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This map illustrates the rise and expansion of the Timurid Empire (1370–1405) under Timur (Tamerlane), a conqueror of Turco-Mongol descent whose military campaigns reshaped the political landscape of 14th-century Eurasia. Born in 1336 near Kesh (modern Shahrisabz, Uzbekistan), Timur rose to power in Transoxiana, uniting the fractured Chagatai domains under his rule. Combining Mongol military organization with Persian imperial traditions, he launched a series of devastating campaigns that brought much of Central Asia, Persia, Mesopotamia, and parts of Russia, India, and Anatolia under his control. His victories over the Mamluks, Ottomans, Delhi Sultanate, and Golden Horde made him the most feared ruler of his age, while his capital at Samarqand became a brilliant center of Islamic art and architecture.
Timur’s empire, however, was built more on conquest than administration. His authority rested on personal charisma, alliances through marriage (earning him the title Timūr Gurkānī, “son-in-law” of Genghis Khan’s line), and the loyalty of his armies rather than on durable governance. When he died in 1405, preparing for an invasion of Ming China, his realm quickly fragmented into rival Timurid successor states. Though short-lived, Timur’s empire left a lasting legacy in Central Asian culture, urban development, and the diffusion of Persianate art and learning, foreshadowing the rise of later dynasties such as the Mughals and Safavids.
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APA Style
Netchev, S. (2023, August 07). Map of the Empire of Timur the Lame, c. 1404 CE. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/17689/map-of-the-empire-of-timur-the-lame-c-1404-ce/
Chicago Style
Netchev, Simeon. "Map of the Empire of Timur the Lame, c. 1404 CE." World History Encyclopedia, August 07, 2023. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/17689/map-of-the-empire-of-timur-the-lame-c-1404-ce/.
MLA Style
Netchev, Simeon. "Map of the Empire of Timur the Lame, c. 1404 CE." World History Encyclopedia, 07 Aug 2023, https://www.worldhistory.org/image/17689/map-of-the-empire-of-timur-the-lame-c-1404-ce/.
