave, decided to show great honors to him as a person who spread Muslim culture. The legend is confirmed by six graves of princes-military leaders near the mausoleum, who, for unknown reasons, died along with part of the army during the winter camp. However, who specifically ordered the construction, Tamerlane or one of his generals, is not known for certain. Now the mausoleum of Hussein-bek is located on the territory of the village of Chishmy, Chishminsky district of the Republic of Bashkortostan.

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

based on wikipedia.org

Some more legends:

Devil's settlement: secret and obvious

According to another legend, Catherine II visited the ruins of the Devil's Settlement to get an answer to the question of whether she should marry her favorite Grigory Orlov. As we know from history, she did not become his wife, but what the Devil's settlement "told" Catherine, even the legend is silent: there was no answer ...

In 1852 "Kazan provincial journals" published excerpts from the work of the Bulgar chronicler Sherif-Eddin, where it was said: "...Khan Temir-Aksak, having ruined the Devil's settlement, visited the graves of Mohammed's followers, located at the mouth of the river Toima, which flows into the Kama under the settlement. .."

Historians cast the deepest doubt on the fact that Tamerlane was in our area. But back in 1985-86. I heard from one of the Elabuga residents a legend about why the Devil's Settlement was not destroyed by the legendary Tamerlane. Allegedly, the besieged fulfilled the will of the "iron lame" and surrounded the entire tower from the base to the top with the severed heads of their soldiers. According to this little-known legend, Timur laid siege to the fortress and all those besieged were threatened with imminent death. A secret underground passage, through which one could go to a safe place, was discovered by Timur's soldiers and filled up. It was still possible to defend the fortress: there were people, there were forces and weapons. It just didn't make sense. Everyone would die. And then all the people living here would have disappeared. Timur, famous not only for his cruelty, but also for the fact that he keeps his word, said that he would leave alive those who take refuge in the last tower of the fortress (it was the smallest). But at the same time, the tower itself from top to bottom should be covered with severed human heads. And not those soldiers who had already died in the battle with Tamerlane, but the heads of those defenders of the fortress who were still alive and ready to fight.

After a painful night meeting, women and children entered the indicated tower (they had to revive great people, who lived here for centuries), and in the morning the soldiers chopped off each other's heads and piled them near the tower so that the tower would hide under the pyramid of human heads ... Tamerlane kept his word: the tower remained intact, and those who took refuge in it remained alive. The people have been reborn. But at what cost!

In 1855 at the request of a native of Yelabuga, Professor K.I. Nevostrueva Shishkin, together with his artist son, examined the Devil's settlement, decided to restore the dilapidated tower, but he started work only in 1867. In 1871 Ivan Shishkin published in Moscow the book "History of the city of Yelabuga", where, referring to "some oral traditions and news in printed books and manuscripts", he said that "in the place where the Devil's ancient settlement was, there was the city of Gelon, to which the Persian King Darius Istasp, chasing the Scythians<за 512лет до Р.Х.>, and that, after spending the winter in the city, he burned it out ... "and that in the place "where Gelon was, the ancient Bulgarian city of Bryakhimov is supposed to be." Shishkin also told about the priests who lived in the ruins of the Devil's settlement, to whom "the queen Kazan Sumbeka" sent ambassadors, wanting to know how the war with Tsar Ivan IV would end ...

The location of the commemorative cast-iron plate with the inscription: "This ancient monument was not allowed to be destroyed; it was restored by Yelabuga citizens in 1867" is unknown. Corresponding Member of the Academy of Sciences D.K. Zelenin in his guide to the rivers Kama and Vyatka (1904) pointed out: "A little more and one of the most remarkable monuments in Russia would be less, but enlightened people were found in Yelabuga who saved the monument." Yelabuga residents and residents of the surrounding villages and villages actively used the material of the fortress for their household needs. And a century after Shishkin restored the tower, one of the Elabuga enterprises began to mine stone on the territory of the settlement. The arranged quarry destroyed the central part of the settlement and forever deprived us of solving some of the secrets of the settlement.

Until now, on the slopes of the mountain crowned with a legendary tower, people find (and find, mind you, by chance) evidence of past eras: arrowheads, human bones and animal bones, outlandish coins and amulets, clay shards ... Now just imagine for a moment what is found during specialized archaeological excavations ...

But back to the legends. They testify that several underground passages went from the Devil's settlement in different directions. Where they were and where they led is not known for certain. Old-timers testify that the remains of underground passages were visible in places as early as the late 1970s.

The Elabuga writer Stanislav Romanovsky touched the secrets of the Devil's settlement, but did not have time to reveal them. In 1989 his story "The Tower over the Kama" was published, the sixth chapter of which is called "Legends of the Devil's Settlement".

A. Ivanov

Mysteries of the Devil's Town

Many secrets and mysteries are kept by the famous Yelabuga ("Devil's") settlement, now a monument of history and archeology of federal significance. Professional archaeologists have long understood that the Yelabuga land will never tire of presenting them with amazing historical finds.

As an amateur local historian, I fully agree with the opinion of the Yelabuga archaeologist A.Z.

But, I will never agree with his other opinion: "In the eyes of a Christian monk, a Muslim saint was the personification of the Antichrist, i.e." the demon ". Therefore, it is by no means accidental that this ancient settlement later received the name "Besovsky", or "Devil's" "(Bulgarian cities ancestral Kama: Alabuga, Kirmen, Chally., Publishing House of Kazan University, 2005, p.26).

By the way, academician B.A. Rybakov wrote: "The Slavs gave the name "Chertovo" to those places where religious buildings were located in pre-Christian times - whether the Slavs, or their predecessors."

Undoubtedly, this name was given by later settlers who occupied previously inhabited and then abandoned places. Seeing the skillfully made buildings of the ancient citadel and not knowing who built them and why, these later settlers, partly out of superstition, partly out of ignorance, attributed them to the action of supernatural forces, believing that the devil himself heaped up them.

Yelabuga settlement is covered with age-old legends and traditions. In particular, there is a legend among the people "The Mysterious Well". This legend tells that the ancient magi, who once lived in the settlement, kept a fortune-telling serpent in an underground well. Demanding sacrifices from the surrounding inhabitants, as well as from merchants sailing along the Kama, they fed them to the snake-oracle. As legend has it, the serpent's predictions were remarkably accurate.

"This divine temple, or oracle, was located near the suburb of Yelabuga, at the Toima River, which flows right into the Kama, which, when brought up, the stone ruins known as the "Devil's Settlement" are still visible. In it the priests kept the adored great serpent, to which people were given to eating, instead of a victim "(see: Notes of Captain Rychkov's travels., St. Petersburg, 1770, sheets 44 and 45).

Let's try to understand the above legend, it probably contains grains of truth. In my opinion, we are talking about pre-Christian times, i.e. about the time before the birth of Christ, or, as scientists say, about the centuries before our era.

It is well known that centuries BC on the Yelabuga land is the Ananyino cultural and historical community. Someone will think that the author is trying to prove that the white-stone fortress belonged to the Ananyin people. Of course, the stone fortress-citadel was built much later, but the place for construction was by no means chosen by chance, namely, where the Ananyins had a protected cult place. I'll try to prove it. In the aforementioned book by A.Z. Nigamaev "Bulgarian cities of the Kama region" in fig. 53 shows the plan of a white-stone building, discovered by excavation in 1993, i.e. plan of the citadel-fortress.

My attention was drawn to the plan by the following: "In the investigated area, the Ananyino layer includes the contours of a structure such as a ground dwelling and several pits located mainly in the western half of the excavation" (see: p.20, second paragraph from above).

Apparently, the archaeologist did not understand the purpose of the foundation of the Ananyino time (see the attached figure). The foundation, trapezoidal in shape, is nothing more than an entrance-well into the Ananyin dungeons, i.e. the same legendary "mysterious well".

In my opinion, it makes sense to unearth the ancient entrance-well. Of course, excavations will be difficult and will take at least two or three years. Field studies conducted by the author in the summer of 2007 showed that ancient underground passages go in different directions from the well.

It is possible that Yelabuga businessmen will be interested in excavation of the well. Moreover, the excavations are relevant, because. 2008 marks the 150th anniversary of the discovery of the world-famous Ananyino culture. Of course, you can set up hotels and restaurants, but do not forget that these are just additional services. Tourists are primarily interested in the authentic layers of history and culture, and only then the availability of hotels and restaurants.

Of course, the participation of a professional archaeologist is necessary when clearing the well so that the archaeological material is not destroyed. The presence of an archaeologist is necessary for the stratification of the layers in order to be able to draw a conclusion about the exact time of occurrence, the nature and functioning of the underground system.

The archaeologist K.I. Korepanov once suggested restoring the secret passages: "It is necessary to restore some of the secret passages, ensure their safety, security, ventilation, etc., which is quite convenient for visiting and satisfying visitors of their interest in the past" (see: "New Kama", December 28, 1991, article Kamsky "Nutlet").

Short form of the name Tamerlane. Tamik.
Synonyms for the name Tamerlane. Timur, Temerlane, Temirlane, Tamirlane.
Origin of the name Tamerlane The name Tamerlane is Muslim, Ossetian, Kazakh.

The name Tamerlane is of Turkic origin, is related to the name Timur ("iron").

The name Tamerlane appeared in various Persian sources, where it was mentioned as an ironic nickname of the great Khan Timur, namely Timur-e Lang, which meant "Timur the Lame". It is possible that this name was considered at that time as contemptuously derogatory. Tamerlane (variations - Tamerlan, Tamerlane, Tamburlaine, Timur Lenk) entered Western languages ​​as a foreign oriental name, completely losing its original negative connotation, and began to be used along with the name Timur.

Tamerlane is kind, balanced and complaisant. There is no malice in him, he is unlikely to be the first to get into a fight. Tamerlane prefers sports, makes progress in his studies. In this he is helped by a good memory and a developed imagination. Tamerlane pays great attention to trifles. He is very thoughtful and stubborn. This man is endowed with an analytical mindset, has a solid character and an impeccable reputation.

Outwardly, Tamerlane is more like a mother, but his character is paternal. As a child, he is accommodating, kind and a little indecisive. But even in children's games, the boy shows extraordinary ingenuity and the ability to navigate in the most unusual situations. Tamerlane's organizational skills begin to show at school. He takes part in various events with pleasure, and among the guys he has authority.

Tamerlane shows clear ability in sports. He can achieve good success, especially in strength sports, if his parents try to get him into sports as mono earlier. However, parents should remember that Tamerlane by nature strong personality and will not tolerate comparisons with anyone. You should not put anyone to Tamerlane as an example.

Tamerlane is trustworthy. He trusts his friends with all his thoughts and secrets. The rest of it is laconic. Tamerlane is faithful in friendship, he will never betray a friend. This man treats the older generation with great respect, he responds to requests for help with great zeal. In conversations, Tamerlane does not tolerate raised tones. He believes that any issue can be resolved without unnecessary emotions.

Name day of Tamerlane

Tamerlane does not celebrate his birthday.

Notable people named Tamerlane

• Tamerlane (Timur), Timur ibn Taragai Barlas ((1336 - 1405) Central Asian conqueror who played a significant role in the history of Central, South and Western Asia, as well as the Caucasus, the Volga region and Russia. An outstanding commander, emir (since 1370). The founder of the empire and the Timurid dynasty, with its capital in Samarkand. 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 in 1370 with the Genghisid house, he took the name Timur Gurgan a variant of the Mongolian "kurugen" or "khurgen" - "son-in-law"). This meant that Tamerlane, having intermarried with the Genghisid khans, could freely live and act in their homes. Timur, who created a huge empire, established diplomatic ties with a number of states, in among which were China, Egypt, Byzantium, France, England, Spain, etc. In 1404, the ambassador of the Castilian king, Gonzalez de Clavijo, Ruy, visited the capital of his state, Samarkand. French king Charles VI. During the reign of Emir Timur, there was a code of laws "Timur's Code", which set out the rules of conduct for members of society and the duties of rulers and officials, and also contain rules for managing the army and the state. The protection of soldiers and common people was secured. The code obligated village and district elders, tax collectors and khokims (local rulers) to pay a fine to a commoner to the extent of the damage caused to him. If the harm was caused by a warrior, then he should be transferred into the hands of the victim, and he himself determined the measure of punishment for him. As far as possible, the code secured the protection of the people in the conquered lands from humiliation and plunder. A separate article is devoted to paying attention to the poor, who should have been gathered to a certain place, given food and work, and branded. If after that they continued to beg, then they should have been expelled from the country. Emir Timur paid attention to the purity and morality of his people, he introduced the concept of the inviolability of the law and ordered not to rush to punish the criminals, but to carefully check all the circumstances of the case and only after that make a verdict. Orthodox Muslims were explained the basics of religion to establish Sharia and Islam, taught tafsir (interpretation of the Koran), hadith (a collection of legends about the Prophet Muhammad) and fiqh (Muslim jurisprudence). Ulema (scientists) and mudarrises (madrasah teachers) were also appointed to each city. Decrees and laws in the state of Timur were drawn up in two languages: Persian-Tajik and Chagatai. At the court of Timur, there was a staff of Turkic and Tajik clerks. During the years of his conquests, Timur brought to the country not only material booty, but also brought with him prominent scientists, artisans, artists, and architects. He believed that the more cultured people there are in the cities, the faster its development will go and the more comfortable the cities of Maverannahr and Turkestan will be. In the course of his conquests, he put an end to political fragmentation in Persia and the Middle East, trying to leave a memory of himself in every city he visited, he built several beautiful buildings in it. So, for example, he restored the cities of Baghdad, Derbend, Baylakan, fortresses destroyed on the roads, parking lots, bridges, irrigation systems. Timur made Samarkand one of the centers of trade in Central Asia. Timur paid great attention to the development of Islamic culture and the improvement of sacred places for Muslims. In the field of science and education, jurisprudence, medicine, theology, mathematics, astronomy, history, philosophy, musicology, literature and the science of versification have spread. A prominent theologian at that time was Jalaliddin Ahmed al Khorezmi. Great success in astrology was achieved by Maulana Ahmad, and in jurisprudence Abdumalik, Isamiddin and Sheikh Shamsiddin Muhammad Jazairi. In musicology, Abdulgadir Maragi, father and son of Safiaddin and Ardasher Changi. Painting by Abdulkhay Baghdadi and Pir Ahmad Bagishamoli. In the philosophy of Sadiddin Taftazzani and Mirsaid Sharif Jurjani. In the story of Nizamiddin Shami and Hafizi Abru.)
• Tamerlane Thorell ((1830 - 1901) Swedish zoologist, a major arachnologist. Between 1850 and 1900, he described more than 1000 new species of spiders. In Italy, working in the Natural History Museum of Genoa, he collaborated with the founder of this museum, the famous naturalist Giacomo Doria. His high reputation and knowledge of languages ​​(he was a polyglot) allowed Thorell to communicate and exchange materials with the largest arachnolags of that time: the Englishman Octavius ​​Picard-Cambridge and the Frenchman Eugène Simon.Two genera (Thorellina, Thorelliola) and several species of spiders were named in honor of Tamerlane Thorell .)
• Tamerlan Dzudtsov ((born 1965) artistic director of the South Ossetian State Drama Theater named after Kosta Khetagurov. Since 2007, Minister of Culture of the Republic of South Ossetia.)
• Tamerlan Tadtaev ((born 1966) Ossetian Russian-speaking writer, publicist. Member of the Georgian-Ossetian war of 1989-1992, 2004, 2008. He was awarded the medal of South Ossetia "Defender of the Fatherland". He took part in organizing the customs service of the republic. Published in the magazines "Daryal ", "Vainakh", "Neva", in the magazine "Sever", in the newspaper "Literary Russia", "Nezavisimaya Gazeta", on Internet sites. Member of the forum of young writers of the North Caucasus in Nalchik in 2008, the forum of young writers of Russia in Lipkakh, Scholarship recipient of the SEIP Foundation, in 2008 he was shortlisted for the Russian Prize, awarded to writers writing in Russian outside of Russia.)
• Tamerlan Varziev ((born 1978) Russian football player, defender)
• Tamerlan Tmenov ((born 1977) famous Russian judoka, Honored Master of Sports of Russia, ex-captain of the Russian national judo team. He competed in heavyweight (over 100 kg). Bronze medalist of the 2000 Olympic Games and silver medalist of the 2004 Olympic Games, multiple winner of world championships, 7-time European champion, multiple champion of Russia.In 2001 he was awarded the medal of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, II degree, and in 2006 - the medal of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, I degree.In 2010, Tmenov ended his sports career and is currently one of the vice-presidents of the Russian Judo Federation.)

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680 years ago, on April 8, 1336, Tamerlane was born. One of the most powerful world rulers, famous conquerors, brilliant commanders and cunning politicians. Tamerlane-Timur created one of the largest empires in the history of mankind. His empire stretched from the Volga River and the Caucasus Mountains in the west to India in the southwest. The center of the empire was in Central Asia, in Samarkand. His name is shrouded in legends, mystical events and still inspires interest.

"Iron Lame" (the right leg was struck in the area of ​​the kneecap) was an interesting personality, in which cruelty was combined with great intelligence, love of art, literature and history. Timur was a very brave and restrained man. He was a real warrior - strong and physically developed (a real athlete). A sober mind, the ability to make the right decisions in difficult situations, foresight and talent as an organizer allowed him to become one of the greatest rulers of the Middle Ages.

Timur's full name was Timur ibn Taragai Barlas - Timur son of Taragai from Barlas. In the Mongolian tradition Temir means "iron". In medieval Russian chronicles, it was referred to as Temir Aksak (Temir - "iron", Aksak - "lame"), that is, Iron Lame. In various Persian sources, the Iranianized nickname Timur-e Liang - "Timur the Lame" is often found. It passed into Western languages ​​as Tamerlane.

Tamerlane was born on April 8 (according to other sources - April 9 or March 11), 1336 in the city of Kesh (later called Shakhrisabz - "Green City"). This entire region was called Maverannahr (in translation - “what is beyond the river”) and was located between the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers. It has been part of the Mongol (Mughal) empire for a century now. The word "Mongols", in the original version "Moguls" comes from the root word "could, can" - "husband, mighty, mighty, powerful." From this root came the word "Moguls" - "great, powerful." The family of Timur was also a representative of the Turkified Mongols-Moguls.

It is worth noting that the then Mongols-Moguls were not Mongoloids, like the modern inhabitants of Mongolia. Tamerlane himself belonged to the so-called South Siberian (Turanian) race, that is, a mixture of Caucasians and Mongoloids. The mixing process then took place in the south of Siberia, in Kazakhstan, Central Asia and Mongolia. Caucasoids (Aryans-Indo-Europeans), who for many millennia inhabited these areas, and gave passionary impetuses to the development of India, China and other regions, mixed with the Mongoloids. They completely dissolve in the Mongoloid and Turkic ethnic arrays (the genes of the Mongoloids are dominant), passing on to them some of their characteristics (including militancy). However, in the XIV century the process was not yet completed. Therefore, Timur had blond (red) hair, a thick red beard, and anthropologically belonged to the South Siberian race.

Timur's father, the petty feudal lord Taragai (Turgai), came from the Barlas tribe, which at one time was among the first, united by Temuchin-Genghis Khan. However, he did not belong to the direct descendants of Temuchin, so later Tamerlane could not claim the khan's throne. The founder of the Barlas clan was considered a large feudal lord Karachar, who at one time was an assistant to the son of Genghis Khan Chagatai. According to other sources, Tamerlane's ancestor was Irdamcha-Barlas - allegedly the nephew of Khabul Khan, the great-grandfather of Genghis Khan.

Little is known about the childhood of the future great conqueror. Timur's childhood and youth were spent in the mountains of Kesh. In his youth, he loved hunting and equestrian competitions, javelin throwing and archery, and had a penchant for war games. There is a legend about how ten-year-old Timur once drove home sheep, and with them managed to drive a hare, not allowing him to fight off the herd. At night, frightened by his too quick son, Taragai cut the tendons on his right leg. Allegedly, then Timur became lame. However, this is only a legend. In fact, Timur was wounded in one of the skirmishes during his turbulent youth. In the same fight, he lost two fingers on his hand, and all his life Tamerlane suffered from severe pain in his crippled leg. Perhaps this could be associated with outbursts of rage. Thus, it is known for sure that the boy and the youth were distinguished by great dexterity and physical strength, and from the age of 12 he took part in military skirmishes.

Start of political activity

The Mongol Empire was no longer single state, it broke up into destinies-uluses, there were constant internecine wars, which did not bypass Maverannahr, which was part of the Chagatai ulus. In 1224, Genghis Khan divided his state into four uluses, according to the number of sons. The second son Chagatai got Central Asia and nearby territories. The ulus of Chagatai covered primarily the former state of the Karakitays and the land of the Naimans, Maverannahr with the south of Khorezm, most of the Semirechye and East Turkestan. Here, since 1346, the power actually belonged not to the Mongol khans, but to the Turkic emirs. The first head of the Turkic emirs, that is, the ruler of the interfluve of the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya, was Kazgan (1346-1358). After his death, serious unrest began in Maverannahr. The Mongol (Mogul) Khan Toglug-Timur invaded the region and captured the region in 1360. Soon after the invasion, his son Ilyas-Khodzhi was appointed governor of Mesopotamia. Part of the Central Asian nobles took refuge in Afghanistan, the other - voluntarily submitted to Toglug.

Among the latter was the leader of one of the detachments - Timur. He began his activity as the ataman of a small detachment (gang, gang), with which he supported one or the other side in civil strife, robbed, attacked small villages. The detachment gradually grew to 300 horsemen, with whom he entered the service of the ruler of Kesh, the head of the Barlas tribe, Haji. Personal courage, generosity, the ability to understand people and choose his assistants, and the pronounced qualities of a leader brought Timur wide popularity, especially among warriors. Later, he received the support of Muslim merchants, who began to see in the former bandit a protector from other gangs and a true Muslim (Timur was religious).

Timur was approved as the commander of the Kashkadarya tumen, the ruler of the Kesh region and one of the assistants to the Mogul prince. However, he soon quarreled with the prince, fled after the Amu Darya to the Badakhshan mountains and joined with his forces the ruler of Balkh and Samarkand, Emir Hussein, the grandson of Kazgan. He strengthened his alliance by marrying the emir's daughter. Timur with his warriors began to raid the lands of Khoja. In one of the fights, Timur was crippled, becoming the "Iron Lame" (Aksak-Timur or Timur-Leng). The fight against Ilyas-Khoja ended in 1364 with the defeat of the latter's troops. The uprising of the inhabitants of Maverannahr, which was dissatisfied with the cruel eradication of Islam by pagan warriors, helped. The Mughals were forced to retreat.

In 1365, the army of Ilyas-Khoja defeated the troops of Timur and Hussein. However, the people revolted again and expelled the Mughals. The uprising was led by the Serbedars (Persian “gallows”, “desperate”), supporters of the dervishes who preached equality. People's rule was established in Samarkand, the property of the rich sections of the population was confiscated. Then the rich turned to Hussein and Timur for help. In the spring of 1366, Timur and Hussein crushed the uprising by executing the Serbedar leaders.

"Great Emir"

Then there was a discord in the relationship between the two leaders. Hussein hatched plans to take the post of supreme emir of the Chagatai ulus, like his grandfather Kazagan, who seized this position by force during the time of Kazan Khan. Timur stood on the way to sole power. In turn, the local clergy took the side of Timur.

In 1366, Tamerlane rebelled against Hussein, in 1368 he made peace with him and again received Kesh. But in 1369 the struggle continued, and thanks to successful military operations, Timur fortified himself in Samarkand. In March 1370, Hussein was taken prisoner in Balkh and killed in the presence of Timur, although without his direct order. Hussein was ordered to be killed by one of the commanders (due to blood feud).

On April 10, Timur took the oath from all the military leaders of Maverannahr. Tamerlane declared that he was going to revive the power of the Mongol Empire, declared himself a descendant of the mythical progenitor of the Mongols Alan-Koa, although, being a non-Chinghisid, he was content with the title of only "great emir". With him was "zits-khan" - the real Genghisid Suyurgatmysh (1370-1388), and then the son of the latter Mahmud (1388-1402). Both "khans" did not play any political role.

The city of Samarkand became the capital of the new ruler; Timur moved the center of his state here for political reasons, although he initially leaned towards the Shakhrisabz option. According to legend, choosing the city that was to become the new capital, the great emir ordered to slaughter three rams: one in Samarkand, another in Bukhara and the third in Tashkent. Three days later the meat in Tashkent and Bukhara was rotten. Samarkand became "the home of the saints, the birthplace of the purest Sufis and a gathering of scholars." The city has really turned into the largest cultural center of the vast region, the “Shining Star of the East”, the “Precious Pearl”. Here, as well as in Shakhrisabz, the best architects, builders, scientists, writers from all countries and regions conquered by the emir were brought. An inscription was made on the portal of the beautiful Ak-Saray palace in Shakhrisabz: “If you doubt my power, look what I built!” Ak-Saray was built for 24 years, almost until the death of the conqueror. The arch of the entrance portal of Ak-Saray was the largest in Central Asia.

In fact, architecture was the passion of the great statesman and commander. Among the outstanding works of art that were supposed to emphasize the power of the empire, the Bibi Khanum Mosque (aka Bibi-Khanym; built in honor of Tamerlane's wife) has survived to this day and amaze the imagination. The mosque was erected by order of Tamerlane after his victorious campaign in India. It was the largest mosque in Central Asia; 10,000 people could pray in the courtyard of the mosque at the same time. Also worth noting is the Gur-Emir Mausoleum - the family tomb of Timur and the heirs of the empire; the architectural ensemble of Shakhi-Zinda - an ensemble of mausoleums of the Samarkand nobility (all this in Samarkand); mausoleum Dorus-Siadat in Shakhrisabz — memorial Complex first for Prince Jahongir (Timur loved him very much and prepared him as heir to the throne), later he began to act as a family crypt for part of the Timurid dynasty.

Bibi-Khanym Mosque

Mausoleum Gur-Emir

The great commander did not receive a school education, but he had a good memory and knew several languages. A contemporary and prisoner of Tamerlane, Ibn Arabshah, who knew Tamerlane personally since 1401, reports: "As for Persian, Turkic and Mongolian, he knew them better than anyone else." Timur liked to talk with scientists, especially to listen to the reading of historical works, at court there was even a position of "reader of books"; stories of brave heroes. The great emir showed respect to Muslim theologians and hermit dervishes, did not interfere in the management of the property of the clergy, ruthlessly fought against numerous heresies - he also included philosophy with logic, which he forbade to engage in. The Christians of the captured cities should have rejoiced if they remained alive.

During the reign of Timur, a special cult of the Sufi teacher Ahmed Yasawi was introduced in the territories subordinate to him (primarily Maverannakhr). The commander claimed that he introduced a special worship of this outstanding Sufi, who lived in the XII century, after a vision at his grave in Tashkent, in which the Teacher appeared to Timur. Yasawi allegedly appeared to him and ordered to memorize a poem from his collection, adding: “In difficult times, remember this poem:

You, who at will are free to turn the dark night into day.
You who can turn the whole earth into a fragrant flower garden.
Help me in the difficult task that lies ahead of me and make it easy.
You who make everything difficult easy."

Many years later, when during a fierce battle with the army of the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid, Tamerlane's cavalry rushed to the attack, he repeated these lines seventy times, and the decisive battle was won.

Timur took care of the observance by his subjects of the prescriptions of religion. In particular, this led to the appearance of a decree on the closure of entertainment establishments in large trading cities, although they brought large income to the treasury. True, the great emir himself did not deny himself pleasures, and only before his death he ordered the destruction of the belongings of feasts. Timur found religious reasons for his campaigns. So, it was necessary to urgently teach heretics a lesson in Shiite Khorasan, then to avenge the Syrians for the insults inflicted on the family of the prophet in their time, then to punish the population of the Caucasus for drinking wine there. Vineyards and fruit trees were destroyed in the occupied lands. Interestingly, later (after the death of the great warrior), the mullahs refused to recognize him as a true Muslim, since he "honored the laws of Genghis Khan above religious ones."

Tamerlane devoted all the 1370s to the fight against the khans of Dzhent and Khorezm, who did not recognize the power of Suyurgatmysh Khan and the great emir Timur. It was restless on the southern and northern borders of the border, where Mogolistan and the White Horde were causing concern. Moghulistan (Mughal Ulus) is a state that was formed in the middle of the 14th century on the territory of South-Eastern Kazakhstan (south of Lake Balkhash) and Kyrgyzstan (the coast of Lake Issyk-Kul) as a result of the collapse of the Chagatai ulus. After the capture of Sygnak by Urus Khan and the transfer of the capital of the White Horde to it, the lands subject to Timur were in even greater danger.

Soon the power of Emir Timur was recognized by Balkh and Tashkent, but the Khorezm rulers continued to resist the Chagatai ulus, relying on the support of the rulers of the Golden Horde. In 1371, the ruler of Khorezm attempted to capture southern Khorezm, which was part of the Chagatai ulus. Timur made five trips to Khorezm. The capital of Khorezm, rich and glorious Urgench, fell in 1379. Timur waged a stubborn struggle with the rulers of Mogolistan. From 1371 to 1390, Emir Timur made seven campaigns against Mogolistan. In 1390, the Moghulistan ruler Kamar ad-din was finally defeated, and Mogolistan ceased to threaten the power of Timur.

Further conquests

Having established himself in Maverannahr, the Iron Lame proceeded to large-scale conquests in other parts of Asia. Timur's conquest of Persia in 1381 began with the capture of Herat. The unstable political and economic situation in Persia at the time favored the invader. The revival of the country, which began during the reign of the Ilkhans, again slowed down with the death of the last representative of the Abu Said clan (1335). In the absence of an heir, the throne was occupied in turn by rival dynasties. The situation was aggravated by the clash between the dynasties of the Mongolian Jalayrids, who ruled in Baghdad and Tabriz; the Perso-Arab family of the Muzafarids, who were in power in Fars and Isfahan; Harid Kurtami in Herat. In addition, local religious and tribal alliances, such as the Serbedars (who rebelled against the Mongol oppression) in Khorasan and the Afghans in Kerman, and petty princes in the border regions participated in the internecine war. All these warring dynasties and principalities could not jointly and effectively resist Timur's army.

Khorasan and all of Eastern Persia fell under his onslaught in 1381-1385. AT western part The conqueror made three large campaigns in Persia and the adjacent regions - a three-year (from 1386), a five-year (from 1392) and a seven-year (from 1399). Fars, Iraq, Azerbaijan and Armenia were conquered in 1386–1387 and 1393–1394; Mesopotamia and Georgia came under the rule of Tamerlane in 1394, although Tiflis (Tbilisi) submitted as early as 1386. Sometimes vassal oaths were taken by local feudal lords, often close military leaders or relatives of the conqueror became the heads of the conquered regions. So, in the 80s, Timur's son Miranshah was appointed ruler of Khorasan (later Transcaucasia was transferred to him, and then the west of his father's power), Fars was ruled for a long time by another son - Omar, and finally, in 1397, Timur was the ruler of Khorasan, Seistan and Mazanderan appointed his youngest son - Shahrukh.

It is not known what prompted Timur to conquer. Many researchers tend to the psychological factor. Like, the emir was driven by irrepressible ambition, as well as mental problems, including those caused by a wound in his leg. Timur suffered from severe pains and they caused outbursts of rage. Timur himself said: "The whole space of the inhabited part of the world is not worth having two kings." In fact, this is a call for globalization, which is also relevant in modern world. Alexander the Great and the rulers of the Roman Empire, Genghis Khan, also acted.

It is worth noting such an objective factor as the need to feed and maintain a large army (its maximum number reached 200 thousand soldiers). In peacetime it was impossible to maintain a large army, tens of thousands of professional soldiers. The war fed itself. The troops ravaged more and more new areas and were pleased with their ruler. A successful war made it possible to channel the energy of the nobility and warriors, to keep them in subjection. As Lev Gumilyov wrote: “Having started the war, Timur had to continue it - the war fed the army. Having stopped, Timur would have been left without an army, and then without a head. The war allowed Timur to obtain great wealth, export the best craftsmen from various countries and equip the heart of his empire. The emir brought to the country not only material booty, but also brought with him prominent scientists, artisans, artists, architects. Timur cared mainly about the prosperity of his native Maverannahr and about the exaltation of the splendor of his capital - Samarkand.

Tamerlane, unlike many other conquerors, did not always strive to create a strong empire on the conquered lands. administrative system. Timur's empire rested solely on military power. Apparently, he chose civilian officials much worse than military leaders. This can be evidenced by at least numerous cases of punishment for extortion of high dignitaries in Samarkand, Herat, Shiraz, Tabriz. As well as uprisings of the local population, caused by the arbitrariness of the administration. In general, the inhabitants of the newly conquered regions of Tamerlane were extremely weakly interested. His armies smashed, crushed, robbed, killed, leaving a bloody trail of tens of thousands of dead people. He sold into slavery the population of entire cities. And then he returned to Samarkand, where he brought the treasures of the whole world, the best masters and played chess.

One of the most prominent Turkic statesmen and commanders was the great Tamerlane (Timur, Amir Teimur, Timur Gurigan, Teimur-leng, Aksak Teimur) - the Central Asian ruler and conqueror.

Tamerlane was born on April 8, 1336 in the village of Khoja-Ilgar near the city of Kesh (Kish). He came from a noble Turkic-Mongolian family Barlas (Barulas). His father, Targay, was a military man and a feudal lord. Tamerlane did not have a school education and was illiterate, but he knew the Koran by heart and was a connoisseur of culture.

During the infancy of Tamerlane, the Turkic Chagatai ulus collapsed. In Maverannahr, Turkic emirs seized power, under which the Chagatai khans were only nominal rulers. In 1348, the Mogul (Chagatai) emirs enthroned Khan Tugluk-Timur, who became the ruler of East Turkestan and Semirechye. This led to a new civil strife, during which the Turkic and Mogul rulers fought for power in Chagatai.

The first head of the Central Asian Turkic-Mogul emirs was Kazagan (1348-1360). In the same period, Timur entered the service of the ruler of Kesh - Hadji Barlas. In 1360, Maverannahr was conquered by Tugluk-Timur, as a result of which Hadji Barlas had to leave Kesh. Tamerlane entered into negotiations with the khan and was approved as the ruler of the Kesh region, but was forced to leave Kesh after the withdrawal of Tugluk-Timur's troops and the return of Hadji-Barlas.

In 1361, the Khan's troops again captured Maverannahr, and Hadji-Barlas fled to Khorasan, where he was killed. The following year, Tugluk-Timur left Maverannahr, transferring power in it to his son Ilyas-Khadji. Tamerlane was again approved as the ruler of Kesh and one of the prince's assistants. However, after the departure of Tugluk-Timur, the Mughal emirs, led by Ilyas-Khadzhi, conspired to eliminate Tamerlane. As a result, the latter had to retreat from the Moguls and go over to the side of the Turkic emir Hussein, who was at enmity with them. The detachment of Hussein and Timur went to Khorezm, but in the battle near Khiva was defeated by the local Turkic ruler Tavakkala-Kungurot. Tamerlane and Hussein retreated with the remnants of their army into the desert. Later, near the village of Mahmudi, they were taken prisoner by the people of the local ruler - Alibek Janikurban, in whose dungeon they spent 62 days. The prisoners were rescued by Alibek's elder brother, Emir Muhammadbek.

After that, Tamerlane and Hussein settled on the southern bank of the Amu Darya, where they waged a guerrilla war against the Moghuls. During a clash with an enemy detachment at Seistan, Timur lost two fingers on his hand and was wounded in the leg, which made him lame (hence the nickname Timur-leng or Aksak Teimur, that is, lame Timur).

In 1364, the Moghuls left Maverannahr, where Timur and Hussein returned, having placed Kabul Shah, who was descended from the Chagataid (Çağatai) clan, on the throne. However, the confrontation with the Moguls did not end there. On May 22, 1365, a major battle took place between the troops of Timur and Hussein and the Mogul army led by Ilyas-Khoja. During the battle, there was a downpour, due to which the soldiers got stuck in the mud. As a result, the opponents had to retreat to the opposite banks of the Syr Darya. Meanwhile, the Mogul army was expelled from Samarkand by local residents. Serbedar people's rule was established in the city. Upon learning of this, Timur and Hussein lured the leaders of the Serbedars into negotiations and executed them. Then the Samarkand uprising itself was suppressed. Maverannahr came under the rule of both rulers, who, however, wanted to rule alone. Hussein wanted to rule the Chagatai ulus like his predecessor, Kazagan, but power from time immemorial belonged to the Genghisides. Tamerlane opposed the change in customs and intended to proclaim himself emir, since this title was originally held by representatives of the Barlas clan. Former allies began to prepare for battle.

Hussein moved to Balkh and began to strengthen the fortress, preparing for the war with Timur. Hussein's attempt to defeat Timur by cunning failed. The latter gathered a strong army and crossed the Amu Darya, heading for Balkh, on the way to which many emirs joined Timur. This weakened the position of Hussein, who lost many of his supporters. Soon, Timur's army approached Balkh and after bloody battles, on April 10, 1370, took the city. Hussein was captured and killed. Tamerlane, who won the victory, proclaimed himself the emir of Maverannahr and located his residence in Samarkand. However, the wars with other Turkic and Mogul rulers did not end there.

Having united the entire Transoxiana, Timur turned his attention to neighboring Khorezm, which did not recognize his authority. Timur was also worried about the situation on the northern and southern borders of Maverannakhr, which were constantly disturbed by the White Horde and the Moguls. However, at the same time, the neighboring Turkic cities - Tashkent and Balkh - came under the supreme power of Timur-Amir, but Khorezm (also Turkic), relying on the support of the Kipchak nomads, continued to resist the emir. Timur tried to negotiate peacefully with the Khorezmian Turks, but, realizing the futility of trying to negotiate peace, he started a war against a recalcitrant neighbor. Timur Leng made five campaigns against Khorezm and finally conquered it in 1388.

Having achieved success in the fight against the Khorezmians, Timur decided to strike back at the Turkic ulus of Jochi (Golden and White Horde) and establish his power over the entire territory of the former Chagatai ulus. The Moghuls led by Emir Kamariddin had the same goals as Amir Timur. Mogul troops made constant attacks on Fergana, Tashkent, Turkestan, Andijan and other cities of Maverannahr. This led Timur to the need to curb the aggressive Moghuls, as a result of which he made seven campaigns against them and finally defeated Moghulistan in 1390. Despite its defeat, Moghulistan retained its independence and continued to be one of the numerous Turkic state formations Middle East.

Having secured the borders of Maverannahr from the raids of the Moghuls after his first campaigns, Tamerlane decided to start a confrontation with the ulus of Jochi, which by that time had disintegrated into the White and Golden Hordes. Amir Timur in every possible way prevented the unification of these territories by pitting Urus Khan, the ruler of the White Horde, and Tokhtamysh, who led the Golden Horde, against each other. However, soon Tokhtamysh began to pursue a policy hostile to Maverannahr. This led to three wars between Timur and Tokhtamysh, which ended in 1395 with a crushing defeat for the latter. The largest battles in this war were the battles on Kondurcha in 1391, and on the Terek in 1395, during which the victory remained with Timur.

After the defeat inflicted by Timur, Tokhtamysh fled to Bulgaria, and Amir Timur, meanwhile, burned the capital of the Golden Horde - the city of Sarai-Batu, and transferred power in the ulus of Jochi to the son of Urus Khan - Koirichak-oglan. At the same time, he defeated the Genoese colonies - Tanais and Kaffa.

Having defeated the Golden Horde, Timur went on a campaign to Russia. His army passed the Ryazan land and captured the city of Yelets. Then Tamerlane headed towards Moscow, but soon turned back and left the borders of Russia. It is not known what prompted Tamerlane to leave Russia, but according to the "Zafar-name" ("Book of Victories"), the reason for this was the persecution of the Horde detachments, which were overtaken and finally defeated on the territory of Russia, and the conquest and plunder of Russian lands itself was not in the plans of the conqueror. included.

Timur waged constant wars not only with the Moguls and the Horde. A very important opponent was the ruler of Herat - Giyasaddin Pir Ali II. Timur's attempts to negotiate peace did not lead to anything, and he had to start a war. In April 1380, Timur's army drove the Heratians out of Balkh, in February 1381 Timur occupied Khorasan, Jami, Kelat, Tuye, and then, after a short siege, took Herat itself. In 1382, Tamerlane defeated the Khorasan state of the Serbedars, and in 1383 he ravaged the Seistan region, in which he stormed the fortresses of Zire, Zaveh, Bust and Farah. The following year, Timur conquered such cities as Astarabad, Amul, Sari. In the same year, he reached Azerbaijan and captured one of its central cities, the capital of many Turkic states (Atabeks, Ilkhanids) of the Middle Ages - Tabriz. Together with these cities, a significant part of Iran passed under the rule of Amir Timur. After that, he conducted a three-year, five-year and seven-year campaigns, during which he defeated the Horde, Moguls, Khorezmians, defeated all of Northern India, Iran and Asia Minor.

In 1392, Tamerlane conquered the Caspian regions, and in 1393 captured Baghdad, the western regions of Iran and Transcaucasia, at the head of which he put his governors.

An important milestone in the history of Timur's conquests is the Indian campaign. In 1398, he went on a campaign against the Delhi Sultanate, defeated the detachments of the Kafirists, and near Delhi defeated the army of the Sultan and occupied the city, which his army plundered. In 1399, Amir Timur reached the Ganges, but then turned the army back and returned to Samarkand with a lot of booty.

In 1400, Timur starts a war with the Ottoman sultan Bayazid the Lightning, whose army captured the city of Arzinjan, vassal of Amir Timur, and also with the Mamluk sultan of Egypt, Faraj. During the war with the Ottomans and Mamluks, Timur takes the fortresses of Sivas, Aleppo (Aleppo), in 1401 - Damascus.

In 1402, in the Battle of Angora (near Ankara), Tamerlane utterly defeated Bayezid's army, and captured him himself. During the period when the Ottomans smashed the European troops one by one, Timur literally saved them from the Ottomans. In honor of Tamerlane's victory over Bayezid, the Pope ordered three days in a row to ring all the bells in all the Catholic churches of Europe. This ringing thundered over the Turkic tragedy - for it taught the Europeans how to defeat the Turks in the future, pitting them against each other ...

... In 1403, Tamerlane ravages Smyrna, and then establishes order in the rebellious Baghdad. In 1404, Timur returned to Central Asia and began preparations for a war with China. On November 27, 1404, his army entered the Chinese campaign, but in January 1405, the great commander died in Otrar. He was buried in the Gur-Emir mausoleum in Samarkand.

In our time, it is believed by many that Tamerlane was engaged only in military campaigns, conquests and plunder of neighboring lands, but this is not so. For example, he restored many cities: Baghdad (Iraq), Derbent and Baylakan (Azerbaijan). Tamerlane also made a great contribution to the development of Samarkand, which he turned into the main trade and craft center of the Middle East. Amir Timur contributed to the development of Islamic culture, architecture and literature. During his reign, masterpieces of medieval Muslim architecture were built in Samarkand: the mausoleums of Gur-Emir and Shakhi-Zinda, the tomb of Rukhabad, the tomb of Kutbi Chakhardakhum, the Bibi-Khanum madrasah, as well as many mosques, caravanserais, etc. Thanks to Tamerlane, the city was rebuilt Kesh (Kish, now Shakhrisabz), where cultural monuments of the Timur era are located: the tomb of Dar us-Saadat, the magnificent Ak-Saray palace, many madrasahs and mosques.

In addition, Timur made a great contribution to the development of Bukhara, Shakhrukhiya, Turkestan, Khujand and other Turkic cities. It should also be noted that under Tamerlane such sciences as mathematics, medicine, astronomy, literature, and history became widespread. In the era of Timur, such cultural figures as the astrologer Maulana (Movlana) Ahmad, theologian Ahmed al-Khorezmi, jurists Jazairi and Isamiddin and many others lived in Maverannahr. All this suggests that under Tamerlane not only constant wars were waged, but also the flowering of oriental culture was going on. Amir Timur had a great influence on the development of the entire Middle East, and he can rightly be considered not only a great commander, but also one of the greatest Turkic statesmen in the history of mankind.

Tamerlane (1336-1405) is a Turkic-Mongolian conqueror whose victories, characterized by acts of inhuman cruelty, made him the master of most of Western Asia.

Tamerlane or Timur (Timur-Lang, "Timur the Lame") belonged to the Turkicized Mongol Barlas clan, whose representatives, as the Mongol armies moved westward, settled in the Kashka valley, near Samarkand. Tamerlane was born near Shakhrisabz on April 9, 1336. This place is located on the territory of modern Uzbekistan between the rivers Amu Darya and Syr Darya, and at the time of his birth, these lands belonged to Khan Chagatai, named after the founder of his family, the second son of Genghis Khan.

The European version of Timur's name - "Tamerlane" or "Tamberlane" goes back to the Turkic nickname Timur-i-Lenga, which means "Timur the Lame". Evidence of Timur's lameness was found in 1941 as a result of the opening of his grave by a group of Soviet archaeologists led by Mikhail Gerasimov. Traces of two wounds were found on the femur of Timur's left leg. The causes of Timur's lameness are interpreted differently in different sources. According to some sources, he began to limp as a child, when one day he fell off a horse, and the nickname Timur-Khromets stuck to him thanks to his fellow boys. Other authors claim that Tamerlane's lameness was the result of a battle wound he received in 1362. Historians also disagree on which leg Timur limped on. However, most historians claim that the conqueror's sick leg was the left one, which, however, was quite convincingly confirmed by Soviet archaeologists.

In 1346 - 1347. Kazan Khan Chagatai, was defeated by Emir Kazgan and was killed, as a result of which Central Asia ceased to be part of his khanate. After the death of Kazgan (1358), a period of anarchy followed, and the troops of Tughlak-Timur, the ruler of the territories beyond the Syr Darya, known as Moghulistan, invaded Maverannahr, first in 1360 and then in 1361 in an attempt to seize power.

Timur declared himself a vassal of Tughlak-Timur and became the ruler of the territory from Shakhrisabz to Karshi. Soon, however, he rebelled against the rulers of Moghulistan and formed an alliance with Hussein, the grandson of Kazgan. Together in 1363 they defeated the army of Ilyas-Khoja, the son of Tughlak-Timur. However, around 1370, the allies quarreled and Timur, capturing his colleague, announced his intention to revive the Mongol Empire. Tamerlane became the sole owner of Central Asia, settling in Samarkand and making this city the capital of the new state and his main residence.

Map of the Chagatai Khanate

Empire expansion

The first campaigns of Tamerlane were directed against Khiva and Moghulistan. And after 1381, he turned his attention to the west, starting expeditions to Iran, Iraq, Asia Minor and Syria.

The rulers of the conquered principalities were unable to effectively resist the well-organized army of Timur. Eastern Persia and Khorasan were completely conquered in 1382-1385; Fars, Iraq, Armenia and Azerbaijan fell between 1386 and 1394; Georgia and Mesopotamia came under the control of Tamerlane in 1394.

Being engaged in the conquest of Asia, Timur did not forget about the fight against the Golden Horde and personally with Khan Tokhtamysh. In 1391, pursuing Tokhtamysh, Timur reached southern Russia, where he defeated the Horde Khan. Tokhtamysh's attempt to rectify the situation in 1395 and his invasion of the Caucasus were unsuccessful, and he was finally defeated on the Kura River.

Timur, who had already ravaged Astrakhan and Sarai, was diverted from planning a campaign against Moscow by a powerful Persian uprising, which was subsequently suppressed with cruelty characteristic of Tamerlane. Entire cities were destroyed throughout Persia, the inhabitants were killed, and their skulls were walled up in the walls of the city towers.

Timur defeats the Mamluk sultan of Egypt Sultan Nasir adin Faraj

Tamerlane's Seven Year Campaign

In 1399 Tamerlane invaded India. As a result of the brutal looting of Delhi, 90 elephants were loaded, which carried a variety of goods - from stones for the construction of a mosque in Samarkand to jewelry. The famous Seven-Year Campaign of Tamerlane (1399-1403) started with a trip to India, during which the conqueror got involved in a confrontation with the two most powerful rulers of Western Asia - the Sultan of Turkey and the Sultan of Egypt.

Syria, then part of Egypt, was completely overrun by the spring of 1401. The further path of Tamerlane lay to Baghdad, defended by the troops of Sultan Ahmad, who put up stubborn resistance to the conquerors. Baghdad was taken by a successful assault in June 1401. The massacre arranged by Tamerlane in the captured city was terrible. The heads of the slain townspeople were stacked in 120 towers. Baghdad was completely plundered.

Tamerlane spent the winter of 1401-1402 in Georgia. And already in the spring of 1402 he launched an offensive in Anatolia. In the battle near Ankara on July 20, 1402, Tamerlane defeated the army of his main enemy, the Turkish Sultan Bayezid (Bayazet), capturing him himself.

The inhuman imprisonment of Bayazet in an iron cage intended for wild animals has gone down in history forever. However, some researchers argue that the story with the cage is nothing more than the result of a misinterpretation of the record of the historian Arabshah, which, however, does not detract from the obvious inhuman cruelty of Tamerlane towards the defeated opponents.

Timur ended his Seven Years Campaign by reaching Samarkand in August 1404. However, by the end of the same year, he started an even more grandiose enterprise - a campaign in China, which gained independence from the Mongols only 30 years before. However, his plans to conquer China were not destined to come true - while in Otrar, on the eastern bank of the Syr Darya River (modern South Kazakhstan), Tamerlane fell seriously ill and died on February 18, 1405.

Vasily Vereshchagin. Doors of Timur (Tamerlane). 1872

Tamerlane's legacy

Thanks to his truly outstanding military prowess and incredible strength of personality, bordering on demonism, Tamerlane was able to create an empire stretching from Russia to India and from the Mediterranean to Mongolia.

Unlike the conquests of Genghis Khan, the conquests of Tamerlane were not aimed at opening new markets, reviving trade routes. The goal of all campaigns of the Iron Lame was the total robbery of the vanquished.

Despite the colossal size of the Timurid Empire, it was not destined to exist for a long time, because Tamerlane did not bother to create a coherent structure in the conquered territories. government controlled, he only destroyed the order that existed before, without offering anything in return.

Although Tamerlane aspired to be a good Muslim, he clearly felt no remorse for destroying Muslim cities by massacring their inhabitants. Damascus, Khiva, Baghdad - these ancient centers of Islam forever remembered the cruelty of Timur. The ruthless attitude of the conqueror towards the ancient Muslim centers was probably due to his desire to make his own capital, Samarkand, the main city of Islam.

According to a number of contemporary sources, about 19 million people died at the hands of Tamerlane's soldiers. Although the number of victims of the conquests of Lame Timur is probably exaggerated, they clearly run into the millions.

In post-Soviet Uzbekistan, Tamerlane has been made a national hero. However, residents of such Uzbek cities as Khiva have a very ambiguous attitude towards this, of course, a great personality - their genetic memory keeps memories of his atrocities.