Pir Mohammed (grandson of Tamerlane, son of Omar Shaykh) 203n, 205
Poland: Mongol march on (1241) 72–3
Portugal 51
Price, David 237
Price, Sir Malcolm 265
Qala-i-Ikhtiyaruddin (Herat) 121–2
Qamar ad-din 65–6
Qara Qum (Black Sands) 10
Qara Yusuf 284, 285, 312, 319–20, 341
Qara-Khitay 12
Qara’unas tribe 30, 65
Qarshi 199
Qashka Darya valley 24
Qazaghan, Amir 24–5, 29, 30
al Qazi, Mohammed 339
al Qazwini, Hamd Allah Mustawfi 109
Qizik Qum (Red Sands) desert 10
Qungirat Sufi dynasty 64
Quram ad-din Sherazi 129
qurultay 73; (1269) 23, 24; (1404) 380–91
Qutb ad-din of Mosul 282
Rashid ad-din 112, 140, 278
Razzaq, Abdul Gafur 366
Registan (Samarkand) 220–3, 408
Richard II, King 50
Russia 72, 176
Rustam 362
Sabzawar 113
Said, Edward 60
Saifi 113
Sairob 247
Saladin, Sultan 289
Samarkand 10, 106, 117, 142–3, 201–2, 207–30, 376
building projects 207–8, 210, 214, 276, 377, 379
conquest of by Mongols 13, 207
construction of Cathedral Mosque 224–30, 273, 276–7, 379–80
diversity of population 208
Gur Amir mausoleum 408–13
as major trade centre 215–16
Marlowe’s description of 208–9
parks and palaces 213–15
range of produce in 215
Registan 220–3, 408
seizure of by Tamerlane (1366) 40, 207
Shah-i-Zinda 230–5
and Shahrukh 407–8
statue of Tamerlane 234–5, 410
Tamerlane’s love of 207
today 218–21, 222–3, 229, 231–5, 410
visited by Clavijo and description of 210–12, 213–16, 217
welcoming back of Tamerlane after campaigns 201–2, 275–6, 376
Sanchez de Palazuelos, Hernan 339
Saray 74, 199
Sarbadars 40–1n, 113
Saunders, John Joseph 59, 74
The History of the Mongol Conquests 16
Sayf ad-din Nukuz, Amir 69, 78, 114, 187, 196–7, 359
Schiltberger, Johann 154, 323, 332n, 337
Secret History of the Mongols 20
Selim I, Sultan 290n
Serbia 320
Sforza, Francesco 51
Shadi Mulk 398, 407
Shahid, Maulavi Said Mohammed Omar 127
Shah-i-Zinda (Samarkand) 230–5
Shahrukh (Tamerlane’s son) 3, 128, 162, 206, 239, 248, 250, 294, 352, 407, 408, 411
Shakhrisabz (Kesh) 7, 8, 25, 245, 274, 378
Ak Sarai (White Palace) 32–5
today 36–9
shamans 19
Shams ad-din Kulya, Shaykh 38
Shaw, George Bernard 60
Sher, Antony 55
Shi’a Islam 93n
Shir Dor Madrassah (Samarkand) 221
Shiraz 2; surrender of to Tamerlane (1387) 154
Tamerlane retakes (1393) 192
Shuja Muzaffar, Shah 131, 150–1
Shukur 259–60, 261
Siberia 184
Sigismund, King 321, 322
Silesia 73
Silk Road 16, 18
Sir Darya (river) 10, 16, 80
Sivas: conquest of by Tamerlane and burying alive of prisoners (1400) 287–8
Smyrna: conquest of by Tamerlane (1402) 7, 343–4
Sotomayor, Payo de 339, 340n
Soviet Union 80
view of Tamerlane 59
Spain 51
Spanish Armada 58
Stewart, Major Charles 28n
Subedey 73
Sufism 93–4n, 368
Sulayman Shah 262
Sultaniya 133, 135–7, 216–17, 282
decline 137
demolishing of buildings by Miranshah 278
flourishing of trade 135–6, 216–17
surrender of to Tamerlane (1384) 133, 137, 138
tomb of Oljeytu 135, 137, 278
Sun Ti 349
Sunni Islam 93n 110, 312
Suyurghatmish, Prince 44, 91, 262
Sykes, Lieut. Col. P.M.: A History of Persia 1, 85n
Syria 111
Tabriz 139–42
Clavijo’s portrait of 144
conquest by Tamerlane 143–4
prosperity 140–1, 216
sacking of by Tokhtamish (1384) 139–40, 142
and trade 139–40, 216
Taghri Birdi, Ibn 295–6, 298, 308, 310
Taharten of Arzinjan, Prince 286, 287, 325
Tahir, Prince 283, 284
Tai Tsu, Emperor (Chu Yuanchang) 349, 350
Taliban 126, 252, 262n
Tamburlaine the Great (Marlowe) 48, 54–63, 208, 310n, 333–5
TAMERLANE (TEMUR, TIMUR, TAMBURLAINE)
Military Life and Campaigns
Chronology: pledges loyalty to Moghul khan after conquest of Mawarannahr and claims leadership of Barlas tribe 30
alliance with Amir Husayn 30, 40
as an outlaw 30
imprisonment with wife (1362) 30–1
mission to end Moghul occupation of Mawarannahr 32
defeat at battle of Mire (1365) 39–40
seizes control of Samarkand (1366) 40, 207
defeats Husayn at Balkh (1370) 2, 43, 98, 247
crowned imperial ruler of Chaghatay and attempt to reunify empire (1370) 45–6, 64, 66, 91
campaigns against the Moghuls 64, 65, 66
expeditions against Khorezm 68–9, 78–80
support of Tokhtamish in bid to control White Horde 76, 139, 158, 179
sacking of Urganch (1379) 77–8
conquest of Herat (1381) 2, 114–17, 122, 125, 137
conquest of Manzandaran (1382) 131
conquest of Zaranj and Kandahar (1384) 132–3, 137, 138
conquest of Sultaniya (1384) 133, 137, 138
conquest of Tabriz 143–4
Georgian campaign and surrendering of Tiflis (1384) 145–8
conquest of Isfahan and massacre of Muslims after rebellion 2, 92, 150–4
campaigns against Tokhtamish 162–5, 177–88
defeat of Tokhtamish at battle of Kunduzcha (1391) 98, 188–91
Five-Year Campaign 192, 202
second campaign against Tokhtamish and defeat of at battle of Terek (1395) 193–6, 280
Golden Horde campaign and ravaging of (1395) 197–200, 202, 204
preparations for Indian campaign 237–40
Indian campaign and conquest of Delhi 2, 3, 93, 96, 224, 241–4, 245, 247, 253–6, 262–74
Seven-Year Campaign in west (1399-) 280–2, 283–4, 287–8, 312
deposes son Miranshah (1399) 282
Egyptian campaign 289, 291–2
conquest of Aleppo and massacre of Syrians (1400) 2, 101, 292–7, 316
conquest of Damascus (1401) 2, 9, 85, 297–301, 306–10, 316
retakes Baghdad and orders massacre (1401) 92, 96, 314–16
preparations for encounter with Bayazid and march west to find 324–7, 328–9, 331
defeats Bayazid at battle of Ankara (1402) 1–7, 70, 98, 331–3
capture of Bayazid 333–7
invasion of Ottoman lands and seizure of towns 337–9
fêted by European monarchs 340–1
conquest of Smyrna (1402) 7, 343–4
preparations for war with China 346, 350–7, 380, 392, 396
Georgian campaign (1403) 360–2
starting of Chinese campaign 394–400
acts of clemency 104–5
ambition and relentless drive 78–8
bravery 85, 87
brutality
and cruelty 92–3, 104, 105, 132, 138
consolidation of armies and gaining of loyalty by sharing spoils 41, 42, 64–5, 66–7, 97, 98–9, 117, 138, 205, 242, 406
and element of surprise 138, 149, 178
hallmark of military actions 68
involvement in battles 106, 132
mastery of art of warfare 195–6
military attributes and charisma 32, 59, 106
moral justification of 395–6
organisation of armies 17, 99–100
preparations and routines before battle 94–5, 114–15
structure of government 204–5
system of taking treasure from conquered towns 116
tactical acumen 84, 90, 149, 195–6, 265
tactics and techniques employed in battle 101–2
timetable of campaigns 149
use of intelligence and network of spies 102–4, 114, 289, 351
willingness to use terror to project and increase his power 138
Personal Life
appearance 86, 378–9
artistic and intellectual interests 61
assessment of by historians 59
attributes 85, 90
birth/birthplace 7–9, 25, 27
characteristics 84, 86–8, 89–90, 97, 306
and chess 90
comparisons with Genghis Kahn 104–7
creative vision 130
cultural legacy bequeathed by 127–8, 168
death 401–4
and death of grandson (Mohammed Sultan) 358–60
and death of son (Jahangir) 69–70
depicted in Marlowe’s play see Tambulaine the Great; early years 27–9
exhumation of body by Prof. Gerasimov (1941) 31–2, 86
family tree xiii; generosity 84, 85, 98
health problems 203, 226, 273, 311, 371, 379, 391
holds qurultay in Kanil-gil meadows (1404) 380–91
homeland and history 9–12, 22–5
interest in history 89, 341–2
and Islam 91–2, 93–5, 96–7, 105, 214, 342
love of opulence 106–7
marriages and wives 30, 43–4, 64, 66, 180, 211, 233, 273–4, 342, 388
meeting with Ibn Khaldun 302–5
name 8
neglect of by Western historians 54
palaces of 32–5
rehabilitation of in Uzbekistan 59, 166, 169–73, 231, 235, 374
and religion 90–5, 104
respect for scholars 84, 85, 88–9, 342
statue of in Tashkent 166–7
succession after death and scramble for power 362, 406
and Sufism 93–4, 368
tomb (Gur Amir mausoleum) 42, 86, 94, 408–13
and traditions 342
Tana 198–9
Taraghay 38
tarkhan 99–100, 242
Tarmashirin 24
Tashkent 165–9, 173–4, 252
Amir
Temur museum 167, 168–9, 170
revival of Tamerlane 166, 169–71, 173
statue of Tamerlane 166–7
Tatars: characteristics of 20–2
history 8
parallels with Mongols 20–1
Tbilisi see Tiflis
Temur Darwaza (Iron Gates of Derbend) 245–7
Tengri 19
Terek, battle of (1395) 194–6
Termez 10, 13, 248, 249–51
Tiflis (Tbilisi) (Georgia) 13, 146, 283
Tillya Kari Madrassah (Samarkand) 222
Tokhtamish 71, 95, 145, 148, 158–9, 161, 198, 200, 400
alliance with Barquq of Egypt 192
attacks on Mawarannahr (1387) 155–6, 158, 161, 162–3, 179, 199
defeat by Tamerlane at battle of Kunduzcha (1391) and flight 98, 188–91
pursuit of and escape after second defeat 198
reassembles army after defeat and renews campaign 192–3
relationship with Tamerlane 148
sacking of Tabriz 139, 142
support from Tamerlane in bid to control White Horde 76–7, 139, 158, 179
Tamerlane’s admiration for 164–5
Tamerlane’s campaigns against 162–5, 177–88
Tamerlane’s second campaign against and defeat at battle of Terek (1395) 193–6, 280
tovachis 100
Toynbee, Arnold 301n
trade routes 16–17, 18
Tughluk Temur 25
invasion of Mawarannahr (1360) 29–30
Tukal-khanum 44, 66, 180, 211, 236, 274
Tuli (son of Genghis Khan) 14
Tuman-agha 44, 233, 274
Turan 239
Tuzukat (Institutes) 28–9n
Ulugh Beg (Tamerlane’s grandson) 36, 37, 229, 250, 258–9, 274, 407, 410, 411
Ulugh Beg Madrassah (Samarkand) 220–1
Ulugh Tagh mountains 181
Umayyad Mosque (Damascus) 255, 298, 309, 309–10n
Urban VI, Pope 53
Urganch 10, 199–200
Mongol invasion of 13
razing of by Tamerlane as punishment for rebellion (1388) 79–80, 162, 200
sacking of by Tamerlane (1379) 77–8
Urus, khan of the White Horde 71, 76, 158
Uzbeg 69, 75
Uzbekistan 25, 59, 218
and cotton 218–19
rehabilitation of Tamerlane 59, 169–73, 231, 235, 374
Vambery, Arminius 105–6, 373n
Vassili I, Grand Prince 198n
Vienne, Admiral de 322
Wali, Amir 131
weapons 100–1
White Horde 71, 76, 158
William of Rubruck 110
wine 96–7
Wolfit, Donald 55
Xuan Zang 45n, 245–6, 249–50
yams 103
Yaqub, Abu Tahrir ibn 89
yasa 20
Yasevi, Khoja Ahmed 180
Yasi 180
Yazdi, Sharaf ad-din Ali 34, 42, 46–7, 271–2, 274, 277
on Bayazid’s captivity 335–6
and Chinese campaign 350–1, 395–6, 397
Gibbon on 32n; on Tamerlane 89–90; Zafarnama 32, 84–5, 130n
Ying-zong, Emperor 349
Yuan dynasty 348
Yusef Sufi 68, 69, 77, 78
Yusufzai, Bibi Mubarika 261
Zaranj 132–3, 138
al Zhairi, Khalil 290
Acknowledgements
I owe thanks to many people who have helped with this book in many ways.
My friend Vic Hutchinson, though she did not know it at the time, got me started by giving me Jason Elliot’s An Unexpected Light: Travels in Afghanistan. A tantalising line about Tamerlane set me on my path.
Travels in Central Asia would have been less fruitful and interesting without the assistance of a number of people. Though they represent one of the world’s more unpleasant regimes, Alisher Faizullaev, Uzbek Ambassador to the Court of St James’s, and his colleague Mardon Yakubov both provided useful introductions.
In Uzbekistan, I was fortunate enough to meet Eric Walberg, who was a generous guide to all things Uzbek. He repeatedly pointed me in the right direction, smoothed my path across the country, and remained a tireless source of information. This acknowledgement is a meagre reward for his uncomplaining assistance and good-hearted friendship. I would also like to thank my translator Farkhad for his patience as we pursued the trail of Tamerlane across desert, steppe and mountain. Another translator, Sabit, was invaluable in making sense of a rare and important manuscript.
In Tashkent, I am grateful to the Temurid historians Professor Omonullo Boriyev and Turgun Faiziev at the Institute of Oriental Studies; Dr Asom Urinboyev; Nozim Khabibullaev, Director of the Amir Temur Museum; Murad Gulamov, the Librarian at the Tellya Sheikh Mosque; the archivist Gulsara Ostonova; and Misrob Turdiev, Dean of International Relations and Diplomacy at Tashkent State University.
In Samarkand, the poet and historian Akbar Piruzi was my guide to many of the city’s astounding Temurid monuments. Thanks to the
historian Fazlidin Fakhridinov and Ahmed Rustamov, the imam of the Khoja Abdi Darun Mosque, who shared his thoughts on the state of Islam in Central Asia.
Noila Kasijanova was an indispensable guide to Bukhara, as was another Noila, Director of the Department for the Protection of Bukhara’s Mosques and Monuments. Omar Rashidov, Dean of the History Faculty at Bukhara State University, his colleague Professor Farkhad Kasimov, and Bakhodir Ergashev, the Deputy Mayor, all shed light on Tamerlane and his second city, the Dome of Islam. Abdul Gafur Razzaq, imam of the Kalon Mosque, whose minaret was the only monument left standing by Genghis Khan when he razed the city to the ground in 1912, was a fascinating source on Bukhara’s Sufi heritage.
For a searingly unforgettable visit to Muynak, victim of the Aral Sea environmental catastrophe, I would like to thank Murod, who had the sense and good fortune subsequently to emigrate to the United States. At the other end of the country, Dr Kulmamat Avliyokulov, member of the Amir Temur Fund and a historian at Termez University, provided details of the Indian campaign of 1398–99.
In Pakistan, Rahimullah Yusufzai, the BBC’s correspondent in Peshawar, was a one-man encyclopaedia on Afghanistan and the Taliban. Dr Nazir Gardezi, a historian at Peshawar University, was informative and perceptive in equal measure.
Ahmed Rashid, the Daily Telegraph’s Central Asia correspondent and author of several excellent books on the region, was illuminating in Lahore, as was Mohammed Iqbal Chawla, Professor of History at Punjab University. In Multan, City of the Saints, which Tamerlane flattened in 1398, Mirza Beg was a stalwart companion. In Islamabad, thank you to my hosts Zahra and Nadir for their exemplary hospitality, and also to Professor Ahmad Dani, the doyen of Pakistani historians.
During a month in benighted Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, several friends and contacts were brave enough to help me at great risk to themselves. Some will remain unnamed. My old companion Arif, in particular, went far beyond the call of duty. Peter Jouvenal, the news cameraman par excellence, Robin Barnwell and Abdul Sattar were cheering and knowledgeable travelling companions. One of the sadder and more ridiculous moments came when Walid, my putative translator from Peshawar, was sent packing by the Taliban Foreign Ministry in Kabul (shame on you, Faiz Ahmad Faiz). His crime? His beard was too short. Thanks to Issa Khan, his hirsute replacement, Amir Shah of Associated Press, and Shukur, our long-suffering driver. Maulavi Qudratullah Jamal, the Taliban Minister of Culture, was a revelation. Maulavi Hafiz Faizlil Rubbi, Taliban Head of Foreign Affairs in Mazar-i-Sharif, was reassuringly protective when things got hairy. In Kandahar, Maulavi Wakil Ahmed Mutawakil, the Taliban Foreign Minister last seen helping American forces with their enquiries, was a stimulating interviewee who traced parallels between Tamerlane and Osama bin Laden.
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