1403 Timurid Empire

Episode 21 Timur’s Major Campaigns

The Mongol Empire

Dr Craig Benjamin (2020)

Film Review

In this lecture, Benjamin describes Timur’s extensive military campaigns. Although he failed at his ultimate ambition was (to rule Dar al Islam*), he was a brilliant military strategist and far more brutal than Chinggis Khan. After capturing artisans, architects, intellectuals and scientists to send back to his capito city Samarkahn, he commonly carried out widespread civilian massacres.

• 1381 – after conquering Khurason, Khandahar and Herat, invaded western Persia, decimating all cities that resisted.
• 1384 – following a major revolt in Khurason, committed major civilian massacre during attack on Isfizar, cementing live victims into the walls of the city.
• 1387 – led attack on Khurason’s southern cities. After surrendering, the popuation of Istahan participated in revolt in which all Timur’s tax collectors were killed. After massacring 100,000-200,000 civilians, Timur constructed towers from their skulls.
• 1393 – Conquered Shiraz and Baghdad, establishing a puppet governor in Baghdad.
• 1398 – Raided the Delhi Sultanate in India, which was controlled by Muslim Turks. Departing from Kabal, Timur’s grandon Pir Muhammad marched 30,000 troops into Punjab, while his grandson Muhammed Sulton marched a comparable number from Kabul and Timur himself invaded via the Hindkush mountains. After being confronted with elephants in armor whose tusks were coated with poison. Timur had his troops dig a trench and fill it with camels loaded with hay they set on fire. Massacred five millions civilians when he sacked Delhi. Timur used the booty to beautify Samarkhan, while Delhi took over a century to recover.
• 1399 – went to war with the Ottomans and Mamaluk after the former annexed Anatolia and Ilkhanate territory claimed by Timu. After Baghdad refused his troops entry, he laid siege and ordered each of his troops to bring him two heads each (leading many to behead fellow soldiers and their own wives). He amassed a large pyramid of 90,000 heads.
• 1402 – Invaded Anatolia, confronting the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I, who was supported by crusading knights returning from a siege on Constantinople. After reaching the Aegean Sea, Timur attacked Smyrna, the home of the Knights Hospitaliers.
• 1403 -Timurid Empire included northern India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Caucasus, Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran. Timur’s armies had killed 17 million people and 75% of the world’s Muslim population.
• 1404 – embarked on campaign against Ming empire but died before he could carry it out.
• 1405 – Khalil Sultan (Timur’s grandson) marched into Samarkhan following Timur’s death to claim the throne.
• 1409 – Uleg Beig (Timur’s eldest grandson), the legitimate heir, was restored to the throne by military force. A renowned mathematician and astronomer, he was eventually put to death by his own son ‘Abd al Latif.
• 1451 – Abue Said (great-grandson of Timur) was the last to use mounted nomad warriors. in warfare.
• 1469 – Huayn Baqqata (a distant cousin) succeeded to the Timurid throne, best known for his interest in the arts and was renowned as a benefactor and patron of learning in his kingdom.

*All the Muslim territories of the world.

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