author
Timur
1336–1405
A conqueror who built one of the late medieval world’s largest empires, he is remembered both for sweeping military victories and for the fear and devastation that followed in his wake. His name also lives on through the Timurid dynasty, which helped turn Samarkand into a major center of art and power.
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About the author
Born near Kesh, close to Samarkand, in 1336, Timur rose from the politics of Central Asia to become the founder of the Timurid Empire. Often known in Europe as Tamerlane, he was a Turco-Mongol ruler who claimed a connection to the legacy of Genghis Khan and used that prestige to strengthen his authority.
From the 1370s until his death in 1405, he led campaigns that stretched across Central Asia, Iran, Iraq, parts of Russia, Syria, Anatolia, and India. Histories consistently describe him as a brilliant and undefeated commander, but also as a devastating one: his conquests were marked by extreme violence and the destruction of cities, which is a central part of how he is remembered.
Timur died during a campaign that was aimed toward China. Even so, his story did not end with his death. The dynasty he founded shaped the region for generations, and later Timurid courts became famous for architecture, scholarship, and the cultural prestige of cities such as Samarkand and Herat.