Amir Temur Created a Great Kingdom Исполнитель

Amir Temur Created a Great Kingdom

(1386-1402)

Amir Temur created a great kingdom stretching from the Ganges River in what is now India to the Volga River, and from the Tian Shan Mountains to Bosfor.

He built an enormous empire which included parts of Turan, Iran, Rome, Magreb, Syria, Egypt, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Khurasan, Jeddah and Great Tataristan. It is said that his “3 years, 5 years, 7 years” glorious military marches were well-known all over the world.

Before his military march to one or another kingdom he suggested peaceful proposals, and when these kings did not agree with him, Temur began his military actions. Thanks to these qualities he differs from other kings and governors.

In the final period of his life, Temur prepared for a great campaign against China, but died in February 1405 at the age of 69 in the city of Otrar. His body was taken to Samarqand and interred at the Gur-Amir mausoleum.

During the Mongol invasion, Samarqand was razed to the ground. The memory of the invaders was expressed in the following saying, “They came, destroyed, killed, plundered and left.”

The period from the end of the 14th century to the middle of the 15th century marked a peak in the economic, political and cultural life in Samarqand. The city won world renown as the capital of Tamerlane’s vast empire. Having made Samarqand the capital of his state, Temur had thousands of skilled artisans from the conquered countries taken to the city. He launched extensive construction. During 1371-1372, Samarqand was surrounded by a massive wall which had six gates and ran about seven kilometers. A citadel was built in the western section of the city and was surrounded by a wall eight meters high.

Amir Temur’s residence was inside the Kok-Sarai palace, where the ruler received foreign emissaries, generals and the feudal nobility. Next to Kok-Sarai government offices and the armoury were.

Temur wanted to make Samarqand a city of unsurpassed beauty. Wishing to underscore the superiority of his capital over other world capitals, he named suburban villages Misr, Damascus, Baghdad, Sultania and Shiraz.

Temur built the impressive mausoleums of Shakhi-Zinda and Gur-Emir, as well as the Bibi-khanim grand mosque, which stand to this day.

Comprehension Questions

1. Describe the size of Temur’s empire.
2. How did he expand it to this size?
3. Where was Temur’s capital?

Discussion Questions

1. Have you ever visited Samarqand? Which Samarqand buildings from Temur’s time do you know?
2. How did Temur conquer other kingdoms? What do you think about his techniques?