Information about Timur on history. Timur Tamerlan - biography: I learned what awaits me from dreams. War with the Golden Horde

Let's start from the end. Here is how they say about his death: - “As soon as the Egyptian sultan and John VII (later co-ruler of Manuel II Palaiologos) stopped resisting. Timur returned to Samarkand and immediately began to prepare for an expedition to China. He spoke at the end of December, but in Otrar on the Syrdarya River he fell ill and died on January 19, 1405. (so 01/19, or 02/18/1405?)
Tamerlane's body was embalmed and sent in an ebonite coffin to Samarkand, where he was buried in a magnificent mausoleum called Gur-Emir. Before his death, Timur divided his territories between his two surviving sons and grandsons. After many years of war and enmity over the left will, the descendants of Tamerlane were united by the younger son of the khan, Shahruk.

The first thing that raises doubts is the various dating of Tamerlane's death. As soon as you try to find more reliable information, you inevitably stumble upon one single "true" source of all the myths about the "Uzbek" clone of Alexander the Great - the memoirs of Tamerlane himself, which he personally titled as follows: - "Tamerlane, or Timur, the Great Emir." Modest and tasteful, isn't it? And with what publishing house "Great Emir" signed a contract, I wonder? We understand, and we get a clear and precise answer: - John Hearn Sanders.
It's just a finish - clear - a falcon (stump). I already have the impression that everything in this world was created by British and French Freemasons, intelligence agents. This is no longer surprising, not even annoying. Egyptology was invented by Champillon, Sumerology by Layard, Tamerlanology by Ivan Hernovich Sanders. And if everything is very clear with the first two, then no one knows who Sanders is. There is fragmentary information that he was in the service of the King of Great Britain and "resolved" difficult issues in India and Persia. And so they refer to him as an authoritative specialist - a tamerlanologist.
Now it becomes clear that it is time to stop puzzling over the question of why suddenly the Uzbek leader unselfishly delivered the alien country of unfaithful Christians - the Rus from the yoke of the Golden Horde and defeated it (the horde) utterly.
Further, I would like to recall the legendary opening of the tomb of Tamerlane in June 1941. I will not go into a description of all the "mystical" signs and strange events, they are all familiar to you. This is me about the prophecies on the tomb and in the old book, that if you disturb the ashes of Timur, then a terrible war will certainly break out. The tomb was opened on June 21, 1941, and on June 22, the next day, you know what happened.
I'm concerned about another "mystic". The reasons that prompted Soviet scientists to open the tomb - that's where to start. On the one hand, everything is very clear - the study of historical material. On the other hand, what if this was done to refute or, conversely, to confirm the myths? I think the main motive was just this: To prove to the whole world the greatness and antiquity of the great Uzbek people, which is part of the great Soviet people.
And this is where the magic begins. Something didn't go according to plan. First, the clothes. The emir was dressed as a medieval Russian prince, the second - a light red beard and hair and fair skin. The famous anthropologist Gerasimov, a well-known specialist in the reconstruction of appearance from skulls, was amazed: Tamerlane did not at all resemble those of his rare images that have come down to us. The fact is that they can be called portraits with a very big stretch. They were written after the death of Iron Lame by Persian masters who had never seen the conqueror. So the late artists portrayed a typical representative of the Central Asian peoples, completely forgetting that Timur was a Mongol, a descendant of a distant relative and associate of Genghis Khan ... Those who managed to live in the USSR know that in every union republic, local artists painted portraits of Lenin, endowing his outward features of his own people. So in Georgia, on large street posters, Lenin looked exactly like a Georgian, and in Kyrgyzstan, Lenin was depicted as being too Mongol. So it's all very clear. The history of the conclusion about the causes of death is not clear.

Reconstruction of the appearance of Timur according to the method of the anthropologist Gerasimov.

There are testimonies of contemporaries who claimed that Gerasimov repeatedly stated orally that his first reconstruction of the appearance of Tamerlane was not approved by the leadership, and he was "recommended" to bring the portrait to the generally accepted standard: Tamerlane is an Uzbek, a descendant of Genghis Khan. I had to make him a Mongoloid, a bare heel is a dubious argument against a saber.

Further, it is necessary to mention the unhidden facts of the study of the tomb. So everyone knows that despite the advanced age of the deceased, he had excellent strong teeth, very strong smooth bones. Those. Timur was quite tall (172cm), strong, healthy man. The discovered injuries of the hand and patella could not play a fatal role. If so, then what was the cause of death? The answer may lie in the fact that someone for some reason separated Timur's head from the body. Clearly, no fool would dismantle a body for parts without good reason. The first probable reason for this barbarism, the desecration of the ashes, is the substitution of the head. Perhaps the original white head was replaced with a head of a representative of the Mongoloid race. The second version - he was already decapitated in the coffin. Then the question arises about the possible murder of the Emir. And now the time has come to recall the long-running "duck" about the causes of Timur's death.
I don’t even remember now the publication that published the “secret” confession of the pathologist who took part in the study of the body of Tamerlane. According to rumors, allegedly, Tamerlane was shot from a firearm! I would not like to replicate false sensations, but what if it's true? Then such secrecy of this “archaeological enterprise” becomes clear.
Well, now I offer you another puzzle:

Tamerlanes tartarorum imperator potentiss ira dei et terror orbis appei latus obiit anno 1402

Well, how do you like the Mongol Tamerlane? In my opinion, a very nice uncle, quite European in appearance, with a rod symbolizing Rurik, who is also the Slavic god Khors. One of the incarnations of Ra is a sunny half-man half-falcon.
And now we translate the inscription from Latin into Russian:

Tamerlane, the ruler of Tartaria, the ruler of the wrath of God and the forces of the Universe and the blessed country, was killed in 1402.

That's the reason for all the myths. May the Uzbeks and all other Timur scholars forgive me, but not everything was burned down in the Middle Ages. There are some pictures left, and the picture claims that:

1. Tamerlane - Russian emperor.
2. Power was given to him by higher powers.
3. In 402 AD (I. 402) he was killed, possibly shot.
4. Tamerlane, judging by the symbolism (magendavid with a crescent), belonged to the same diaspora as Emir Suleiman (aka the biblical king Solomon), who led the Istanbul horde.

"Orthodox" Russian Christians will also start throwing stones at me, I feel. Of course, such a disorder that the supreme commander of holy Rus' was not a Christian. Well ... Another indirect confirmation that Rus' became Christian quite recently, after 1700.

Sorry...

Addition 05/04/2013 16:32
Colleague joker_av pleased with the additions:

TAMBERLANES IMP. ORIENTIS TARTAROR TERROR - Timberlake Tamerlane is the emperor of the East, the ruler of Tartary. And you thought it was Stepan Razin? It looks like an artist Georgy Zhzhenov, in my opinion.

Bust of Timur in Turkey. He, as in the case of the "republican Lenins", is depicted as a typical Turk. and now... Drumroll! The third date of death, consider how long the president lived in this world.

Tamerlane came from the Barlas clan. The ethnonym "Barlas" has been known since the time of Genghis Khan.

In most sources, the Barlas are mentioned as one of the most powerful Turkic tribes. The Arab historian Rashid ad-Din writes that the 4,000-strong army that Genghis Khan allocated to his son Chagatai consisted, in particular, of the Barlas and they were originally a Mongol tribe called barulos, which means “thick, strong” in Mongolian. It also meant "commander, leader, brave warrior" and was associated with the military courage of the tribe.

Tamerlane always boasted that his ancestors were from the tree of Genghis Khan and attached great importance to kinship with this dynasty. Most of the commanders of Tamerlane were just Barlas.

Interestingly, when the Persian Shah Mansour Muzaffari in his message he called Tamerlane an "Uzbek", the "iron lame man" was greatly offended. This was the reason for the campaign against the Persian Shiraz, as a result of which the city was destroyed and plundered.

Tamerlane, one of the greatest conquerors in world history, was born on April 8, 1336 in the village of Khoja-Ilgar, now known as the Uzbek city of Shakhrisabz.

Here are 12 facts about the conqueror Timur, known as Tamerlane or the Great Lame.

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

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

Reconstruction of the appearance of Tamerlane from his skull. Mikhail Mikhailovich Gerasimov, 1941. Photo: Public Domain

3. From the time of Genghis Khan the title of great khan could only be worn by Genghisides. That is why Timur formally bore the title of emir (leader). At the same time, in 1370, he managed to intermarry with the Genghisides, marrying his daughter Kazan Khanbarn-mulkxanim. After that, Timur received the prefix Gurgan, which means "son-in-law", which allowed him to live and act freely in the homes of "natural" Genghisides.

4. In 1362, Timur, who was waging a guerrilla war against the Mongols, was seriously injured during the battle in Seistan, having lost two fingers on his right hand and was seriously wounded in his right leg. The injury, which plagued Timur for the rest of his life, led to lameness and the nickname "Timur the Lame".

5. For several decades of virtually continuous wars, Timur managed to create a huge state that included Maverannahr (the historical region of Central Asia), Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan. The conqueror Timur himself gave the name Turan to the created state.

Tamerlane's conquests. Source: Public Domain

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

7. In 1395, Timur's army for the first and last time ended up in Russian lands. The conqueror did not consider Russian territories as an object for joining his state. The reason for the invasion was the struggle of Timur with the Golden Horde Khan Tokhtamysh. And although Timur's army devastated part of the Russian lands, capturing Yelets, on the whole, the conqueror, with his victory over Tokhtamysh, contributed to the fall of the Golden Horde's influence on the Russian principalities.

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

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

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

10. Timur had 18 wives, among whom are often distinguished Uljay Turkanyeah And barn-mulkxanim. These women, who are called "Timur's beloved wives", were relatives of each other: if Uljay-Turkan aga was the sister of Timur's comrade-in-arms Emir Hussein, then Saray-mulk xanim is his widow.

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

12. One of the most famous legends associated with the name of the great commander tells about the "curse of the grave of Tamerlane." Allegedly, immediately after the opening of the grave of Timur, a great and terrible war should begin. Indeed, Soviet archaeologists opened the tomb of Timur in Samarkand on June 20, 1941, that is, two days before the start of World War II. Skeptics, however, remind that the plan of attack on the USSR was approved in Nazi Germany long before the opening of Timur's grave. As for the inscriptions promising trouble to those who open the grave, they did not differ in any way from similar ones made on other burials of the Timur era, and were intended to scare away tomb robbers. It is worth noting one more thing - the famous Soviet anthropologist and archaeologist Mikhail Gerasimov, who not only participated in the opening of the tomb, but also restored the appearance of Timur from his skull, lived safely until 1970.

• Timur was born in 1336 in Kesh (now Shakhrisabz), a city south of Samarkand (region of modern Uzbekistan).
• Timur's father, Taragai, most likely, was the leader of the Mongol-Turkic tribe of the Barlas and descended from Genghis Khan.
• In his youth, Timur served in the army of Kazgan, the ruler of Mesopotamia.
• Approximately 1361 - Timur becomes the son-in-law of the grandson of Kazgan, Emir Hussein.
• Throughout his life, Tamerlane will have several dozen wives and a corresponding number of children. The sons of the conqueror became governors of the occupied lands.
• 1361 - 1370 - Timur and Hussein fight in Mesopotamia, trying to conquer it.
• Approximately 1370 - Timur raises an uprising against Hussein and takes him prisoner. After that, he announces that he is a descendant of Genghis Khan and intends to revive the Mongol Empire. Timur made Samarkand the capital of his empire.
• Famous for his extraordinary cruelty, Timur strives for the equally extraordinary grandeur and beauty of his capital. The beauty and luxury of Samarkand have been enthusiastically described by travelers of that time more than once.
• 1370 - 1380 - Tamerlane goes to his goal. He fights with numerous khans, conquers Khorezm. Timur is known as an extremely cruel conqueror, and many cities themselves open their gates to him, solemnly welcoming their own conquerors.
• 1380 - Timur intervenes in the conflict between the Golden Horde and Rus'. He helps Khan Tokhtamysh to defeat the ruling Khan Mamai and take the throne. Thanks to this, Moscow was captured in 1382 in retaliation for the defeat on the Kulikovo field.
• 1381 - Timur conquers Persia.
• 1382 - 1385 - Khorasan and Eastern Persia were conquered.
• 1386 - 1387 - Tamerlane conquers Fars, Iraq, Azerbaijan and Armenia.
• 1389 - a campaign in the Mongol possessions. In the northern direction, Timur then reaches the Irtysh.
• 1389 - 1395 - during this period, Timur periodically and with varying success fights with Tokhtamysh.
• 1391 - during a campaign against the Golden Horde, Timur reaches the Volga.
• 1394 - Mesopotamia and Georgia pass under the rule of Timur.
• 1395 - Tokhtamysh leads his troops to the Caucasus. Timur finally breaks it on the Kura River and pursues it through the territory of Russia. Here the conqueror invades the Ryazan lands, ruins Yelets. After that, for two weeks his army stands motionless.
• Realizing the threat to Moscow, the Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily I Dmitrievich leads his army to the banks of the Oka near Kolomna. In terms of numbers, the Moscow detachments are smaller than the Mongolian ones, and many fear that the Russians will not survive the first battle. Then Metropolitan Cyprian orders the miraculous Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God to be brought from Vladimir. On August 26, the icon is brought to Moscow, and on the same day (according to legend) Tamerlane's army turns back. Since then, the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God has been considered the patroness of Moscow, and the day of August 26 is the Orthodox church holiday of the Presentation of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. The Russian epic describes this incident; Timur in these sources is called "Temir Aksak-king".
• A more official version of the fact that Tamerlane did not go to Moscow is the need to return to Persia, where uprisings constantly break out, and therefore the presence of a tyrant is required. On the way, Timur burns the cities of Sarai, Azak (Azov), Astrakhan, Kafa (modern Feodosia). In one of the battles, he was seriously wounded in the leg and remains lame forever. Hence his nickname Tamerlane ("Iron lame").
• The brutality with which Timur put down the uprisings in Persia is legendary. Cities were completely destroyed. The inhabitants were completely exterminated, and their heads were immured in the walls of the towers.
• 1396 - Tamerlane returns to Samarkand.
• 1398 - the beginning of a campaign in India. September 24 Timur's army enters Delhi. After that, the city was restored for more than 100 years ... In April of the following year, with rich booty Tamerlane returns to his capital.
• 1399 - the beginning of the "Seven-year" campaign. In one of the previously conquered areas, where the governor was the son of Timur, riots occur, which the heir to the conqueror is not able to cope with. The father comes to the aid of the son, deposes him and drives the enemies out of his area.
• 1400 - war with the Ottoman sultan Bayazet and at the same time with the Egyptian sultan Faraj. Both wars end well for Tamerlane. He passes through all the cities of Asia Minor, robbing them and killing the inhabitants.
• 1401 - Timur reasserts his power in Baghdad, with the death of just under 90,000 of its population.
• 1404 - Timur begins a campaign against China, for which he has been preparing for several years.
• January 1405 - the army arrives in the city of Otrar.
• February 15 or 18, 1405 - Tamerlane dies of illness in Orar.

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

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

Reconstruction of the appearance of Tamerlane from his skull. Mikhail Mikhailovich Gerasimov, 1941. Photo: Public Domain

3. From the time of Genghis Khan the title of great khan could only be worn by Genghisides. That is why Timur formally bore the title of emir (leader). At the same time, in 1370, he managed to intermarry with the Genghisides, marrying his daughter Kazan Khanbarn-mulkxanim. After that, Timur received the prefix Gurgan, which means "son-in-law", which allowed him to live and act freely in the homes of "natural" Genghisides.

4. In 1362, Timur, who was waging a guerrilla war against the Mongols, was seriously injured during the battle in Seistan, having lost two fingers on his right hand and was seriously wounded in his right leg. The injury, which plagued Timur for the rest of his life, led to lameness and the nickname "Timur the Lame".

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

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

7. In 1395, Timur's army for the first and last time ended up in Russian lands. The conqueror did not consider Russian territories as an object for joining his state. The reason for the invasion was the struggle of Timur with the Golden Horde Khan Tokhtamysh. And although Timur's army devastated part of the Russian lands, capturing Yelets, on the whole, the conqueror, with his victory over Tokhtamysh, contributed to the fall of the Golden Horde's influence on the Russian principalities.

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

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

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

10. Timur had 18 wives, among whom are often distinguished Uljay Turkan yeah And barn-mulk xanim. These women, who are called "Timur's beloved wives", were relatives of each other: if Uljay-Turkan aga was the sister of Timur's comrade-in-arms Emir Hussein, then Saray-mulk xanim is his widow.

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

Tomb of Tamerlane. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

12. One of the most famous legends associated with the name of the great commander is associated with the "curse of the grave of Tamerlane." Allegedly, immediately after the opening of the grave of Timur, a great and terrible war should begin. Indeed, Soviet archaeologists opened the tomb of Timur in Samarkand on June 20, 1941, that is, two days before the start of World War II. Skeptics, however, remind that the plan of attack on the USSR was approved in Nazi Germany long before the opening of Timur's grave. As for the inscriptions promising trouble to those who open the grave, they did not differ in any way from similar ones made on other burials of the Timur era, and were intended to scare away tomb robbers. It is worth noting another point - the famous Soviet anthropologist and archaeologist Mikhail Gerasimov, who not only participated in the opening of the tomb, but also restored the appearance of Timur from his skull, lived safely until 1970.

Central Asian Turkic commander and conqueror

short biography

Tamerlane, Timur (chagat.تیمور ; Uzbek Amir Temur, Temur ibn Taragay April 9, 1336, Kesh, modern. Uzbekistan - February 19, 1405, Otrar, modern. Kazakhstan) is a Central Asian Turkic commander and conqueror who played a significant role in the history of Central, South and Western Asia, as well as the Caucasus, the Volga region and Rus'. Commander, founder of the Timurid Empire (circa 1370) with its capital in Samarkand. In Uzbekistan, he is revered as a national hero.

general characteristics

Name

Timur's full name was Timur ibn Taragay Barlasتيمور ابن ترغيى برلس (Tāmūr ibn Tāraġaiyi Bārlās) - Timur son of Taragai from Barlasov) in accordance with the Arabic tradition (alam-nasab-nisba). In Turkic languages Temur or Temir Means " iron". In medieval Russian chronicles it was referred to as Temir Aksak.

Not being Genghisides, Timur formally could not bear the title of khan, therefore he was always called only emir (leader, leader). However, having intermarried in 1370 with the house of Genghisides, he took the name Timur Gurgan (Tāmūr Gurkānī, (تيموﺭ گوركان ), Gurkān - an Iranian version of Mongolian kurugen or khurgen, "son-in-law"). This meant that Timur was a relative of the Genghisides and could freely live and act in their homes.

In various (in what?) Persian sources, an iranized nickname is often (?) Timur(-e) Leang(Timūr(-e) Lang, تیمور لنگ) " Timur Khromoy”, the name was probably considered offensive at the time. It has 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

Timur was a very brave and restrained man. Possessing sobriety of judgment, he was able to make the most correct decision in difficult situations. These character traits attracted people to him.

Far-sighted ruler and talented organizer.

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

Appearance

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. The hair is lighter than that of most of his fellow tribesmen. A detailed study of the remains of Timur showed that anthropologically he belonged to the South Siberian race. Despite Timur's senile age (69 years), his skull, as well as his skeleton, did not have pronounced senile features . The presence of most of the teeth, a clear relief of the bones, the almost complete absence of osteophytes - all this suggests that the skeleton belonged to a person full of strength and health, whose biological age did not exceed 50 years. The massiveness of healthy bones, a highly developed relief and their density, shoulder width, chest volume and relatively high growth- all this gives the right to think that Timur had an extremely strong constitution. The strong athletic muscles of the emir, most likely, were distinguished by some dryness of forms, which is quite natural: life in military campaigns, with their difficulties and deprivations, almost constant stay in the saddle could hardly contribute to obesity ..

A special external difference between Tamerlane's warriors and other Muslims was the braids they preserved, as suggested by some scientists who studied the ancient Turks from the Central Asian illustrated manuscripts of that time. Meanwhile, examining the ancient Turkic sculptures, the images of the Turks in the paintings of Afrasiab, the researchers came to the conclusion that the Turks, for the most part, wore braids until the 5th-8th centuries. But after the arrival of Islam in Central Asia, the Turks, being Muslims, no longer wore long hair and walked with short hair or shaven heads.

The opening of Timur's grave in 1941 and the anthropological analysis of his remains showed that Timur himself did not wear a braid. "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." Some historians believe that light color 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 the beard under the 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. The hair of the beard is stiff, almost straight, thick, bright brown (red) in color, with significant graying.

The anthropological reconstruction of the remains of the conqueror, which was carried out by M. M. Gerasimov, says: “The discovered skeleton belonged to a strong man, too tall for an Asian (about 170 cm). The crease of the eyelid, the most characteristic feature of the Turkic face, is relatively weakly expressed. The nose is straight, small, slightly flattened; lips thick, contemptuous. The hair is gray-red, with a predominance of dark chestnut or red. The face type is not Mongoloid."

On the bones of the right leg, lesions were visible in the region of the patella, which is fully consistent with the nickname "Khromets".

Knowledge and language

A contemporary and prisoner of Tamerlane, Ibn Arabshah, who knew him personally since 1401, reports: "As for Persian, Turkic and Mongolian, he knew them better than anyone else."

The Spanish diplomat and traveler Ruy Gonzalez de Clavijo, who visited the court of Tamerlane in Maverannahr, reports that “Signor Temur” conquered all the territories of India Minor and Khorasan. Samarkand and Khorasan are separated by a river (Amu Darya). On the side of Samarkand near the river stands the city of Termez, and beyond the river is the territory of Khorasan Takharistan, "Beyond this river(Amu Darya - approx.) the kingdom of Samarkand extends, and its land is called Mogaliya (Mogolistan), and the language is Mughal, and this language is not understood on this(southern - approx. Khorasan) 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 moghals. A señor(Tamerlane - approx.) he keeps several scribes with him who can read and write on this[language - approx.] »

According to the Timurid source "Muiz al-Ansab" at the court of Timur, there was only a staff of Turkic and Persian scribes.

Ibn Arabshah, describing the tribes of Maverannahr, gives the following information: “The mentioned sultan (Timur) had four viziers who were fully 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".

During a campaign against Tokhtamysh in 1391, Timur ordered to knock out an inscription in the Chagatai language in Uyghur letters near the mountain Altyn shoki - 8 lines and three lines in Arabic containing the Qur'anic text.

History of the seven hundred and ninetieth year of the Sheep. Summer month of July. Sultan of Turan Temirbek sets out with his 100,000-strong army to fight against Khan Tokhtamysh. Passing this area, he left this inscription as a memory: “May Allah bless him! Inshallah, may all people remember him with the blessings of Allah."

Altyn shocks // Kazakhstan. National Encyclopedia. - Almaty: Kazakh encyclopedias, 2004. - T. I.

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.

Timur liked 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 warriors.

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.

A contemporary researcher from Princeton University, Svat Soucek, in his monograph on Timur, believes 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.

Family

His father's name was Muhammad Taragay or Turgay, he was a military man, a small landowner from the ancient Mongolian tribe of Barlasov.

According to some assumptions, Muhammad Taragai was precisely the leader of the Barlas tribe and a descendant of a certain Karachar-noyon, a powerful assistant to Chagatai and his distant relative. Timur's father was a pious Muslim, his spiritual mentor was Sheikh Shams ad-din Kulal.

Timur's father had one brother, whose name was Balta. Muhammad Taragai was married twice: the first wife was Timur's mother Tekina-Khatun. Contradictory information has been preserved about its origin. Taragai's second wife was Kadak-khatun, the mother of Timur's sister Shirin-bek aga.

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 aga, and a younger sister, Shirin-bek aga. They died before the death of Timur himself and were buried in mausoleums in the Shakhi Zinda complex in Samarkand. According to the source "Mu'izz al-ansab", Timur had three more brothers: Dzhuki, Alim-sheikh and Suyurgatmysh.

Childhood

Timur was born on April 8, 1336 in the village of Khoja-Ilgar near the city of Kesh (now Shakhrisabz, Uzbekistan) in Central Asia. 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. From the age of ten, mentors - atabeks who served with Taragay, taught Timur the art of war and sports games.

Start of political activity

The first information about Timur appeared in the sources starting from 1361. 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 later 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).

In 1347, the Chagatai ulus broke up into two separate states: Maverannahr and Mogolistan (or Moghulistan). In 1360 Maverannahr was conquered by Tugluk-Timur. In 1362, Tugluk-Timur hastily left Maverannahr as a result of a 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.

No sooner had the khan crossed the Syrdarya river than Ilyas-Khoja, together with Emir Bekchik and other close emirs, conspired to remove Timur 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, the grandson of Emir Kazagan. 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 captivity they spent 62 days. 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.

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.

Until 1364, the emirs Timur and 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 Moghuls.

In 1364, the Moghuls were forced to leave the country. Returning back to Maverannahr, Timur and Hussein installed Kabul Shah from the Chagataid clan on the throne.

The following 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 Khan Ilyas-Khoja, which went down in history as the “Battle in the Mud”. Timur and Hussein had little chance of winning, as Ilyas-Khoja's army was outnumbered. 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 Mavlan-zade madrasah, the artisan Abubakr Kalavi and the shooter Mirzo Khurdaki Bukhari. People's government was established in the city. The property of the wealthy segments of the population was confiscated, so they turned to Hussein and Timur for help. Timur and Hussein agreed to oppose the Serbedars. In the spring of 1366, Timur and Hussein suppressed the uprising by executing the Serbedar leaders, but by order of Tamerlane, they left alive one of the leaders of the uprising, Mavlana-zade, who was very popular among the people.

Election "Great Emir"

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. There was a split in relations between Timur and Hussein, and each of them began to prepare for a decisive battle. In this situation, 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 recalled this incident as follows: “I sent a letter to Emir Hussein with a Turkic bait of the following content:

Who intends to deceive me
It will fall into the ground, I'm sure.
Having shown his deceit,
He himself will die 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. The advanced units of his troops were commanded by Suyurgatmysh-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 gathered a kurultai, at which Suyurgatmysh Khan, the son of Kazan Khan, was elected Khan of Maverannakhr. , Timur, will 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 as a 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 supreme emir of Turan, as from now on the state of Timur began to be called, placing on him the responsibility for establishing the long-awaited peace, stability and order in the country. Marriage with the daughter of Genghisid Kazan Khan, the captive widow of Emir Hussein Sarai-mulk khanim, allowed Timur to add the honorary title "Guragan" to his name, that is, "(Khan's) son-in-law."

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 descendants of Genghis Khan Suyurgatmysh Khan (1370-1388), and then his son Mahmud Khan (1388-1402) were considered khans. Samarkand was chosen as the capital of the state. Timur began the struggle for the creation of a centralized state.

Strengthening and expansion of the state

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 Suyurgatmysh 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 Sygnak by Urus Khan and the transfer of the capital of the White Horde, Yassy (now Turkestan), Sairam and Maverannahr were in even greater danger. It was necessary to take measures to protect and strengthen the statehood.

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 Dashti Kipchak rulers. In 1371, the ruler of Khorezm attempted to capture southern Khorezm, which was part of the Chagatai ulus. Emir Timur demanded that Khorezm return the occupied lands, first by peaceful means, sending first a tavachi (quartermaster) to Gurganj, then a sheikh-ul-Islam (head of the Muslim community), but the ruler of Khorezm, Hussein Sufi, both times refused to fulfill this requirement, capturing the ambassador. Later, Emir Timur made five campaigns against Khorezm.

Campaigns to Mogolistan

Mogolistan had to be conquered to ensure the security of the state's borders. Mogolistan feudal lords often made predatory raids on Sairam, Tashkent, Fergana and Yassy. Especially great troubles were brought to the people by the raids of the Moghulistan ulusbegi of Emir Kamar ad-Din in 1370-1371.

From 1371 to 1390, Emir Timur made seven campaigns against Mogolistan, finally defeating the army of Qamar ad-Din and Anka-Tur in 1390. Timur undertook the first two campaigns against Qamar ad-Din in the spring and autumn of 1371. The first campaign ended with a truce; during the second Timur, leaving Tashkent, moved towards the village of Yangi on Taraz. There he put the Moghuls to flight and captured much booty.

In 1375 Timur carried out the third successful campaign. He left Sairam and passed through the regions of Talas and Tokmak along upstream Chu river, returning to Samarkand through Uzgen and Khujand. However, Qamar ad-Din was not defeated. When Timur's army returned to Maverannahr, Qamar ad-Din invaded Fergana in the winter of 1376 and laid siege to the city of Andijan. The governor of Fergana, the third son of Timur Umar-sheikh, fled to the mountains. 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 "Zafar-name" mentions the sixth campaign of Timur to the Issyk-Kul region against Kamar ad-Din in 1383, but the ulusbegi again managed to escape.

In 1389-1390, Timur intensified his actions in order to finally defeat Qamar al-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. 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 ad-Din fled to the Irtysh and subsequently died of dropsy. Khizr-Khoja established himself as the Khan of Moghulistan.

The first trips to Asia Minor

In 1380, Timur went on a campaign against Malik Ghiyas-ad-din Pir-Ali II, since he did not want to recognize himself as a vassal of Emir Timur and, in response, began to strengthen the defensive walls of his capital city of Herat. At the beginning, Timur sent an ambassador to him with an invitation to the kurultai in order to solve the problem peacefully, but Giyas-ad-din Pir-Ali II rejected the proposal, detaining the ambassador. In response to this, in April 1380, Timur sent ten regiments to the left bank of the Amu Darya. His troops captured the regions of Balkh, Shibirgan and Badkhyz. In February 1381, Emir Timur himself set out with troops and took Khorasan, the cities of Serakhs, Jami, Kausia, Tuye and Kelat, and the city of Herat was taken after a five-day siege. In addition to Kelat, Sebzevar was taken, as a result of which the state of the Serbedars finally ceased to exist. In 1382, Timur's son Miran Shah was appointed ruler of Khorasan. In 1383, Timur devastated Sistan and brutally crushed the uprising of the Serbedars in Sebzevar.

In 1383, he took Sistan, 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.

Fight against the Golden Horde

The next goals of Tamerlane were the curbing of the Golden Horde and the establishment of political influence in its eastern part and the unification of Mogolistan and Maverannahr, previously divided, into a single state, which was once called the Chagatai ulus.

Realizing the danger posed by the Golden Horde, from the very first days of his reign, Timur tried in every possible way to bring his protege to power there. Khan of the Blue Horde, Urus Khan tried to unite the once powerful ulus of Jochi, but his plans were thwarted by the intensified struggle between the Jochids and the feudal lords of Desht-i 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 coming to power, Khan Tokhtamysh began to pursue a hostile policy towards the lands of Maverannahr. In 1387, Tokhtamysh, together with the ruler of Khorezm, Hussein Sufi, made a predatory raid on Bukhara, which led to Timur's last campaign against Khorezm and further military operations against Tokhtamysh (Tamerlane made three campaigns against him, finally defeating him only in 1395).

Three-year campaign and the conquest of Khorezm

Timur began the first, so-called "three-year" campaign in the western part of Persia and the adjacent regions in 1386. In November 1387, Timur's troops took Isfahan and captured Shiraz. Despite the successful start of the campaign, Timur was forced to return back due to the invasion of Maverannahr by the Golden Horde Khan Tokhtamysh in alliance with the Khorezmians (1387). A garrison of 6,000 soldiers was left in Isfahan, and Timur took away its ruler Shah Mansur from the Muzaffarid dynasty. Shortly after the departure of Timur's main troops, a popular uprising took place in Isfahan, led by the blacksmith Ali Kuchek. Timur's entire garrison was slaughtered. Johann Schiltberger narrates about Timur's retaliatory actions against the Isfahanians in his travel notes:

“The latter immediately returned, but for 15 days he could not capture the city. Therefore, he offered the inhabitants a truce on the condition that they hand over 12,000 riflemen to his command for some kind of campaign. When these soldiers were sent to him, he ordered the thumb of each of them to be cut off, after which he sent them back to the city, which was soon taken by him by attack. Having gathered the inhabitants, he ordered the death of all who were over 14 years old, sparing those who were less than years old. The heads of the dead were stacked in the form of a tower in the center of the city. He then ordered the women and children to be taken to a field outside the city, where he separated children under seven years of age. After that, he ordered his soldiers to run over them with their horses. Tamerlane's own advisers and the mothers of these children fell on their knees before him and begged him to spare the children. But he did not heed their pleas, he repeated his order, which, however, not a single warrior dared to fulfill. Angry at them, Tamerlane himself ran into the children and said that he would like to know who would dare not follow him. Then the soldiers were forced to follow his example and trample the children with the hooves of their horses. Total trampled counted about seven thousand. After that, he ordered the city to be set on fire, and took the women and children to his capital Samarkand, where he had not been for 12 years.

It should be noted that Schiltberger himself was not an eyewitness to these events, but learned about them from third parties while in the Middle East in the period from 1396 to 1427.

In 1388, Timur drove out the Tatars and took the capital of Khorezm, the city of Urgench. By order of Timur, the Khorezmians who resisted were mercilessly exterminated, the city was destroyed to the ground, and barley was sown in its place. In fact, Urgench was not completely destroyed, since masterpieces of the architecture of Urgench built before Timur have survived to this day, for example, the mausoleum of Il-Arslan (XII century), the mausoleum of Khorezmshah Tekesh (1200) and others.

In 1389, Timur made a devastating campaign deep into the Mongol possessions to the Irtysh in the north and to Big Zhyldyz in the east, and in 1391 - a campaign against the Golden Horde possessions to the Volga, defeating Tokhtamysh in the battle on the Kondurcha River. After that, Timur sent his troops against Mogolistan (1389-1390).

Five-year campaign and the defeat of the Golden Horde

Timur began the second long, so-called "five-year" campaign in Iran in 1392. In the same year, Timur conquered the Caspian regions, in 1393 - western Persia and Baghdad, and in 1394 - Transcaucasia. Georgian sources provide several information about the actions of Timur in Georgia, about the policy of Islamization of the country and the capture of Tbilisi, about the Georgian military commonwealth, etc. By 1394, Tsar George VII managed to carry out defensive measures on the eve of the next invasion - he gathered a militia, to which he attached Caucasian highlanders, including the Nakhs. At first, the united Georgian-Mountain army had some success, they were even able to push back the advanced detachments of the conquerors. However, in the end, Timur's approach with the main forces decided the outcome of the war. The defeated Georgians and Nakhs retreated north into the mountain gorges of the Caucasus. Considering the strategic importance of the pass roads on North Caucasus, in particular, a natural fortress - the Darial Gorge, Timur decided to capture it. However, a huge mass of troops was so mixed up in the mountain gorges and gorges that it turned out to be incapable of combat. The defenders managed to kill so many people in the advanced ranks of the enemies that, unable to stand it, "turned ... Timur's soldiers."

Timur appointed one of his sons, Umar Sheikh, as the ruler of Fars, and another son, Miran Shah, as the ruler of Transcaucasia. The invasion of Tokhtamysh in the Transcaucasus caused Timur's response to Eastern Europe (1395); Timur finally defeated Tokhtamysh on the Terek and pursued him to the borders of the Moscow principality. 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 addition, as a result of Timur's victory, 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.

Pursuing the fleeing troops of Tokhtamysh, Timur invaded the Ryazan lands, devastated Yelets, posing a threat to Moscow. Having launched an offensive against Moscow, on August 26, 1395, he unexpectedly turned back (possibly due to uprisings of previously conquered peoples) 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 the icon is revered as the patroness of Moscow), Vitovt's army also went to the aid of Moscow.

“The Prince of Smolensk, Yuri Svyatoslavovich, the brother-in-law of this prince (Vitovt), served him during the siege of Vitebsk as a tributary of Lithuania; but Vitovt, wanting to completely conquer this reign, gathered a large army and spread a rumor that he was going to Tamerlane, suddenly appeared under the walls of Smolensk ... ".

N. M. Karamzin, "History of the Russian State", Volume 5, Chapter II

According to Zafar-name by Sharaf ad-Din Yazdi, Timur was on the Don after his victory over Tokhtamysh on the Terek River and until the defeat of the cities of the Golden Horde in the same 1395. Timur personally pursued the Tokhtamysh commanders, who retreated after the defeat, until their complete defeat on the Dnieper. 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 Rus', 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" the land of Yelets and "seized" 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. Sharaf ad-Din Yazdi describes a large booty taken in Russian lands and does not describe any combat episode with the local population, although the main purpose of the "Book of Victories" ("Zafar-name") was to describe the exploits of Timur himself and the valor of his soldiers. The "Zafar-name" contains 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.

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. The Horde cities of the Volga region never recovered from the devastation of Tamerlane until the final collapse of the Golden Horde. 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.

In 1396 he returned to Samarkand and in 1397 appointed his youngest son Shahrukh as the ruler of Khorasan, Sistan and Mazanderan.

Campaign to India

In 1398, Timur undertook a campaign against India, and the highlanders of Kafiristan were defeated along the way. In December, under the walls of Delhi, Timur defeated the army of the Delhi Sultan and occupied the city without resistance, which a few days later was plundered by his army and burned. By order of Timur, 100,000 captured Indian soldiers were executed for fear of a rebellion on their part. 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.

Seven-year campaign and the defeat of the Ottoman state

Returning from India in 1399, Timur immediately began a "seven-year" campaign in Iran. This campaign was originally caused by unrest in the area ruled by Miran Shah. Timur deposed his son and defeated the enemies who invaded his possessions. Moving west, Timur encountered the Turkmen state of Kara-Koyunlu, the victory of Timur's troops forced the leader of the Turkmen Kara Yusuf to flee west to the Ottoman Sultan Bayazid the Lightning. After that, Kara Yusuf and Bayezid agreed on a joint action against Timur. Sultan Bayazid responded to Timur's demand to give him Kara Yusuf with a caustic refusal.

In 1400, Timur began hostilities against Bayazid, who captured Erzinjan, where Timur's vassal ruled, and against the Egyptian sultan Faraj an-Nasir, whose predecessor, Barquq, ordered the assassination of Timur's ambassador back in 1393. In 1400, Timur took the fortresses of Kemak and Sivas in Asia Minor and Aleppo in Syria, which belonged to the Egyptian sultan, and in 1401 he occupied Damascus.

On July 20, 1402, Timur won a major victory over the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I, defeating him at the Battle of Ankara. The Sultan himself was taken prisoner. As a result of the battle, Timur captured all of Asia Minor, and the defeat of Bayazid led to a peasant war in the Ottoman state and internecine strife among Bayazid's sons. Alberto Campenza's letter to His Holiness Pope Clement VII on the affairs of Muscovy gives some details about Tamerlane: “// The sovereign of this horde, called Temir-Kutlu and known in History under the name of Tamerlane, still in our memory, like lightning (with 1,200,000 warriors, as our historians say), devastating and ruining everything he met on the way, penetrated through Asia into Egypt also defeated the Turkish Sultan Bayazet, who himself at that time, having captured Macedonia, Thessaly, Phocis, Boeotia and Attica, and having weakened Illyria and Bulgaria with frequent raids, with cruelty, kept Constantinople, the head of the Christian Empire, under siege for a long time. The Emperor of Constantinople was forced, leaving his capital, to flee to France and Italy in order to ask for help against Bayazet. Meanwhile, Tamerlane forced this latter to lift the siege of Constantinople and, having opposed him with a huge army, defeated him, defeated him, captured him alive, chained him in golden chains, and for a long time carried him everywhere.

The fortress of Smyrna (belonging to the Knights of St. John), which the Ottoman sultans could not take for 20 years, Timur captured by storm in two weeks. West Side Asia Minor in 1403 was returned to the sons of Bayazid, in eastern Asia the local dynasties deposed by Bayazid were restored.

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.

Start of a trip to China

When Timur was 68 years old - in the fall of 1404, he began to prepare an invasion of China. The main goal was to capture the rest of the Great Silk Road in order to obtain maximum profits and ensure the prosperity of the native Maverannahr and its capital Samarkand. Timur also believed that the entire space of the inhabited part of the world is not worth having two rulers. 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, Castile, and others. 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.

Domestic politics

Code of laws

During the reign of Emir Timur, a code of laws was created, known as the "Codes of Timur", which set out the rules for the conduct of subjects and the duties of rulers and officials, as well as the rules for managing the army and the state.

When appointed to the post, the "great emir" demanded devotion and loyalty from everyone. Timur appointed 315 people to high positions who fought side by side with him from the very beginning of his political career. 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 (kadi) - 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. All were equal before the law, both rulers and subjects.

The viziers under Divan-Begi were responsible for general position subjects and 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 was 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, were appointed from a noble family and had to possess such qualities as insight, courage, enterprise, caution and thrift, to conduct business, having thoroughly thought through the consequences of each step. They had to “know the secrets of conducting a battle, ways to disperse an enemy army, not lose their presence of mind in the midst of a fight and be able to lead troops without trembling and hesitation, and in case of disorder of battle order, be able to restore it without delay.”

The law was enshrined in the protection of soldiers and the common people. The Code obligated village and district elders, tax collectors and khakims (local rulers) to pay a fine to a commoner in the amount 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 (collections of legends about the Prophet Muhammad) and fiqh (Muslim jurisprudence). Ulema (scientists) and mudarrises (madrasah teachers) were also appointed to each city.

The legal documents of Timur's state were drawn up in two languages: Persian and Chagatai. 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.

Army

Tamerlane and his warriors. Miniature

Timur had at his disposal a huge army of up to 200 thousand soldiers. Representatives of various tribes fought in the army of Timur: Barlas, Derbets, Nukus, Naimans, Cumans, Dulats, Kiyat, Dzhalairs, Suldus, Merkits, Yasavur, Kauchins, Kangly Argyns, Tulkichs, Duldais, Tugais, Kypchaks, Arlats, Tatars, Tarkhans, Kereites, etc.

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

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.

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. Bayazid, 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.

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.)

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

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, previously built from clay, was rebuilt by erecting buildings from stone.” Timur's park complexes were open to ordinary citizens who spent their days of rest there. None of these palaces has survived to this day.

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

Shahrisabz (Persian for “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 two-ton copper cauldron was cast by a Tabriz master, 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. Artists Abdulkhay Baghdadi, Pir Ahmad Bagishamali and Khoja Bangir Tabrizi achieved great success in art at that time. In the tomb of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, located in Turkestan, there were 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 Ali al-Jurjani. In the story of Nizamiddin Shami and Hafizi Abru.

Spiritual guides of Timur

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, a prominent figure in the Nakshbandi tariqa. 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.

Wives and children of Timur

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 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 1352, 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 and others.

Timur had four sons: Jahangir (1356-1376), Umar-sheikh (1356-1394), Miran-shah (1366-1408), Shahrukh (1377-1447) and several daughters: Uka begim (1359-1382), Sultan Bakht aga (1362-1430), Bigi jan, Saadat sultan, Musalla.

Death

He died during a campaign in 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 because of China's claims to the lands of Transoxiana 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 Pir-Mohammed.

Sarcophagus of Tamerlane

After the death of Tamerlane, a tomb was built - the majestic Gur-Emir mausoleum, where he himself and his descendants, as well as his spiritual mentor, were buried.

Traveling in Central Asia, Russian politician and public figure Illarion Vasilchikov recalled visiting Gur-Emir in Samarkand:

... Inside the mausoleum, in the middle, there was a large sarcophagus of Tamerlane himself, all of dark green jade, with ornaments and sayings from the Koran carved on it, and on the sides of it were two smaller white marble sarcophagi - Tamerlane's favorite wives

The legend of the tomb of Tamerlane

Institute of Ethnography of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. Laboratory of Plastic Anthropological Reconstruction. Sculptural portrait of Tamerlane - reconstruction of anthropologist Mikhail Gerasimov.

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 is inscribed in Arabic:
“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.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 is the inscription: “This stone was set 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.

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.

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

M. M. Gerasimov, M. K. Kayumov and others after opening the tomb of Timur. 06/21/1941

He decided to tell the others and was laughed at. It was June 20th. The scientists did not listen and opened the grave, and on the same day the Great Patriotic War. 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 the night of June 20, 1941. Later, as a result of the study of the skull of the commander, the Soviet anthropologist M. M. Gerasimov recreated the appearance of Tamerlane.

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 Army General 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 the offensive of the Red Army began in Battle of Stalingrad, which marked a turning point in the war in favor of the Soviet Union.

According to sources, Timur was fond of playing chess (more precisely, shatranj), perhaps he was the champion of his time.

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.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Timur's personal sword was kept in the Tehran Museum.

To Tamerlane, according to family legend, the Tungus princes Gantimurovs build their own clan, which has nothing to do with historical realities, but is based solely on the consonance of the name Timur and the family name of the Gantimurovs.

In Uzbekistan, the first to raise the personality of Amir Timur (Temirlan) as one of the great Khakans (Kagans) in the history of Turkestan was Abdurauf Fitrat. It was he who sacralized the image of Amir Timur in his works; this tradition was continued by I. Muminov in the 1960s, and this sacralization served as the foundation for exalting the personality of Amir Timur in Uzbekistan after it gained independence. Later, Alikhan Tura Saguny translated the Code of Timur into modern Uzbek.

Tamerlane in art

In literature

The official history of Tamerlane was written during his lifetime, first by Ali-ben Jemal-al-Islam (the only copy is in the Tashkent Public Library), then Nizam-ad-Din Shami (the only copy is in the British Museum). These works were superseded by the well-known work of Sheref-ad-din Yezdi (under Shahrukh), translated into French (“Histoire de Timur-Bec”, P., 1722). The work of another contemporary of Timur and Shahrukh, Khafizi-Abru, has come down to us only in part; it was used by the author of the second half of the 15th century, Abd-ar-Rezzak Samarkandi (the work was not published; there are many manuscripts).

Of the authors (Persian, Arabic, Armenian, Ottoman and Byzantine) who wrote independently of Timur and the Timurids, only one, the Syrian Arab Ibn Arabshah, compiled a complete history of Timur (“Ahmedis Arabsiadae vitae et rerum gestarum Timuri, qui vulgo Tamerlanes dicitur, historia ", 1767-1772).

Wed also F. Neve "Expose des guerres de Tamerlan et de Schah-Rokh dans l'Asie occidentale, d'apres la chronique armenienne inedite de Thomas de Madzoph" (Brussels, 1859).

The authenticity of Timur's autobiographical notes, allegedly discovered in the 16th century, is more than doubtful.

Of the works of European travelers, the diary of the Spaniard Clavijo is especially valuable (“Diary of a Journey to Timur’s Court in Samarkand in 1403-1406”, text with translation and notes, St. Petersburg, 1881, in the “Collection of the Russian Language and Literature Department of the Imperial Academy of Sciences”, vol. XXVIII, No. 1).

People's writer of Uzbekistan, Soviet author Sergei Petrovich Borodin began writing an epic novel called "Stars over Samarkand". The first book, published under the title "Lame Timur", he wrote in the period from 1953 to 1954. The second book, Campfires, was completed by 1958, and the third, Lightning Bayazet, by 1971, the publication of its journal Friendship of Peoples was completed by 1973. The author also worked on a fourth book called "White Horse", however, having written only four chapters, he died.

The theme with Tamerlane and his curse is played up in the novel "Day Watch" by Sergei Lukyanenko, according to the plot of which Tamerlane finds a special chalk, with the help of which it is possible to change fate with one mark of chalk.

Edgar Allan Poe - poem "Tamerlane". Sergey Borodin - epic novel "Stars over Samarkand". Includes 4 books: Mikayil Mushfig - the poem "Lame Timur" (1925)

In folklore

Timur, as a ruler, appears in many parables about Khoja Nasreddin.

historical sources

Zafar-nameh Sharaf al-Din Yazdi ("Book of Victories"; written in Persian in Shiraz in 1419-1425), based on descriptions of Tamerlane's campaigns, historical works, as well as eyewitness accounts. The work of Yazdi is the most complete collection of data on the history of Tamerlane and is a valuable historical source, however, it is distinguished by the extreme idealization of his activities. The life and work of Tamerlane is described in historical sources both Muslim and Christian. Among the most famous Muslim sources, we should mention Sharaf ad-Din Yazdi (“Zafar-name”, 1419-1425), Ibn Arabshah (“History of Amir Temur”), Abd ar-Razzak (“Places of the rising of two lucky stars and the confluence of two seas”, 1467-1471), Nizam ad-Din Shami (“Zafar-name”, 1404), Giyasaddin Ali (“Diary of Timur’s campaign in India”). Of the Western European authors, Ruy Gonzalez de Clavijo, the author of the “Diary of a Journey to Samarkand to the Court of Timur”, is known.

In 1430-1440, the "History of Timur and his successors" was written by the Armenian historian Thomas Metsopsky (Tovma Metsopetsi, 1378-1446). This detailed work is an important source about the era of Tamerlane and his campaigns in Armenia and neighboring countries.

In 1401-1402, Tamerlane instructed Nizam-ad-Din Shami to put in a systematic order the official records of the events of Timur's era, compiled by his personal secretaries, and write the history of his reign. plain language. The history compiled under such conditions by Nizam-ad-din served as the primary source for subsequent historical chronicles of Tamerlane and his era - "Zafar-name" Sheref-ad-din Ali Ezdi and "Matla" as-sa'deyn "(" Places of the rising of two lucky stars and the confluence of the two seas") Abd-ar-razzak Samarkandi.

Ibn Arabshah, as a child, was a prisoner of Tamerlane and 30 years after the death of Tamerlane wrote the book "Ajayib al-maqdur fi tarihi Taimur" ("History of Amir Temur"). This book is valuable as one of the ancient manuscripts written by a contemporary of Tamerlane.

Page from "Zafar-name" by Sharaf ad-Din Yazdi

Page from "History of Timur-Lanka and his Successors" by Tovma Metsopetsi

Ibn Arabshah work on the history of Tamerlane

Artistic

• Vereshchagin Vasily Vasilievich. Apotheosis of war
• Marlo, Christopher. Tamerlane the Great.
• Lucien Kehren, Tamerlan - l'empire du Seigneur de Fer, 1978
• Lucien Kehren "La route de Samarkand au temps de Tamerlan, Relation du voyage de l'ambassade de Castille à la cour de Timour Beg par Ruy Gonzalez De Clavijo (1403-1406)" (traduite et commentee par Lucien Kehren), Publ: Paris , Imprimerie nationale. Les editions: 1990, 2002 and 2006.
• Poe, Edgar Allan. Tamerlane.
• Javid, Hussein. Lame Timur.
• Borodin, Sergei Petrovich. Stars over Samarkand.
• Segen, Alexander Yurievich. Tamerlane.
• Popov, Mikhail M. Tamerlane.
• Howard, Robert Irwin. Ruler of Samarkand.
• Xurshid Davron, Samarqand xayoli, 1991
• Xurshid Davron, Sohibqiron nabirasi, 1995
• Xurshid Davron, Bibixonim Qissasi, 2

In music

• Georg Friedrich Handel's opera Tamerlane (premiered in London, 1724). The libretto of the opera is a free interpretation of the events that took place after the capture of Bayezid at the Battle of Angora. It is currently one of the composer's most frequently performed operas.
• Musical and choreographic performance dedicated to the 660th anniversary of Amir Timur in Samarkand (1996). Script writer - People's poet of Uzbekistan Khurshid Davron, director - People's artist of Uzbekistan Bakhodir Yuldashev.
• The song "The Doors of Tamerlane" by the rock group "Melnitsa". The author of the text and music is Helavisa. Included in the albums "Master of the mill" (2004) and "Call of Blood" (2006).
• The song "Chalk of Destiny". Author and performer - Seryoga. Used as a single in the movie Day Watch.
• The song of the Ukrainian heavy metal band Krylia - "Tamerlan"
• Opera "The Legend of the Ancient City of Yelets, the Holy Virgin Mary and Tamerlane" - author A. Tchaikovsky, opera in 1 act. Libretto by R. Polzunovskaya, N. Karasik.

To the cinema

artistic

• The role of Tamerlane in the 1973 Azerbaijani film Nasimi was played by Yusif Veliyev.
• One of the commercials of the Bank "Imperial" was created about Tamerlan - Series " The World History". Author - Timur Bekmambetov.
• The theme of the curse of Tamerlane, who supposedly rewrote his fate with the help of the Chalk of Destiny, is played up in the film Day Watch, based on the novel by Sergei Lukyanenko. Director - Timur Bekmambetov.
• In the 2008 satirical film War, Inc. (Game for high stakes). The name of the corporation that actually rules the entire world economy is Tamerlane.
• Temurnoma (Timuriada) - 21 serial television films of 1996. Author - historian and People's Poet of Uzbekistan Khurshid Davron
• Tamerlane is a 2009 opera directed by Graham Vick.

Documentary

• Secrets of antiquity. Barbarians. Part 2. Mongols (USA; 2003).
• The Curse of Tamerlane is a 2006 film directed by Alexander Fetisov.

In painting

• Vasily Vereshchagin, author of the paintings The Doors of Khan Tamerlane (Timur) (1872) and The Apotheosis of War (1871).
• "Flowers of Timur (Lights of Victory)" (1933) - author Nicholas Roerich. The picture shows a warning system using large fires lit on watchtowers.

Monuments, toponymy and memory

• The names Temir, Tamerlane, Temirlane and Timur are still common among many Turkic and some Caucasian peoples.

• On the territory of modern Uzbekistan, dozens of geographical objects, caves, and settlements have been preserved, the history of which the people's memory associates with the name of Timur.

(National Museum of Timurid History in Tashkent)

• "Square of Amir Temur" located in the center of Tashkent (Uzbekistan) (original name - "Konstantinovsky Square", also called the Square of the October Revolution). After independence, the area is called Amir Timur Square.
• The monument to Tamerlane was installed in Tashkent in the "Square of Amir Timur", a bronze equestrian sculpture by I. Jabbarova.
• The monument to Tamerlane was erected in Shakhrisabz, near the ruins of the Ak-Saray palace erected by order of Tamerlane.
• Monument to Tamerlane in Samarkand. Timur is represented sitting on a bench and leaning on a sword with both hands.
• In 1996, the National Museum of Timurid History was opened in Tashkent.
• In 1996, the Order of Amir Temur was established in Uzbekistan.
• In 1996, a postal block dedicated to Tamerlane was issued in Uzbekistan.