History preserves the memory of many great conquerors, but the name of Tamerlane stands out among them. Tamerlane’s personality is surrounded by legends. One of the famous legends says that the boy was foretold his great destiny when he was still an infant, and there were reasons for that. The conqueror of new territories inspired horror and awe, hatred and awe. His life turned out to be as contradictory as he was. What can historical data and legends tell us about the life and death of Tamerlane?
An extraordinary infant
Timur (the European version of the name — Tamerlan) was born in 1336 in Kesh, which is located on the territory of modern Uzbekistan. Already from the very first days of this extraordinary child was surrounded by legends. Of course, his relatives could not know who little Timur would become, but they believed in omens. For example, one of the legends about Tamerlane tells that the newborn baby had a blood clot clenched in his fist. This feature was taken as a sign: in the future the baby will become a great warrior. That is why the boy was given the name “Timur”, which means “iron”.
It is interesting that in the future Tamerlan was sometimes called Timur Lang, which meant “iron chromedome”. The unpleasant nickname was consolidated after the Persian campaign of the conqueror — he received an injury that led to mutilation.
Portrait of Timur
Spiritual mentor
From an early age, Timur showed interest in sciences and art. It seems to me that the boy’s thirst for knowledge was discovered by his mentor, Mir Said Barak, a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). He was not just a teacher, but a kind of spiritual friend, an associate who supported Tamerlan in all his endeavors.
It was from him that the warrior received blessing for the next battle. There is even a legend that during the battle with Khan Tokhtamysh Tamerlan’s mentor scattered sand in front of the Khan’s army, after which it was Timur who won. In some legends it is said that Mir Said Barak warned Timur against the battle with Dmitry Donskoy — so Tamerlane’s refusal to advance deep into Russia is explained.
Stanislav Khlebovsky “Captivity of Bayezid by Timur” / Lvov Art Gallery, Ukraine
Enlightened and cruel
Truly nightmarish things were told about Tamerlane’s cruelty. He destroyed entire tribes, exterminated numerous communities of conquered peoples, killed people by the thousands. His warriors did not spare even babies, which were trampled by war horses, and Tamerlane himself made pyramids of skulls — as a symbol of his endless victories.
Despite this, contemporaries who had the opportunity to personally communicate with Timur, noted that this is a very educated and wise man. Tamerlane knew several languages, could appreciate beauty and admired works of art. It was in his time that Samarkand became a prosperous city, the equal of which was not in all Asia. Researchers believe that Tamerlane, who destroyed many cities and villages, sought to “redeem himself” by turning Samarkand into the very “star of the East”. Here, too, an unusual trait of Timur’s character is noticeable. As a true nomad, he did not have to strive for city life, but Samarkand really occupied a special place in the heart of the formidable commander.
As for the development of arts and sciences under Tamerlane, his wife Sarai-mulk khanim played an important role here. She was one of many wives of the commander, but enjoyed special privileges. And although Sarai-mulk did not manage to give Tamerlane heirs, he often consulted with her and fulfilled her requests. It is not excluded that Sarai-mulk influenced the prosperity of Samarkand and neighboring cities more than Tamerlane himself.
Amir Temur — founder of the Timurid Empire / © Bakhrom Makhamadov /
Sunset of life
Tamerlane accomplished many great deeds during his life — both those aimed at the good of his empire and those horrifying in their cruelty. During a campaign against China in 1405, Timur died. His body was transported to Samarkand, where after Tamerlane’s death a tomb was built — the Gur-Emir mausoleum.
Even after his death, legends continued to surround this man. In the last century there was a legend about “Tamerlan’s curse”, according to which the restless spirit of the cruel conqueror takes revenge on anyone who dares to disturb his peace.
Tamerlan founded the Timurid Empire, which would later be ruled by his descendants. The actions of this man cannot be evaluated unequivocally. On the one hand, Timur sought to strengthen his own state. On the other hand, this good goal was achieved at a truly terrible price — numerous deaths, massacres and devastation. While shedding blood, Tamerlane did not forget what was dear to him, what he was striving for. Probably, that is why he managed to create a huge empire in such difficult and cruel times.