Timur is known in history as... Great Emir Tamerlane Timur lame

Tamerlane's name

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

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

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

Monument to Tamerlane in Tashkent

Monument to Tamerlane in Samarkand

Personality of Tamerlane

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

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

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

Biography

Childhood and youth

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

Timur's appearance

Timur at a feast in Samarkand

File:Temur1-1.jpg

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

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

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

Timur's parents, brothers and sisters

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

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

Timur is considered a Turkic conqueror in Encyclopedia Britannica.

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

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

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

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

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

Spiritual mentors of Timur

Mausoleum Rukhabad in Samarkand

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

Timur's knowledge of languages

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

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

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

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

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

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

Timur's wives

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

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

Rise of Timur

Beginning of political activity

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

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

Composition of Timur's troops

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

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

Hikes to Mogolistan

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

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

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

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

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

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

Timur's campaign against the Golden Horde in 1391

Timur's campaign against the Golden Horde in 1395

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

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

Three great campaigns of Timur

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

Three-year trek

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

Death

Mausoleum of Emir Timur in Samarkand

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

A look at Tamerlane in the light of history and culture

Code of laws

Main article: Code of Timur

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

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

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

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

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

Army of Tamerlane

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

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

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

Banners

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

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

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

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

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

Tamerlane in art

In literature

Historical

• Giyasaddin Ali. Diary of Timur's campaign in India. M., 1958.
• Nizam ad-Din Shami. Zafar-name. Materials on the history of the Kyrgyz and Kyrgyzstan. Issue I. M., 1973.
• Yazdi Sharaf ad-Din Ali. Zafar-name. T., 2008.
• Ibn Arabshah. Miracles of fate in the history of Timur. T., 2007.
• Clavijo, Ruy Gonzalez de. Diary of a trip to Samarkand to the court of Timur (1403-1406). M., 1990.
• Abd ar-Razzaq. The place where two lucky stars rise and where two seas meet. Collection of materials related to the history of the Golden Horde. M., 1941.

Timur (Tamerlane, Timurleng) (1336-1405), commander, Central Asian emir (since 1370).

Born in the village of Khadzha-Ilgar. The son of Bek Taragai from the Mongolian Barlas tribe grew up in poverty, dreaming of the glorious exploits of Genghis Khan. Those times seemed to be gone forever. The young man’s share was only in clashes between the “princes” of small villages.

When the Mogolistan army arrived in Transoxiana, Timur happily went to serve the founder and khan of Mogolistan Togluk-Timur and was appointed governor of the Kashkadarya district. From the wound he received, he acquired the nickname Timurleng (Timur Khromets).

When the old khan died, Khromets felt like an independent ruler, entered into an alliance with the emir of Balkh and Samarkand Hussein and married his sister. Together they opposed the new Khan of Mogolistan, Ilyas Khoja, in 1365, but were defeated. Kicked out the conquerors
a rebellious people, whom Timur and Hussein then brutally dealt with.

After this, Timur killed Hussein and began to rule Transoxiana alone on behalf of the descendants of Genghis Khan. Imitating his idol in organizing the army, Timur convinced the nomadic and sedentary nobility that a place in the disciplined army of the conquerors would give them more than vegetating in their semi-independent possessions. He moved to the possessions of the Khan of the Golden Horde Mamai and took away Southern Khorezm from him (1373-1374), and then helped his ally, Khan Tokhtamysh, to take the throne.

Tokhtamysh started a war against Timur (1389-1395), in which the Horde was defeated and its capital, Sarai, was burned.

Only on the border of Rus', which seemed to Timur an ally, did he turn back.

In 1398 Timur invaded India and took Delhi. The only opponent of his huge state, which included Central Asia, Transcaucasia, Iran and Punjab, was the Ottoman Empire. Having led her troops after the death of his brother right on the Kosovo field and completely defeated the crusaders, Sultan Bayezid I the Lightning entered into a decisive battle with Timur near Ankara (1402). Timur carried Sultan with him for a long time in a golden cage, showing it to the people. The emir sent the looted treasures to his capital Samarkand, where he carried out major construction.

One of the most outstanding Turkic statesmen and the commanders were the great Tamerlane (Timur, Amir Teymur, Timur Gurigan, Teymur-leng, Aksak Teymur) - 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, Targai, was a military man and a feudal lord. Tamerlane had no school education and was illiterate, but he knew the Koran by heart and was a connoisseur of culture.

During Tamerlane's childhood, the Turkic Chagatai ulus collapsed. In Transoxiana, power was seized by the Turkic emirs, under whom the Chagatai khans were only nominal rulers. In 1348, the Mogul (Chagatai) emirs enthroned Khan Tughluk-Timur, who became the ruler of East Turkestan and Semirechye. This led to new civil strife, during which Turkic and Mogul rulers fought for power in Chagatai.

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

In 1361, the Khan's troops recaptured Transoxiana, and Hadji-Barlas fled to Khorasan, where he was killed. IN next year Tughluk-Timur left Transoxiana, transferring power in it to his son Ilyas-Hadji. Tamerlane was again confirmed as the ruler of Kesh and one of the prince’s assistants. However, after the departure of Tughluk-Timur, the Mughal emirs, led by Ilyas-Haji, 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 war with them. The detachment of Hussein and Timur headed to Khorezm, but in the battle of Khiva they were 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 captured by the people of the local ruler, Alibek Janikurban, in whose prison they spent 62 days. The prisoners were rescued by Alibek's elder brother, Emir Muhammadbek.

After this, Tamerlane and Hussein settled on the southern bank of the Amu Darya, where they conducted guerrilla warfare with moguls. During a clash with an enemy detachment near 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 Teymur, i.e. lame Timur).

In 1364, the Moguls left Transoxiana, where Timur and Hussein returned, placing Kabul Shah, who came from the Chagatai family (Çağatai), on the throne. However, the confrontation with the Moguls did not end there. On May 22, 1365, a major battle between the troops of Timur and Hussein took place with the Mogul army led by Ilyas-Khoja. During the battle there was a rainstorm, due to which the warriors 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. The popular rule of the Serbedars was established in the city. Having learned about this, Timur and Hussein lured the leaders of the Serbedars to negotiations and executed them. Then the Samarkand uprising itself was suppressed. Maverannahr came under the authority of both rulers, who, however, wanted to rule individually. Hussein wanted to rule the Chagatai ulus like his predecessor, Kazagan, but power from time immemorial belonged to the Genghisids. Tamerlane opposed the change in customs and intended to proclaim himself emir, since this title was originally borne by representatives of the Barlas clan. The former allies began to prepare for battle.

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

Having united all of 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 Transoxiana, which were constantly harassed by the White Horde and the Moguls. However, at the same time, the neighboring Turkic cities of Tashkent and Balkh came under the supreme power of Timur-Amir, but at the same time 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 peacefully, he started a war against his rebellious 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 throughout the entire territory of the former Chagatai ulus. The moguls, led by Emir Kamariddin, had the same goals as Amir Timur. Mogul troops carried out constant attacks on Fergana, Tashkent, Turkestan, Andijan and other cities of Transoxiana. This led Timur to the need to curb the aggressive Moguls, 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 remain one of the many Turkic state formations in the Middle East.

Having secured the borders of Maverannahr from Mogul raids after his first campaigns, Tamerlane decided to begin a confrontation with the Jochi ulus, which by that time had broken up into the White and Golden Hordes. Amir Timur did his best to prevent the unification of these territories by pitting Urus Khan, the ruler of the White Horde, and Tokhtamysh, the leader of the Golden Horde, against each other. However, soon Tokhtamysh began to pursue a policy hostile to Transoxiana. This led to three wars between Timur and Tokhtamysh, ending in 1395 with the latter's crushing defeat. The largest battles in this war were the battles on Kondurch in 1391, and on the Terek in 1395, during which 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 Jochi ulus to the son of Urus Khan - Koyrichak-oglan. At the same time, he destroyed the Genoese colonies - Tanais and Caffa.

Having defeated the Golden Horde, Timur set out on a campaign to Rus'. His army crossed the Ryazan land and captured the city of Yelets. Then Tamerlane headed towards Moscow, but soon turned back and left Rus'. It is not known what prompted Tamerlane to leave Rus', but according to “Zafar-name” (“Book of Victories”), the reason for this was the pursuit of Horde troops, which were overtaken and finally defeated on the territory of Rus', 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. His very important opponent was the ruler of Herat, Ghiyasaddin Pir Ali II. Timur's attempts to negotiate peace led nowhere, and he had to start a war. In April 1380, Timur's army drove the Herati people out of Balkh; in February 1381, Timur occupied Khorasan, Jami, Kelat, Tuye, and then, after a short siege, he 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 cities such as Astarabad, Amul, and 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 came under the rule of Amir Timur. Following this, he carried out three-year, five-year and seven-year campaigns, during which he defeated the Horde, Moguls, Khorezmians, and defeated all of Northern India, Iran and Asia Minor.

In 1392, Tamerlane conquered the Caspian regions, and in 1393 he captured Baghdad, the western regions of Iran and Transcaucasia, at the head of which he placed 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 detachments of infidels, and near Delhi he defeated the Sultan’s army 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 great booty.

In 1400, Timur began a war with the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid the Lightning, whose army captured the city of Arzinjan, a vassal city of Amir Timur, as well as with the Mamluk Sultan of Egypt Faraj. During the war with the Ottomans and Mamluks, Timur took the fortresses of Sivas, Aleppo (Aleppo), and in 1401 Damascus.

In 1402, in the Battle of Angora (near Ankara), Tamerlane completely defeated the army of Bayazid, and he himself was captured. At a time when the Ottomans were crushing the European troops one after another, Timur literally saved them from the Ottomans. In honor of Tamerlane's victory over Bayezid, the Pope ordered all bells to be rung for three days in a row. Catholic churches Europe. This bell rang 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 ravaged Smyrna and then established order in the rebellious Baghdad. In 1404, Timur returned to Central Asia and began preparations for 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.

Nowadays, many people believe that Tamerlane was only involved 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 Gur-Emir and Shahi-Zinda mausoleums, the Rukhabad tomb, the Qutbi Chahardakhum tomb, 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 Timur’s era are located: the Dar us-Saadat tomb, the magnificent Ak-Saray palace, many madrassas and mosques.

In addition, Timur made a great contribution to the development of Bukhara, Shahrukhiya, 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. During the era of Timur, such cultural figures as astrologer Maulana (Movlana) Ahmad, theologian Ahmed al-Khorezmi, jurists Jazairi and Isamiddin and many others lived in Transoxiana. All this suggests that under Tamerlane not only were constant wars fought, but also Eastern culture flourished. Amir Timur had a great influence on the development of the entire Middle East, and he can rightfully be considered not only a great commander, but also one of the greatest Turkic statesmen in the history of mankind.

(1336-1405), Timur, Timurleng, eastern ruler and commander, one of the greatest conquerors in human history. Born on April 8, 1336 in the vicinity of Samarkand. His name Timur means "Iron" in Turkic and Mongolian. The ending "leng" (lame) was added to it. In Europe, Timur-i-leng became Tamerlane, Tamberlaine, etc. He came from a noble family of the Barulas tribe - the Mongols, who, after the conquest Central Asia Genghis Khan and his sons began to speak Turkic and embraced Islam. Later, a fictitious genealogy was invented for Tamerlane to connect his ancestors with Genghis Khan. Tamerlane spoke Turkic (Uzbek) and Tajik (related to Persian) languages. He was illiterate, but loved to listen to the scribes read and he himself dictated stories about his campaigns, as a result of which such a work as Zafar-name (Book of Victories) appeared, existing in two versions. His early life is known from three sources. The first is a rumor-based story by Ruy Gonzalez de Clavijo, the ambassador of the Spanish king Henry III of Castile, who visited the great conqueror in Samarkand. The second is the notes of the Arab from Damascus Ibn Arabshah. The third is the messages contained in the Russian Nikon Chronicle. Tamerlane began as a simple robber. While trying to steal sheep, he was wounded in the leg and shoulder, after which his right leg stopped bending and rising right hand , hence his nickname "Lame". Samarkand was in the center of a vast region that suffered from constant wars. There was a struggle for these lands between the descendants of Jagatai, the second son of Genghis Khan. To the southwest extended the possessions of the descendants of Hulagu, the son of Tolui, the fourth son of Genghis Khan. In the northwest was the Golden Horde, whose ruler at one time was Jochi, the eldest son of Genghis Khan, and which subjugated Rus'. In the east, on the borders with China, lived the Mongols who broke away from the Dzhagatai ulus. The discord between these groups was aggravated by the hostility that the Turkic-speaking nomads and the Persian-speaking farmers and inhabitants of the oases felt towards each other. Nomads enjoyed certain privileges, and the main burden of taxes fell on the shoulders of the settled population. In 1361, at the age of 25, having put together a detachment of several hundred people, Tamerlane entered the service of the Mongol Khan Togluk-Timur from Kashgar, who attacked Samarkand, who made him the ruler of one of the provinces (vilayet). After the death of Togluk-Timur, Tamerlane first entered into an alliance with his brother-in-law Emir Hussein, and then killed him during a quarrel. By 1369 he became the ruler of the entire territory from Balkh to Samarkand. After this, he developed a clear system of actions in the political, military and economic spheres. He ruled Samarkand as his own domain, enriching it with loot from his campaigns and thus smoothing out the tension between the nomads and the settled population. From the mixed population of Samarkand, he created an army consisting of infantry, siege units and cavalry. One of his innovations in military tactics was to introduce infantrymen into battle first; The cavalry entered into battle after the enemy's battle formations were disrupted. Tamerlane surrounded his own possessions with a belt of vassal territories. In some cases, he left defeated rulers in power, making them his vassals, and distributed other lands to his sons or close military leaders. Outside these territories, he waged wars with a dual purpose: for the sake of booty and to prevent his rival from strengthening - but not for the sake of annexing new lands. In 1373-1374 and 1388 he made trips to the lower reaches of the Amu Darya (Oksus) in the direction of the Caspian Sea. In 1376 he assisted Tokhtamysh of the White Horde, a rebellious vassal of the Golden Horde. In 1380, Tokhtamysh seized power in the Golden Horde, weakened by the defeat inflicted on it by the Russian prince Dmitry Donskoy. Since this strengthened Tokhtamysh too much, Tamerlane attacked him in 1389 and 1391 and finally broke him in 1394-1395. Tamerlane so greatly shook the power of the Golden Horde that, against his will, he helped unify Rus'. Tamerlane was not afraid to lead his troops on long campaigns in distant countries. During the movement of the armies, he carefully guarded the troops and not only sent out vanguard detachments and set up military guards on the flanks, but also conducted constant reconnaissance of the area. He made it a custom to make long marches in different directions in different years in order to anticipate the rise of any rival. In 1381 he invaded Iran, and in 1386, 1392 and 1399 he began what he called “three-year”, “five-year” and “seven-year” campaigns in this country, reaching Armenia and Georgia in 1392, and in 1398-1399 India and in 1400-1402 - to Syria and Turkey. During the last campaign, he captured Aleppo and Damascus, defeating and capturing the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I in Angora (Ankara), which delayed the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans for half a century. During these long campaigns, on his orders, such atrocities were committed that have not been forgotten to this day. In Delhi, he executed 100,000 prisoners, and in Isfahan (Iran), which rebelled after the surrender, he erected a hill of 70,000 skulls. Tamerlane built many palaces and mosques, the most famous still adorn Samarkand. In the field of religion, he played “political games,” supporting either the Sunnis or the Shiites. It is generally accepted that he died before marching into China, but there is no evidence that he intended to move beyond Xinjiang and Western Mongolia.
Tamerlane died on January 19, 1405.

Collier's Encyclopedia. - Open Society. 2000 .

See what "TAMERLANE" is in other dictionaries:

Tamerlane ... Wikipedia

- (English Tamburlane) the hero of the tragedy by K. Marlowe “Tamburlane the Great” (1587 1588). The prototype of the hero was the great Central Asian conqueror Timur (in European transcription Tamerlane), who lived in the 14th-15th centuries and during continuous military campaigns... ... Literary heroes

See Timur... Big encyclopedic Dictionary

Iron lame Dictionary of synonyms of the Russian language. Practical guide. M.: Russian language. Z. E. Alexandrova. 2011… Synonym dictionary

Tamerlane- (Timur the Lame Timur) (Tamerlane) (1336 1405), Mongol. conqueror, descendant of Genghis Khan. Having captured Turkestan, he began from its territory. carry out devastating campaigns against Persia (1380 88, 1392 94), the Golden Horde (1388 91, 1395), the Sultanate of Delhi (1398 99), ... ... The World History

See Timur. * * * TAMERLANE TAMERLANE, see Timur (see TIMUR) ... encyclopedic Dictionary

- (see TIMUR; also in the meaning of the common name) Having fraternized, left and right, All Tamerlanes will rise to sadness! Justified in scabs, in ulcers, in leprosy, For Rus' is and will remain. Tsv921 (II,11.1); Just there, paying off with tribute, A century lasted when life stood still And... ... Proper name in Russian poetry of the 20th century: dictionary of personal names

- (1336 1405) Central Asian commander; see Timur... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

See Timur... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron

See Timur... Soviet historical encyclopedia

Tamerlane was called "ruler of the world." He was one of the greatest conquerors in world history. This man combined incredible ruthlessness and a keen understanding of art and science.

"The Iron Lame"

The great Emir Timur, the founder of the Timurid Empire, went down in history under the name “Timur-e Leng or Tamerlane,” which translates as “iron lame.” According to legend, there was dried blood in the clenched fist of the newborn Tamerlane. The boy’s father, a former warrior Taragai (“Lark”), immediately realized that the path of a great warrior awaited his son, and named the newborn Timur (the Turkic version of the Mongolian Temur - “Iron”).

This name contains a deep sacred meaning and is rooted in the religious traditions of the Turkic peoples, for whom iron has always been a sacred matter. According to some Asian legends, there is an iron mountain at the center of the world, and the “eternal kingdom” in Mongolian mythology is called “like iron.” In addition, it is important to take into account that Timur was born into the Barlas tribe, where pagan beliefs were still preserved, and the name given at birth determined the future path of life.

The nickname Leng (lame) stuck to Timur after Persian campaign and was offensive in nature, indicating the warrior’s injury - improperly fused bones right leg after one of the battles. Since then, the invincible emir was proudly called the derogatory name Tamerlane.

Educated Tyrant

Timur, despite his reputation as a “bloody barbarian,” was a very educated ruler. According to the memoirs of his contemporaries, he was fluent in spoken Turkic, Persian and Mongolian languages. According to other sources, he did not know how to read and write, but loved the arts and fine literature, attracted scientists, artists, artisans and engineers with his convictions and by force, considering them the best prey.

It was under Timur that Samarkand became the “Shining Star of the East” - one of the main cultural centers in Asia. Surprisingly, Tamerlane loved his capital, despite the fact that he was from the steppe Normads, who preferred not to confine themselves to city walls.

Biographers of the great emir say that the active construction that he carried out in Samarkand was a way for him to forget everything that he destroyed and ruined. Through his efforts, a huge library, the Koksarai Palace and many other attractions of the city that have survived to this day appeared in Samarkand. As if confirming the unshakable power of its founder, the inscription on the door of Tamerlane’s palace read: “If you doubt our power, look at our buildings.”

Spiritual teacher of Tamerlane

Tamerlane’s thirst for knowledge did not appear out of nowhere. Even as a child, he was surrounded by wise mentors, among whom was the descendant of the Prophet Muhammad, the Sufi sage Mir Said Barak. It was he who handed Tamerlane the symbols of power (drum and banner), predicting a great future for him.

The “Guru” was almost always close to the great emir, accompanying him even on military campaigns. He blessed Timur for the decisive battle with Tokhtamysh. There is a legend that already during the battle, when the latter began to gain the upper hand over Timur, Said Barak poured sand in front of the khan’s army and he was defeated. They say that he warned his student against the battle with Dmitry Donskoy, and, as you know, Timur turned his troops around and went to the Crimea, without going further into the territory of Rus'.

Tamerlane deeply respected his teacher. He bequeathed to him his place of honor in the family mausoleum Gur-Emir Said Barak, and ordered himself to be buried at his feet, so that he would intercede for him, a great sinner, at the Last Judgment.

Banner of Timur

The banner, a symbol of Tamerlane's power, had enormous religious significance. In the Turkic tradition they believed that this was the spirit of the army. Losing it meant losing the opportunity to resist the enemy.

The banner also served as a call to war. If the emir posted him at his tent - there would be war, immediately his entire family hurried to arm themselves, and messengers flew to the allied villages.

Tamerlane's banner featured three rings arranged in the shape of an equilateral triangle. Their meaning is still not clear. Some historians believe that it could symbolize earth, water and sky. Perhaps the circles represent the three parts of the world (according to those ideas - all parts of the world), which Tamerlane owns, that is, the banner meant that the whole world belongs to Tamerlane. The Spanish diplomat and traveler Clavijo testified to this in the 16th century.

There is a legend that in the battle of Ankara with the Ottoman Sultan Bayazid, the latter exclaimed: “What audacity to think that the whole world belongs to you!”, to which he received the answer: “Even greater audacity to think that the moon belongs to you.”
There were also more mythological interpretations of this symbol. Nicholas Roerich saw in it a sign of the “trinity”, which is quite universal in many cultures: Turkic, Celtic, Indian and many others.

Beloved wife

Tamerlane had eighteen wives - in the best traditions of the Muslim world. One of the favorites was Saray-mulk khanum, which once belonged to Timur’s closest ally, and then to his worst enemy, Emir Hussein. The woman became Tamerlane's prey after the death of her first husband, but fell in love with the conqueror and soon became his main wife. She was by no means a quiet wife - at court her role was significant, she could save a person with her grace or kill him. For a while, only she could meet her husband from his hikes, which was considered a great privilege. At the same time, she never gave birth to children to the great conqueror.

In many ways, it was the influence of Saray-mulk khanum that ensured the “golden age” of culture in the era of Tamerlane. She was a true patroness of the sciences and arts. It is Mulk Khanum who will raise Tamerlane's grandson Timur Ulugbek into a wise ruler. Under her, active construction will be carried out in Samarkand. The cathedral mosque Bibi-Khanym is named after her, which means “Lady Grandmother” - one of the names of Saray-mulk Khanum.

Merciful executioner

If we dwell on the above, then we would see a great ruler for whom everyone smiles. He is wise, talented, and his deeds are always good. He created a peaceful, stable, prosperous and rich state. But this is an unfinished portrait of Tamerlane.

Sources have brought to us many references to his bloody deeds, which at one time inspired Vereshchagin to create his famous painting “The Apotheosis of War”. One day Timur decided to erect a monument to his own victories, ordering the construction of a ten-meter pyramid of severed heads. He became the executioner of the flourishing cities of the East: Isfahan, Delhi, Damascus, Baghdad, Astrakhan. It is still completely unknown to which people Tamerlane belonged. According to the most common version, he belonged to the Turkic Barlas tribe. But the few surviving descriptions of his appearance do not correspond to his image as a Mongol. Thus, the historian Ibn Arabshah, captured by the emir, reports that Timur was tall, had a large head, high forehead, was very strong and brave, strongly built, with broad shoulders. The historian describes the skin color of the conqueror as “white.”

The anthropological reconstruction of the remains of Tamerlane, which was carried out by the famous Soviet anthropologist Gerasimov, concludes: “The discovered skeleton belonged to a strong man, too tall for an Asian (about 170 cm). The fold of the eyelid, the most characteristic feature of the Turkic face, is relatively weakly expressed. The nose is straight, small, slightly flattened; lips are thick, contemptuous. Hair is gray-red in color, with a predominance of dark chestnut or red. The type of face is not Mongoloid." The results of this paradoxical study were published in Gerasimov's article "Portrait of Tamerlane." We won’t risk judging how true this portrait is to reality; one thing is clear - not all the secrets of the “iron lame” have yet been revealed.