Difference between revisions of "Timurid Dynasty" - New World Encyclopedia

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{{Infobox Former Country
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{{Ready}}{{Images OK}}{{Approved}}{{copyedited}}
|native_name            = گوركانى
 
|conventional_long_name = Timurid Empire
 
|common_name            = Timurid Empire
 
|continent              = Asia
 
|region                =
 
|country                = Iran
 
|era                    = Medieval
 
|status                =
 
|status_text            =
 
|empire                = 
 
|government_type        = Monarchy
 
|year_start            = 1370
 
|year_end              = 1506
 
|event_start            =
 
|date_start            =
 
|event_end              =
 
|date_end              =
 
|p1                    = Barlas
 
|flag_p1                =
 
|s1                    = Uzbeks
 
|flag_s1                =
 
|image_flag            =
 
|flag                  =
 
|flag_type              =
 
|image_coat            =
 
|image_map              = Timurid Dynasty 821 - 873 (AD).PNG
 
|image_map_caption      = Timurid Dynasty at its greatest extent
 
|capital                =
 
|common_languages      = [[Persian languages|Persian]]
 
|religion              = [[Islam]]
 
|currency              = 
 
|leader1                = [[Timur]]
 
|leader2                = [[Muzaffar Hussayn]]
 
|year_leader1          = 1370-1405
 
|year_leader2          = 1506-1507
 
|title_leader          = [[Timurid dynasty#Rulers of the Timurid Empire|Ruler]]
 
}}
 
  
The '''Timurids''', self-designated ''Gurkānī'' <span dir="ltr"><ref name="Thackston">{{cite book | title=The Baburnama: Memoirs of Babur, Prince and Emperor | publisher=Modern Library Classics | id=ISBN 0375761373 | year=2002 | date=[[2002-09-10]] | author=Zahir ud-Din Mohammad | editor=Thackston, Wheeler M. | quote=<small>Note: ''Gurkānī'' is the [[Persianization|Persianized]] form of the Mongolian word "kürügän" ("son-in-law"), the title given to the dynasty's founder after his marriage into [[Genghis Khan]]'s family.</small>}}</ref><ref><small>Note: ''Gurgān'', ''Gurkhān'', or ''Kurkhān''; The meaning of ''Kurkhan'' is given in [http://www.gardenvisit.com/travel/clavijo/timurearlylife.htm Clements Markham's publication of the reports of the contemporary witness Ruy González de Clavijo] as ''"of the lineage of sovereign princes"''.</small></ref><ref>Edward Balfour ''The Encyclopaedia Asiatica, Comprising Indian Subcontinent, Eastern and Southern Asia'', Cosmo Publications 1976, S. 460, S. 488, S. 897</ref></span>({{PerB|گوركانى}}), were a [[Persianate society|Persianate]] [[Central Asia]]n [[Sunni]] [[Islam|Muslim]] dynasty of originally [[Turko-Mongol]]<ref name="Britannica">[[Encyclopædia Britannica]], "[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9072546/Timurid-Dynasty Timurid Dynasty]", Online Academic Edition, 2007. (Quotation:...''Turkic dynasty descended from the conqueror Timur (Tamerlane), renowned for its brilliant revival of artistic and intellectual life in Iran and Central Asia.''...''Trading and artistic communities were brought into the capital city of Herat, where a library was founded, and the capital became the centre of a renewed and artistically brilliant Persian culture.''..)</ref><ref name="EI">B.F. Manz, ''"Tīmūr Lang"'', in [[Encyclopaedia of Islam]], Online Edition, 2006</ref><ref name="Columbia">{{cite encyclopedia | encyclopedia = The Columbia Encyclopedia | title = Timurids | url = http://www.bartleby.com/65/ti/Timurids.html | edition = Sixth | publisher = [[Columbia University]] | location = [[New York City]] |accessdate=2006-11-08 }}</ref><ref>[[Encyclopaedia Britannica]] article: [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-26937/Islamic-world Consolidation & expansion of the Indo-Timurids], Online Edition, 2007.</ref> descent whose empire included the whole of Central Asia, [[Iran]], modern [[Afghanistan]] and [[Pakistan]], as well as large parts of [[India]], [[Mesopotamia]] and [[Caucasus]]. It was founded by the legendary conqueror [[Timur]] (''Tamerlane'') in the 14th century.  
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[[Image:Timurid Dynasty 821 - 873 (AD).PNG|thumb|Timurid Dynasty at its greatest extent.]]
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The '''Timurids,''' self-designated ''Gurkānī''<ref name="Columbia">The Columbia Encyclopedia, [http://www.bartleby.com/65/ti/Timurids.html Timurids.] Retrieved October 23, 2008.</ref> descent, whose empire included the whole of Central Asia, [[Iran]], modern [[Afghanistan]], and [[Pakistan]], as well as large parts of [[India]], [[Mesopotamia]], and [[Caucasus]]. It was founded by the legendary conqueror [[Timur]] ''(Tamerlane)'' in the fourteenth century.  
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In the sixteenth century, Timurid prince [[Babur]], the ruler of Ferghana, invaded India and founded the [[Mughal Empire]], which ruled most of the Indian subcontinent until its decline after [[Aurangzeb]] in the early eighteenth century, and its eventual demise by the [[British Raj]] after the [[First War of Indian Independence|Indian rebellion of 1857]].
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After establishing their rule in India, the Timurids became great patrons of [[culture]] They gave the world one of its most beautiful feats of architecture, the [[Taj Mahal]], and fused Persian and India styles to produce new art-forms, and a new language, Urdu. At times, followers of different [[faith|faiths]] under Timurid rule enjoyed [[religious freedom]] and non-Muslims held senior posts in the Timurid administration. The positive aspect of their legacy still contributes to [[Interfaith relations|interfaith harmony]] in India, [[Pakistan]], and [[Bangladesh]], but the negative aspect fuels inter-community (communitarian) hatred and even violence. Lessons can be learned from the legacy of Timurid rule on how to govern multi-racial, multi-religious societies.
  
In the 16th century, Timurid prince [[Babur]], the ruler of [[Ferghana]], invaded [[India]] and founded the [[Mughal Empire]], who ruled most of the [[Indian subcontinent]] until its decline after [[Aurangzeb]] in the early 18th century, and its eventual demise by the [[British Raj]] after the [[Indian rebellion of 1857]].
 
[[Image:Timurid.svg|thumb|150px|right|Flag of the Timurid Empire according to the [[Catalan Atlas]] c.1375]]
 
 
== Origins ==
 
== Origins ==
{{main|Barlas|Turco-Mongol|Turko-Persian Tradition|Persianate society}}
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The origin of the Timurid dynasty goes back to the [[Mongols|Mongolian]] nomadic confederation known as Barlas, who were remnants of the original Mongol army of [[Genghis Khan]]. After the Mongol conquest of Central Asia, the Barlas settled in [[Turkistan]] (which then became also known as ''Moghulistan''--"Land of Mongols") and intermingled to a considerable degree with the local Turkic and Turkic-speaking population, so that at the time of Timur's reign the Barlas had become thoroughly Turkicized in terms of language and habits. Additionally, by adopting [[Islam]], the Central Asian Turks and Mongols also adopted the Persian literary and high culture which has dominated Central Asia since the early days of Islamic influence. Persian literature was instrumental in the assimilation of the Timurid elite to the Perso-Islamic courtly culture.<ref>Roxburgh (2005), 130.</ref> Timur was also steeped in Persian culture<ref>Chaliand and Berrett (2004), 75.</ref> and in most of the territories which he incorporated, Persian was the primary language of administration and literary culture. Thus the language of the settled "diwan" was Persian, and its scribes had to be thoroughly adept in Persian culture, whatever their ethnic origin.<ref>Manz (1989), 109.</ref>
The origin of the Timurid dynasty goes back to the [[Mongols|Mongolian]] nomadic confederation known as [[Barlas]], who were remnants of the original Mongol army of [[Genghis Khan]].<ref name="EI">B.F. Manz, ''"Tīmūr Lang"'', in [[Encyclopaedia of Islam]], Online Edition, 2006</ref><ref>''"Timur"'', The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, 2001-05 Columbia University Press, ([http://www.bartleby.com/65/ti/Timur.html LINK])</ref><ref>"Consolidation & expansion of the Indo-Timurids", in [[Encyclopaedia Britannica]], ([http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-26937/Islamic-world LINK])</ref> After the Mongol conquest of Central Asia, the Barlas settled in [[Turkistan]] (which then became also known as ''Moghulistan'' - "Land of Mongols") and intermingled to a considerable degree with the local [[Turkic peoples|Turkic]] and [[Turkic languages|Turkic-speaking]] population, so that at the time of Timur's reign the Barlas had become thoroughly Turkicized in terms of language and habits. Additionally, by adopting [[Islam]], the Central Asian Turks and Mongols also adopted the [[Persianate society|Persian literary and high culture]]<ref name=Iranica2>B. Spuler, "Central Asia in the Mongol and Timurid periods", published in [[Encyclopaedia Iranica]], Online Edition, 2006/7, ([http://www.iranica.com/newsite/search/searchpdf.isc?ReqStrPDFPath=/home/iranica/public_html/newsite/pdfarticles/v5_articles/central_asia/mongol_and_timurid_periods&OptStrLogFile=/home/iranica/public_html/newsite/logs/pdfdownload.html LINK]): ''"... Like his father, Olōğ Beg was entirely integrated into the Persian Islamic cultural circles, and during his reign Persian predominated as the language of high culture, a status that it retained in the region of Samarqand until the Russian revolution 1917 [...] Ḥoseyn Bāyqarā encouraged the developement of Persian literature and literary talent in every way possible ..."''</ref> which has dominated Central Asia since the early days of Islamic influence. Persian literature was instrumental in the assimilation of the Timurid elite to the Perso-Islamic courtly culture.<ref>David J. Roxburgh. The Persian Album, 1400-1600: From Dispersal to Collection. Yale University Press, 2005. pg 130: "Persian literature, especially poetry, occupied a central in the process of assimilation of Timurid elite to the Perso-Islamicate courtly culture, and so it is not suprising to find Baysanghur commissioned a new edition of Firdawsi's Shanama</ref> Timur was also steeped in Persian culture<ref> Gérard Chaliand, Nomadic Empires: From Mongolia to the Danube translated by A. M. Berrett, Transaction Publishers, 2004. pg 75</ref> and in most of the territories which he incorporated, Persian was the primary language of administration and literary culture. Thus the language of the settled "[[Divan|diwan]]" was Persian, and its scribes had to be thoroughly adept in Persian culture, whatever their ethnic origin.<ref>Beatrice Forbes Manz. The Rise and Rule of Tamerlane. Cambridge University Press, 1999. pg 109: "...''In Temür's government, as in those of most nomad dynasties, it is impossible to find a clear distinction between civil and military affairs, or to identify the Persian bureaucracy solely civil, and the Turko-Mongolian solely with military government. It is in fact difficult to define the sphere of either side of the administration and we find Persians and Chaghatays sharing manys tasks. (In discussiong the settled bureaucracy and the people who worked within it I use the word Persian in a cultural rather than ethnological sense. In almost all the territories which Temür incorporated into his realm Persian was the primary language of administration and literary culture. Thus the language of the settled "diwan" was Persian, and its scribes had to be thoroughly adept in Persian culture, whatever their ethnic origin.) Temür's Chaghatay emirs were often involved in civil and provincial administration and even in financial affairs, traditionally the province of Persian bureaucracy.''..."</ref>
 
  
 
== Founding the dynasty ==
 
== Founding the dynasty ==
{{main|Timur}}
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Timur conquered large parts of Transoxiana (in modern day Central Asia) and Khorasan (parts of modern day [[Iran]], [[Afghanistan]], [[Uzbekistan]], [[Tajikistan]], and [[Turkmenistan]]) from 1363 onwards with various alliances (Samarkand in 1366, and Balkh in 1369), and was recognized as ruler over them in 1370. Acting officially in the name of the Mongolian Chagatai ulus, he subjugated Transoxania and Khwarazm in the years that followed and began a campaign westwards in 1380. By 1389 he had removed the Kartids from Herat and advanced into mainland [[Persian Empire|Persia]] from 1382 (capture of [[Isfahan]] in 1387, removal of the [[Muzaffarids]] from Shiraz in 1393, and expulsion of the Jalayirids from [[Baghdad]]). In 1394/95, he triumphed over the [[Golden Horde]] and enforced his sovereignty in the [[Caucasus]], in 1398 subjugated Multan and Dipalpur in modern day [[Pakistan]] and in modern day India left [[Delhi]] in such ruin that it is said for two months "not a bird moved wing in the city."<ref>Marozzi (2006), 274.</ref>
Timur conquered large parts of [[Transoxiana]] (in modern day Central Asia) and [[Greater Khorasan|Khorasan]] (parts of modern day [[Iran]], [[Afghanistan]], [[Uzbekistan]], [[Tajikistan]] and [[Turkmenistan]]) from 1363 onwards with various alliances ([[Samarkand]] in 1366, and [[Balkh]] in 1369), and was recognized as ruler over them in 1370. Acting officially in the name of the Mongolian [[Chagatai Khanate|Chagatai ulus]], he subjugated [[Transoxania]] and [[Khwarazm]] in the years that followed and began a campaign westwards in 1380. By 1389 he had removed the Kartids from [[Herat]] and advanced into mainland [[Persian Empire|Persia]] from 1382 (capture of [[Isfahan (city)|Isfahan]] in 1387, removal of the [[Muzaffarids]] from [[Shiraz, Iran|Shiraz]] in 1393, and expulsion of the [[Jalayirids]] from [[Baghdad]]). In 1394/95 he triumphed over the [[Golden Horde]] and enforced his sovereignty in the [[Caucasus]], in 1398 subjugated [[Multan]] and [[Dipalpur]] in modern day [[Pakistan]] and in modern day [[India]] left [[Delhi]] in such ruin that it is said for two months "not a bird moved wing in the city"<ref>[http://persian.packhum.org/persian/index.jsp?serv=pf&file=80201010&ct=0 Volume III: To the Year A.D. 1398, Chapter: XVIII. Malfúzát-i Tímúrí, or Túzak-i Tímúrí: The Autobiography of Tímúr. Page: 389 (please press next and read all pages in the online copy)] ([http://persian.packhum.org/persian/pf?file=80201013&ct=97 1. Online copy], [http://www.infinityfoundation.com/mandala/h_es/h_es_malfuzat_frameset.htm 2. Online copy]) from: Elliot, Sir H. M., Edited by Dowson, John. [[The History of India, as Told by Its Own Historians. The Muhammadan Period]]; published by London Trubner Company 1867–1877. (Online Copy: [http://persian.packhum.org/persian/index.jsp?serv=pf&file=80201010&ct=0 The History of India, as Told by Its Own Historians. The Muhammadan Period; by Sir H. M. Elliot; Edited by John Dowson; London Trubner Company 1867–1877] - This online Copy has been posted by: [http://persian.packhum.org/persian/index.jsp The Packard Humanities Institute; Persian Texts in Translation; Also find other historical books: Author List and Title List])</ref>.
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In 1400/01, conquered [[Aleppo]], [[Damascus]] and eastern [[Anatolia]], in 1401, destroyed Baghdad and in 1402, triumphed over the Ottomans at [[Ankara]]. In addition, he transformed Samarkand into the ''Center of the World''. An estimated 17 million people may have died from his conquests.<ref>Matthew White, [http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/warstat0.htm#Timur Selected Death Tolls: Timur Lenk (1369–1405),] Historical Atlas of the 20th Century. Retrieved October 23, 2008.</ref>
In 1400/01 conquered [[Aleppo]], [[Damascus]] and eastern [[Anatolia]], in 1401 destroyed Baghdad and in 1402 triumphed over the Ottomans at [[Ankara]]. In addition, he transformed Samarqand into the ''Center of the World''. An estimated 17 million people may have died from his conquests.<ref>[http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/warstat0.htm#Timur Selected Death Tolls: Timur Lenk (1369–1405)]</ref>
 
  
After the end of the Timurid Empire in 1506, the [[Mughal Empire]] was later established in India by [[Babur]] in 1526, who was a descendant of [[Timur]] through his father and possibly a descendant of [[Genghis Khan]] through his mother. The dynasty he established is commonly known as the [[Mughal Dynasty]]. By the 17th century, the Mughal Empire ruled most of India, but later declined during the 18th century. The Timurid Dynasty came to an end in 1857 after the Mughal Empire was dissolved by the [[British Empire]] and [[Bahadur Shah II]] was exiled to [[Burma]].
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After the end of the Timurid Empire in 1506, the Mughal Empire was later established in India by [[Babur]] in 1526, who was a descendant of Timur through his father and possibly a descendant of [[Genghis Khan]] through his mother. The dynasty he established is commonly known as the Mughal Dynasty. By the seventeenth century, the Mughal Empire ruled most of India, but later declined during the eighteenth century. The Timurid Dynasty came to an end in 1857 after the Mughal Empire was dissolved by the [[British Empire]] and [[Bahadur Shah II]] was exiled to [[Burma]].
  
Due to the fact that the Persian cities were desolated by previous wars, the seat of Persian culture was now in Samarkand and Herat.   These cities became the center of the Timurid renaissance<ref name="Columbia">{{cite encyclopedia | encyclopedia = The Columbia Encyclopedia | title = Timurids | url = http://www.bartleby.com/65/ti/Timurids.html | edition = Sixth | publisher = [[Columbia University]] | location = [[New York City]] |accessdate=2006-11-08}}</ref>.
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Due to the fact that the Persian cities were desolated by previous wars, the seat of Persian culture was now in Samarkand and Herat. These cities became the center of the Timurid renaissance<ref name="Columbia"/>
  
 
== Culture ==
 
== Culture ==
Although the Timurids hailed from the [[Barlas]] tribe which was of Mongol origin, they had embraced [[Persian culture]]<ref name="Iranica">{{cite encyclopedia | last = Lehmann | first = F. | encyclopedia = [[Encyclopaedia Iranica]] | title = Zaher ud-Din Babor - Founder of Mughal empire | url = http://www.iranica.com/newsite/search/searchpdf.isc?ReqStrPDFPath=/home/iranica/public_html/newsite/pdfarticles/v3_articles/babor_zahir-al-din_mohammad&OptStrLogFile=/home/iranica/public_html/newsite/logs/pdfdownload.html
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Although the Timurids hailed from the Barlas tribe which was of Mongol origin, they had embraced Persian [[culture]]<ref name="Iranica">F. Lehmann, [http://www.iranica.com/newsite/search/searchpdf.isc?ReqStrPDFPath=/home/iranica/public_html/newsite/pdfarticles/v3_articles/babor_zahir-al-din_mohammad&OptStrLogFile=/home/iranica/public_html/newsite/logs/pdfdownload.html Zaher ud-Din Babor - Founder of Mughal empire,] ''Encyclopaedia Iranica.''</ref> and Persian art (distinguished by extensive adaptations from the [[China|Chinese]],<ref name="Columbia"/> and also Chagatay Literature,<ref name="Columbia"/> converted to [[Islam]] and resided in Turkestan and Khorasan. Thus, the Timurid era had a dual character,<ref name="Columbia"/> which reflected both the Turco-Mongol origins and the Persian culture as well the Persian language. The Persian language was also the state language (also known as Diwan language) of the dynasty.
| accessdate = 2006-11-07 | accessyear = 2006 | accessmonth = November | edition = Online | publisher = [[Columbia University]] Center for Iranian (Persian) Studies | location = [[New York City]] | pages = 320-323 | quote = "... ''His origin, milieu, training, and culture were steeped in Persian culture and so Babor was largely responsible for the fostering of this culture by his descendants, the Mughals of India, and for the expansion of Persian cultural infleunce in the Indian subcontinent, with brilliant literary, artistic, and historiographical results'' ..."}}</ref> and Persian art (distinguished by extensive adaptations from the [[China|Chinese]]<ref name="Columbia">{{cite encyclopedia | encyclopedia = The Columbia Encyclopedia | title = Timurids | url = http://www.bartleby.com/65/ti/Timurids.html | edition = Sixth | publisher = [[Columbia University]] | location = [[New York City]] |accessdate=2006-11-08}}</ref>), and also Chagatay Literature<ref name="Columbia"/>, converted to [[Islam]] and resided in [[Turkestan]] and [[Greater Khorasan|Khorasan]]. Thus, the Timurid era had a dual character,<ref name="Columbia">{{cite encyclopedia | encyclopedia = The Columbia Encyclopedia | title = Timurids | url = http://www.bartleby.com/65/ti/Timurids.html | edition = Sixth | publisher = [[Columbia University]] | location = [[New York City]] |accessdate=2006-11-08}}</ref> which reflected both the Turco-Mongol origins and the Persian culture as well the Persian language. The Persian language was also the state language (also known as Diwan language) <ref>Robert Devereux (tr.), "Judgment of Two Languages; Muhakamat Al-Lughatain By Mir 'Ali Shir Nawāi"; Introduction, Translation and Notes: Leiden (E.J. Brill), 1966):  Any linguist of today who reads the essay will inevitably conclude that Nawa'i argued his case poorly, for his principal argument is that the Turkic lexicon contained many words for which the Persian had no exact equivalents and that Persian-speakers had therefore to use the Turkic words. This is a weak reed on which to lean, for it is a rare language indeed that contains no loan words. In any case, the beauty of a language and its merits as a literary medium depend less on size of vocabulary and purity of etymology that on the euphony, expressiveness and malleability of those words its lexicon does include. Moreover, even if Nawa'i's thesis were to be accepted as valid, he destroyed his own case by the lavish use, no doubt unknowingly, of non-Turkic words even while ridiculing the Persians for their need to borrow Turkic words. The present writer has not made a word count of Nawa'i's text, but he would estimate conservatively that at least one half the words used by Nawa'i in the essay are Arabic or Persian in origin. To support his claim of the superiority of the Turkic language, Nawa'i also employs the curious argument that most Turks also spoke Persian but only a few Persians ever achieved fluency in Turkic. It is difficult to understand why he was impressed by this phenomenon, since the most obvious explanation is that Turks found it necessary, or at least advisable, to learn Persian - it was, after all, the official state language - while Persians saw no reason to bother learning Turkic which was, in their eyes, merely the uncivilized tongue of uncivilized nomadic tribesmen</ref><ref name=Iranica2 /> of the dynasty.
 
  
 
===Literature===
 
===Literature===
==== Timurid Literature in Persian Language ====
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==== Timurid literature in Persian language ====
[[Image:Jami Rose Garden.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Illustration from [[Jami|Jāmī's]] ''"Rose Garden of the Pious"'', dated 1553. The image blends [[Persian literature|Persian poetry]] and [[Persian miniature]] into one, as is the norm for many works of the Timurid era.]]
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[[Image:Jami Rose Garden.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Illustration from Jāmī's ''Rose Garden of the Pious,'' dated 1553. The image blends Persian [[poetry]] and Persian miniature into one, as is the norm for many works of the Timurid era.]]
Persian literature, especially Persian poetry occupied a central place in the process of assimilation of the Timurid elite to the Perso-Islamic courtly culture.<ref>David J. Roxburgh. The Persian Album, 1400-1600: From Dispersal to Collection. Yale University Press, 2005.  pg 130: "Persian literature, especially poetry, occupied a central in the process of assimilation of Timurid elite to the Perso-Islamicate courtly culture, and so it is not suprising to find Baysanghur commissioned a new edition of Firdawsi's Shanama</ref> The Timurid sultans, especially [[Shah Rukh (Timurid dynasty)|Šāhru<u>kh</u> Mīrzā]] and his son [[Ulugh Beg|Mohammad Taragai Oloğ Beg]], patronized Persian culture.<ref name=Iranica2>B. Spuler, "Central Asia in the Mongol and Timurid periods", published in [[Encyclopaedia Iranica]]. ([http://www.iranica.com/newsite/search/searchpdf.isc?ReqStrPDFPath=/home/iranica/public_html/newsite/pdfarticles/v5_articles/central_asia/mongol_and_timurid_periods&OptStrLogFile=/home/iranica/public_html/newsite/logs/pdfdownload.html pdf]) <small>Note:"... Like his father, Olōğ Beg was entirely integrated into the Persian Islamic cultural circles, and during his reign Persian predominated as the language of high culture, a status that it retained in the region of Samarqand until the Russian revolution 1917 [...] Ḥoseyn Bāyqarā encouraged the developement of Persian literature and literary talent in every way possible ..."</small></ref> Among the most important literary works of the Timurid era is the Persian biography of [[Timur]], known as ''"Zafarnāma"'' ({{PerB|ظفرنامه}}), written by Sharaf ud-Dīn Alī Yazdī, which itself is based on an older ''"Zafarnāma"'' by Nizām al-Dīn Shāmī, the official biographer of Timur during his lifetime. The most famous poet of the Timurid era was [[Jami|Nūr ud-Dīn Jāmī]], the last great medieval [[Sufi]] [[mysticism|mystic]] of Persia and one of the greatest in [[Persian poetry]]. The most famous painter of the Timurid court, as well as the most famous of the [[Persian miniature|Persian miniature painters]] in general, was [[Behzad|Ustād Kamāl ud-Dīin Behzād]]. In addition, the Timurid sultan [[Ulugh Beg]] is known as a great [[astronomer]].
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Persian literature, especially Persian poetry occupied a central place in the process of assimilation of the Timurid elite to the Perso-Islamic courtly culture.<ref>Roxburgh (2005), 130.</ref> The Timurid sultans, especially Šāhru<u>kh</u> Mīrzā and his son Mohammad Taragai Oloğ Beg, patronized Persian culture. Among the most important literary works of the Timurid era is the Persian biography of Timur, known as ''"Zafarnāma,"'' written by Sharaf ud-Dīn Alī Yazdī, which itself is based on an older ''"Zafarnāma"'' by Nizām al-Dīn Shāmī, the official biographer of Timur during his lifetime. The most famous poet of the Timurid era was Nūr ud-Dīn Jāmī, the last great medieval [[Sufi]] [[mysticism|mystic]] of Persia and one of the greatest in Persian poetry. The most famous painter of the Timurid court, as well as the most famous of the Persian miniature painters in general, was [[Behzad|Ustād Kamāl ud-Dīin Behzād]]. In addition, the Timurid sultan [[Ulugh Beg]] is known as a great [[asrronomy|astronomer]], building a "observatory that was a marvel of the age."<ref>Lewis Macleod, [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/monitoring/media_reports/948757.stm Uzbekistan restores Timurid legacy,] BBC. Retrieved October 23, 2008.</ref> Daniel says that the Timurid's were "distinguished as patrons of Islamic scholarship, literature, [[art]]] and [[architecture]]" and that several Timurid rulers were 'accomplished in these fields themselves."<ref>Daniel (2001), 81-82.</ref>
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=====BaySanghur Shahnameh=====
 
=====BaySanghur Shahnameh=====
Baysanghur commissioned a new edition of the [[Shahnameh]] of [[Ferdowsi]] and wrote an introduction to it. According to T. Lenz<ref>"[http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v4f1/v4f1a008.html Baysonghori Shahnameh]" in Encyclopedia Iranica by T. Lenz </ref>:{{cquote|It can be viewed as a specific reaction in the wake of Timur's death in 807/1405 to the new cultural demands facing Shahhrokh and his sons, a Turkic military elite no longer deriving their power and influence solely from a charis­matic steppe leader with a carefully cultivated linkage to Mongol aristocracy. Now centered in Khorasan, the ruling house regarded the increased assimilation and patronage of Persian culture as an integral component of efforts to secure the legitimacy and authority of the dynasty within the context of the Islamic Iranian monarchical tradition, and the Baysanghur Shahnameh, as much a precious object as it is a manuscript to be read, powerfully symbolizes the Timurid conception of their own place in that tradition. A valuable documen­tary source for Timurid decorative arts that have all but disappeared for the period, the manuscript still awaits a comprehensive monographic study.}}
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Baysanghur commissioned a new edition of the ''Shahnameh'' of [[Ferdowsi]] and wrote an introduction to it. According to T. Lenz:<ref>T. Lenz, [http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v4f1/v4f1a008.html Baysonghori Shahnameh,] ''Encyclopedia Iranica.'' Retrieved October 23, 2008.</ref><blockquote>It can be viewed as a specific reaction in the wake of Timur's death in 807/1405 to the new cultural demands facing Shahhrokh and his sons, a Turkic military elite no longer deriving their power and influence solely from a charis­matic steppe leader with a carefully cultivated linkage to Mongol aristocracy. Now centered in Khorasan, the ruling house regarded the increased assimilation and patronage of Persian culture as an integral component of efforts to secure the legitimacy and authority of the dynasty within the context of the Islamic Iranian monarchical tradition, and the Baysanghur Shahnameh, as much a precious object as it is a manuscript to be read, powerfully symbolizes the Timurid conception of their own place in that tradition. A valuable documen­tary source for Timurid decorative arts that have all but disappeared for the period, the manuscript still awaits a comprehensive monographic study.</blockquote>
  
==== National Literature in Chagatay Language ====
+
==== National literature in Chagatay language ====
The early Timurids played a very important role in the history of [[Turkic languages|Turkic literature]]. Based on the established Persian literary tradition, a national Turkic literature was developed, written in the [[Chagatay language]], the native tongue of the Timurid family. Chagatay poets such as [[Mir Ali Shir Nava'i|Mīr Alī Sher Nawā'ī]], [[Husayn Bayqarah|Sultan Husayn Bāyqarā]], and [[Babur|Zāher ud-Dīn Bābur]] encouraged other Turkic-speaking poets to write in their own vernacular in addition to Arabic and Persian.  
+
The early Timurids played a very important role in the history of Turkic literature. Based on the established Persian literary tradition, a national Turkic literature was developed, written in the Chagatay language, the native tongue of the Timurid family. Chagatay poets such as Mīr Alī Sher Nawā'ī, Sultan Husayn Bāyqarā, and Babur encouraged other Turkic-speaking poets to write in their own vernacular in addition to Arabic and Persian.  
  
The [[Baburnama|Bāburnāma]], the autobiography of Bābur, as well as Mīr Alī Sher Nawā'ī's Chagatay poetry are among the best-known Turkic literary works and have fascinated and influenced many others world wide. The Baburnama was highly Persianized in its sentence structure, morphology or word formation and vocabulary<ref> Stephen Frederic DaleThe Garden of the Eight Paradises: Babur and the Culture of Empire.  BRILL, 2004. pg 150</ref>.
+
The ''Bāburnāma,'' the autobiography of Bābur, as well as Mīr Alī Sher Nawā'ī's Chagatay poetry are among the best-known Turkic literary works and have fascinated and influenced many others world wide. The Baburnama was highly Persianized in its sentence structure, morphology or word formation and vocabulary.<ref>Dale (2004), 150.</ref>
  
 
=== Art===
 
=== Art===
During the reign of Timurid rule, the golden age of Persian painting was ushered.<ref> New Orient, By Czechoslovak Society for Eastern Studies, Czechoslovak Society for Eastern Studies, 1968. pg 139.</ref> During this period as well as the [[Safavid]] dynasty, Chinese art and artists had a significant influence on Persian art.<ref>[http://www.persianpaintings.com/history.html Persian Paintings]</ref><ref>[http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761577725_5/Islamic_Art_and_Architecture.html ''MSN Encarta''. Islamic Art and Architecture.]</ref><ref>[http://www.art-arena.com/safavidart2.htm Art Arena. Persian art - the Safavids]</ref>  Timurid artists refined the Persian art of the book, which combines paper, calligraphy, illumination, illustration and binding in a brilliant and colourful whole.<ref> John Onians, Atlas of World Art, Laurence King Publishing, 2004.  pg 132.</ref> It was the Mongol ethnicity of the [[Chagatai Khanate|Chaghatayid]] and Timurid [[Khan (title)|Khans]] that is the source of the stylistic depiction [[Persian art]] during the Middle Ages.   These same Mongols intermarried with the [[Persian people|Persians]] and [[Turkic peoples|Turks]] of Central Asia, even adopting their religion and languages. Yet their simple control of the world at that time, particularly in the 13-15th Centuries, reflected itself in the idealised appearance of Persians as Mongols. Though the ethnic make-up gradually blended into the [[Iranian peoples|Iranian]] and [[Mesopotamia]]n local populations, the Mongol stylism continued well after, and crossed into [[Asia Minor]] and even [[North Africa]].
+
During the reign of Timurid rule, the golden age of Persian painting was ushered. During this period as well as the [[Safavid Empire|Safavid]] dynasty, Chinese art and artists had a significant influence on Persian art. Timurid artists refined the Persian art of the book, which combines paper, calligraphy, illumination, illustration and binding in a brilliant and colorful whole.<ref>Onians (2004), 132.</ref> It was the Mongol [[ethnicity]] of the Chaghatayid and Timurid Khans that is the source of the stylistic depiction Persian art during the [[Middle Ages]]. These same Mongols intermarried with the Persians and Turks]] of Central Asia, even adopting their religion and languages. Yet their simple control of the world at that time, particularly in the thirteenth-fifteenth centuries, reflected itself in the idealized appearance of Persians as Mongols. Though the ethnic make-up gradually blended into the Iranian and [[Mesopotamia]]n local populations, the Mongol stylism continued well after, and crossed into Asia Minor and even North [[Africa]].
  
 
===Architecture===
 
===Architecture===
 
====Timurid architecture====
 
====Timurid architecture====
[[Image:Akhangan.jpg|thumb|right|150px|''"Akhangan" tomb'', where [[Goharshad|Gowharšād's]] sister Gowhartāj is buried. The architecture is a fine example of the Timurid era in Persia.]]
+
 
[[Image:Gure Amir.JPG|thumb|left|150px|''"[[Gur-e Amir|Gūr-e Amīr]]" complex'' with its azure dome.]]
+
[[Image:Akhangan.jpg|thumb|right|150px|''"Akhangan" tomb,'' where Gowharšād's sister Gowhartāj is buried. The architecture is a fine example of the Timurid era in Persia.]]  
In the realm of architecture, the Timurids drew on and developed many [[Seljuq]] traditions. Turquoise and blue tiles forming intricate linear and geometric patterns decorated the facades of buildings. Sometimes the interior was decorated similarly, with painting and stucco relief further enriching the effect.<ref name="Britannica" /> Timurid architecture is the pinnacle of [[Islamic art]] in [[Central Asia]]. Spectacular and stately edifices erected by [[Timur]] and his successors in [[Samarkand]] and [[Herat]] helped to disseminate the influence of the [[Ilkhanid]] school of art in [[India]], thus giving rise to the celebrated ''Mughal'' (or ''Mongol'') school of architecture. Timurid architecture started with the [[Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasavi|sanctuary of Ahmed Yasawi]] in present-day [[Kazakhstan]] and culminated in Timur's mausoleum [[Gur-e Amir]] in [[Samarkand]]. Timur’s Gur-I Mir, the 14th century mausoleum of the conqueror is covered with ‘’turquoise Persian tiles’’<ref>John Julius Norwich, Great Architecture of the World, Da Capo Press, 2001. pg 278.</ref> Nearby, in the center of the ancient town, a ''Persian style Madrassa (religious school)'' <ref>John Julius Norwich, Great Architecture of the World, Da Capo Press, 2001. pg 278.</ref> and a ''Persian style Mosque''<ref>John Julius Norwich, Great Architecture of the World, Da Capo Press, 2001. pg 278.</ref>   by Ulugh Beg is observed. The mausoleum of Timurid princes, with their turquoise and blue-tiled domes remain among the most refined and exquisite ''Persian architecture''<ref>Hugh Kennedy, “The Great Arab Conquests: How the Spread of Islam Changed the World We Live In”, Da Capo Press, 2007. pg 237</ref>.  [[Axial symmetry]] is a characteristic of all major Timurid structures, notably the [[Shah-i-Zinda|Shāh-e Zenda]] in [[Samarkand]], the ''Musallah'' complex in Herat, and the mosque of [[Goharshad|Gowhar Shād]] in [[Mashhad]]. Double [[dome]]s of various shapes abound, and the outsides are perfused with brilliantly colors. Timurs dominance of the region strengthened the influence of his capital and Persian architecture upon India. <ref>Banister Fletcher, Dan Cruickshan, "Sir Banister Fletcher's a History of Architecture ",Architectural Press, 1996. pg 606</ref>
+
 
 +
In the realm of architecture, the Timurids drew on and developed many [[Seljuq dynasty|Seljuq]] traditions. Turquoise and blue tiles forming intricate linear and geometric patterns decorated the facades of buildings. Sometimes the interior was decorated similarly, with painting and stucco relief further enriching the effect. Timurid architecture is the pinnacle of Islamic art in [[Central Asia]]. Spectacular and stately edifices erected by Timur and his successors in Samarkand and Herat helped to disseminate the influence of the Ilkhanid school of art in India, thus giving rise to the celebrated ''Mughal'' (or ''Mongol'') school of architecture. Timurid architecture started with the sanctuary of Ahmed Yasawi in present-day [[Kazakhstan]] and culminated in Timur's mausoleum Gur-e Amir in Samarkand. Timur’s Gur-I Mir, the fourteenth century mausoleum of the conqueror is covered with "turquoise Persian tiles."<ref name=Norwich278>Norwich (1975), 278.</ref> Nearby, in the center of the ancient town, there is a ''Persian style Madrassa (religious school)''<ref name=Norwich278/> and a ''Persian style Mosque''<ref name=Norwich278/> built by [[Ulugh Beg]]. The mausoleum of Timurid princes, with their turquoise and blue-tiled domes remain among the most refined and exquisite ''Persian architecture.''<ref>Kennedy (2007), 237.</ref> Axial symmetry is a characteristic of all major Timurid structures, notably the Shāh-e Zenda in [[Samarkand]], the ''Musallah'' complex in Herat, and the mosque of Gowhar Shād in Mashhad. Double domes of various shapes abound, and the outsides are perfused with brilliantly colors. Timurs dominance of the region strengthened the influence of his capital and Persian architecture upon India.<ref>Fletcher and Cruickshan (1996), 606.</ref>
  
 
====Mughal architecture====
 
====Mughal architecture====
{{main|Mughal architecture}}
+
After the foundation of the Mughal Empire, the Timurids successfully expanded the Persian cultural influence from Khorasan to [[India]], where the Persian language, [[literature]], [[architecture]], and [[art]] dominated the Indian subcontinent]] until the [[British Raj|British conquest]]. The Mughals, Persianized Turks who invaded from Central Asia and claimed descent from both Timur and Genghis—strengthened the Persianate culture of Muslim India.<ref>Canfield (1991), 20.</ref>
  
After the foundation of the [[Mughal Empire]], the Timurids successfully expanded the Persian cultural influence from [[Greater Khorasan|Khorasan]] to [[India]], where the [[Persian language]], [[Persian literature|literature]], [[Persian architecture|architecture]], and [[Persian art|art]] dominated the [[Indian subcontinent]] until the [[British Raj|British conquest]].<ref name="Iranica"/>.  The Mughals, Persianized Turks who invaded from Central Asia and claimed descent from both Timur and Genghis - strengthened the Persianate culture of Muslim India<ref>Robert L. Canfield, Turko-Persia in historical perspective, Cambridge University Press, 1991. pg 20</ref>.
+
The Mughal period marked a striking revival of Islamic architecture in northern India. Under the patronage of the Mughal emperors, Indian, Persian, and various provincial styles were fused to produce works of unusual quality and refinement.
  
The Mughal period marked a striking revival of [[Islamic architecture]] in northern [[India]]. Under the patronage of the Mughal emperors, [[Indian architecture|Indian]], [[Persian architecture|Persian]], and various provincial styles were fused to produce works of unusual quality and refinement.<ref>[http://search.eb.com/eb/article-9054154 Mughal architecture] Encyclopædia Britannica</ref>
+
The Mughal emperor [[Akbar the Great]] constructed the royal city of [[Fatehpur Sikri]], located 26 miles west of [[Agra]], in the late 1500s. The most famous example of Mughal architecture is the Taj Mahal, the "teardrop on eternity," completed in 1648 by the emperor [[Shah Jahan]] in memory of his wife [[Mumtaz Mahal]] who died while giving birth to their 14th child. The extensive use of precious and semiprecious stones as inlay and the vast quantity of white marble required nearly bankrupted the empire. The Taj Mahal is completely symmetric other than the [[sarcophagus]] of Shah Jahan which is placed off center in the crypt room below the main floor. This symmetry extended to the building of an entire mirror mosque in red sandstone to complement the Mecca-facing mosque place to the west of the main structure. Another structure built that showed great depth of Mughal influence was the Shalimar Gardens.
  
The Mughal emperor [[Akbar]] constructed the royal city of [[Fatehpur Sikri]], located 26 miles west of [[Agra]], in the late 1500s. The most famous example of Mughal architecture is the [[Taj Mahal]], the "teardrop on eternity," completed in 1648 by the emperor [[Shah Jahan]] in memory of his wife [[Mumtaz Mahal]] who died while giving birth to their 14th child. The extensive use of precious and semiprecious stones as inlay and the vast quantity of white marble required nearly bankrupted the empire. The Taj Mahal is completely symmetric other than the [[sarcophagus]] of [[Shah Jahan]] which is placed off center in the crypt room below the main floor. This symmetry extended to the building of an entire mirror mosque in red sandstone to complement the Mecca-facing mosque place to the west of the main structure. Another structure built that showed great depth of Mughal influence was the [[Shalimar Gardens (Lahore)|Shalimar Gardens]].
+
====Religion====
 +
As Muslims, the Timurid rulers did much to promote Islam, building mosques and sponsoring scholarship. However, Muslims were always a minority within the Mughal Empire. Non-Muslims were at times treated harshly; both Babur and Aurangzeb destroyed Temples. Akbar, however, fused [[Christianity]], [[Hinduism]] and Islam into a single God-centered religion, Din-i-Ilahi. At other times, their rule was marked by a high degree of [[freedom of religion|religious tolerance]] when non-Muslims held high positions of state, no tithe was levied on non-Muslims and many people participated in religious festivals of traditions other than their own. Without denying that persecution of non-Muslims did occur under Timurid rule, Dutt says that "many Hindu and Muslim scholars studied each other's religions, while the common people existed [[peace|peacefully]]."<ref>Dutt (2006), 76.</ref> Many Timurid rulers were advocates of the [[Sufism|Sufu]] doctrine of ''wahdat-al-wajud,'' the "unity of [[God]] and the created world, which was given creative expression by a new breed of poets."<ref>Chandra (1999), 14.</ref>
  
==Rulers of the Timurid Empire==
+
==Legacy==
{{History of Greater Iran}}
+
Life under Timurid rule was for much of the time [[politics|politically]] stable, with many citizens enjoying peace and prosperity within secure borders. Perhaps the Timurids greatest achievement was their fusing of Persian and Indian forms, as Dutt comments, "the fusion of two cultures gave rise to new styles of art, architecture and music and to a new language, Urdu."<ref>Dutt (2006), 76.</ref>
*[[Timur]] (Tamerlane) 1370 - 1405 (771-807 [[Hijra (Islam)|AH]]) - with [[Suurgatmish|Suyur<u>gh</u>itmiš]] Chaghtay as nominal overlord followed by [[Sultan Mahmud (Chagatai)|Mahmūd]] Chaghtay as overlord and finally Muhammad Sultān as heir
 
*[[Pir Muhammad]] bin Jahāngīr 1405 - 1407 (807-808 AH)
 
  
===Rulers of Herat===
+
The positive aspects of the Timurid legacy still contributes to [[Interfaith relations|interfaith harmony]] in India, [[Pakistan]] and [[Bangladesh]], but the negative aspect fuels inter-community (communitarian) hatred and even violence. Lessons can be learned from the legacy of Timurid rule on how to govern multi-racial, multi-religious societies.
  
*[[Shah Rukh (Timurid dynasty)|Shāhru<u>kh</u>]] 1405 - 1447 (807-50 AH) (overall ruler of the Timurid Empire 1409 - 1447)
+
===Rulers of the Timurid Empire===
*[[Babur Ibn-Baysunkur|Abu'l-Qasim Bābar]] 1447 - 1457 (850-61 AH)
+
* Timur (Tamerlane) 1370-1405 (771-807 AH)—with Suyur<u>gh</u>itmiš Chaghtay as nominal overlord followed by Mahmūd Chaghtay as overlord and finally Muhammad Sultān as heir
*[[Mahmud (Timurid Dynasty)|Shāh Mahmūd]] 1457 (861 AH)
+
* Pir Muhammad bin Jahāngīr 1405-1407 (807-808 AH)
*[[Ibrahim (Timurid Dynasty)|Ibrāhim]] 1457 - 1459 (861-863 AH)
 
*[[Abu Sa'id (Timurid dynasty)|Sultān Abu Sa’id Gūrgān]] 1459 - 1469 (863-73 AH) (in Transoxiana 1451-1469)
 
*[[Yadigar Muhammad|Yādgār Muhammad]] 1470 (873 AH)
 
*[[Husayn Bayqarah|Sultān Hussayn]] 1470 - 1506 (874-911 AH)
 
*[[Badi' al-Zaman|Badi ul-Zamān]] 1506 - 1507 (911-912 AH) and
 
*Muzaffar Hussayn 1506 - 1507 (911-912 AH)
 
''Herat is conquered by the [[Uzbeks]] under [[Muhammad Shaybani]]''
 
  
===Rulers of Samarkand===
+
====Rulers of Herat====
 +
* Shāhru<u>kh</u> 1405-1447 (807-50 AH) (overall ruler of the Timurid Empire 1409-1447)
 +
* Abu'l-Qasim Bābar 1447-1457 (850-61 AH)
 +
* Shāh Mahmūd 1457 (861 AH)
 +
* Ibrāhim 1457-1459 (861-863 AH)
 +
* Sultān Abu Sa’id Gūrgān 1459-1469 (863-73 AH) (in Transoxiana 1451-1469)
 +
* Yādgār Muhammad 1470 (873 AH)
 +
* Sultān Hussayn 1470-1506 (874-911 AH)
 +
* Badi ul-Zamān 1506-1507 (911-912 AH)
 +
* Muzaffar Hussayn 1506-1507 (911-912 AH)
 +
''Herat is conquered by the Uzbeks under Muhammad Shaybani''
  
*[[Khalil Sultan|<u>Kh</u>alīl Sultān]] 1405 - 1409 (807-11 AH)
+
====Rulers of Samarkand====
*[[Ulugh Beg|Mohammad Taragai bin Shāhru<u>kh</u>]]-I 1409 - 1449 (811-53 AH) (overall ruler of the Timurid Empire 1447 - 1449)
+
* <u>Kh</u>alīl Sultān 1405-1409 (807-11 AH)
*[['Abd al-Latif]] 1449 - 1450 (853-854 AH)
+
* Mohammad Taragai bin Shāhru<u>kh</u>-I 1409-1449 (811-53 AH) (overall ruler of the Timurid Empire 1447-1449)
*[[‘Abdullah (Timurid)|‘Abdullah]] 1450 - 1451 (854-55 AH)  
+
* 'Abd al-Latif 1449-1450 (853-854 AH)
*[[Abu Sa'id (Timurid dynasty)|Sultān Abu Sa’id Gūrgān]] 1451 - 1469 (855-73 AH) (in Herat 1459-1469)
+
* ‘Abdullah 1450-1451 (854-55 AH)  
 +
* Sultān Abu Sa’id Gūrgān 1451-1469 (855-73 AH) (in Herat 1459-1469)
 
''Abu Sa'id's sons divided his territories upon his death, into Samarkand, Badakhshan and Farghana''
 
''Abu Sa'id's sons divided his territories upon his death, into Samarkand, Badakhshan and Farghana''
*[[Sultan Ahmad|Sultān ibn Abu Sa’id]] 1469 - 1494 (873-899 AH)
+
* Sultān ibn Abu Sa’id 1469-1494 (873-899 AH)
*[[Sultan Mahmud (Timurid)|Sultān Mahmūd]] ibn Abu Sa’id 1494 - 1495 (899-900 AH)
+
* Sultān Mahmūd ibn Abu Sa’id 1494-1495 (899-900 AH)
*Sultān Baysunqur 1495 - 1497 (900-902 AH) and
+
* Sultān Baysunqur 1495-1497 (900-902 AH)
*Mas’ūd 1495 (900 AH) and
+
* Mas’ūd 1495 (900 AH)
*Sultān Alī Mīrzā 1495 - 1500 (900-905 AH)
+
* Sultān Alī Mīrzā 1495-1500 (900-905 AH)
''Samarkand is conquered by the [[Uzbeks]] under [[Muhammad Shaybani]]''
+
''Samarkand is conquered by the Uzbeks under Muhammad Shaybani''
  
==Other rulers==
+
====Rulers of Mughal Empire====
 +
[[Image:Bahadur Shah Zafar.jpg|thumb|250px|A photo of Bahadur Shah II in 1858, possibly the only picture ever taken of a Timurid king.]]
  
*Qaidu bin Pir Muhammad bin Jahāngīr 808-811 AH
+
* Zahiruddin Babur Mirza 1526-1530 (933-937 AH)--established Mughal Dynasty in India (Mughal Empire)
*Abu Bakr bin [[Miran Shah|Mīrān Shāh]] 1405 - 1407 (807-809 AH)
+
* Nasiruddin Humayun Mirza 1530-1556 (937-963 AH)--ruler of Mughal Empire, son of Babur
*Pir Muhammad bin Umar Shei<u>kh</u> 807-812 AH
+
* Kamran Mirza 1530-1557 (937-962 AH)--ruler of Kabul and Lahore, son of Babur
*Rustam 812-817 AH
+
* [[Akbar the Great|Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar Mirza]] (Akbar the Great) 1556-1605 (963-1014 AH)--greatest ruler of Mughal Empire, son of Humayun
*Sikandar 812-17 AH
+
* Abul Qasim Muhammad bin Kamran 968 AH
*Alaudaullah 851 AH
+
* Suleiman Mirza 936-92 AH
*Abu Bakr bin Muhammad 851 AH
+
* Shahrukh III 983-87 AH--son of Ibrahim
*Sultān Muhammad 850-55 AH
+
* [[Jahangir|Nuruddin Muhammad Jahangir]] 1605-1627 (1014-1036 AH)--ruler of [[Mughal Empire]], son of Akbar and [[Rajput]] Princess [[Jodhabai|Mariam Zamani]]
*Muhammad bin Hussayn 903-906 AH
+
* [[Shah Jahan|Shahbuddin Muhammad Shah Jahan]] (Shah Jahan I) 1627-1658--ruler of [[Mughal Empire]], son of Jahangir and Rajput [[Princess Manmati]]
*Abul A'la Fereydūn Hussayn 911-912 AH
+
* [[Aurangzeb|Mohiuddin Mohammed Aurangzeb]] (Aurangzeb Alamgir I) 1658-1707--ruler of [[Mughal Empire]], son of Shah Jahan
*Muhammad Mohsin <u>Kh</u>ān 911-912 AH
+
* [[Bahadur Shah I]] (Shah Alam I) 1707-1712--son of Aurangzeb
*Muhammad Zamān <u>Kh</u>ān 920-923 AH
+
* Jahandar Shah]], b. 1664, ruler from 1712-1713  
*Shāhru<u>kh</u> II bin Abu Sa’id  896-897 AH
+
* Furrukhsiyar, b. 1683, ruler from 1713-1719
*Ulu<u>gh</u> Beg Kābulī 873-907 AH
+
* Rafi Ul-Darjat, ruler 1719
*Sultān Uways 1508 - 1522 (913-927 AH)
+
* Rafi Ud-Daulat ([[Shah Jahan II]]), ruler 1719
 
+
* Nikusiyar, ruler 1719
==Rulers of Mughal Empire==
+
* Muhammad Ibrahim, ruler 1720
[[Image:Bahadur Shah Zafar.jpg|thumb|250px|A photo of [[Bahadur Shah II]] in 1858, possibly the only picture ever taken of a Timurid king.]]
+
* Muhammad Shah, b. 1702, ruler from 1719–1720, 1720-1748
 
+
* Ahmad Shah Bahadur, b. 1725, ruler from 1748-1754
*[[Babur|Zahiruddin Babur Mirza]] 1526 - 1530 (933-937 AH) - established [[Mughal Dynasty]] in [[History of India|India]] ([[Mughal Empire]])
+
* [[Alamgir II]], b. 1699, ruler from 1754-1759==son of Jahandar Shah
*[[Humayun|Nasiruddin Humayun Mirza]] 1530 - 1556 (937-963 AH) - ruler of [[Mughal Empire]], son of Babur
+
* [[Shah Jahan III]], ruler 1759
*[[Kamran Mirza]] 1530 - 1557 (937-962 AH) - ruler of [[Kabul]] and [[Lahore]], son of Babur
+
* [[Shah Alam II]], b. 1728, ruler from 1759-1806
*[[Akbar|Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar Mirza]] (Akbar the Great) 1556-1605 (963-1014 AH) - greatest ruler of [[Mughal Empire]], son of Humayun
+
* [[Akbar Shah II]], b. 1760, ruler from 1806-1837
*Abul Qasim Muhammad bin Kamran 968 AH
+
* [[Bahadur Shah II]] (Bahadur Shah Zafar) 1837-1857--last ruler of the Timurid Dynasty
*Suleiman Mirza 936-92 AH
 
*Shahrukh III 983-87 AH - son of Ibrahim
 
*[[Jahangir|Nuruddin Muhammad Jahangir]] 1605 - 1627 (1014-1036 AH) - ruler of [[Mughal Empire]], son of Akbar and [[Rajput]] Princess [[Jodhabai|Mariam Zamani]]
 
*[[Shah Jahan|Shahbuddin Muhammad Shah Jahan]] (Shah Jahan I) 1627 - 1658 - ruler of [[Mughal Empire]], son of Jahangir and Rajput [[Princess Manmati]]
 
*[[Aurangzeb|Mohiuddin Mohammed Aurangzeb]] (Aurangzeb Alamgir I) 1658-1707 - ruler of [[Mughal Empire]], son of Shah Jahan
 
*[[Bahadur Shah I]] (Shah Alam I) 1707 - 1712 - son of Aurangzeb
 
*[[Jahandar Shah]], b. 1664, ruler from 1712 - 1713 -
 
*[[Furrukhsiyar]], b. 1683, ruler from 1713-1719
 
*[[Rafi Ul-Darjat]], ruler 1719
 
*[[Rafi Ud-Daulat]] ([[Shah Jahan II]]), [[ruler]] 1719
 
*[[Nikusiyar]], ruler 1719
 
*[[Muhammad Ibrahim]], ruler 1720
 
*[[Muhammad Shah]], b. 1702, ruler from 1719–1720, 1720-1748
 
*[[Ahmad Shah Bahadur]], b. 1725, ruler from 1748-1754
 
*[[Alamgir II]], b. 1699, ruler from 1754-1759 - son of Jahandar Shah
 
*[[Shah Jahan III]], ruler 1759
 
*[[Shah Alam II]], b. 1728, ruler from 1759-1806
 
*[[Akbar Shah II]], b. 1760, ruler from 1806-1837
 
*[[Bahadur Shah II]] (Bahadur Shah Zafar) 1837-1857 - last ruler of the Timurid Dynasty
 
  
 
==Heads of the Timurid Dynasty==
 
==Heads of the Timurid Dynasty==
 +
*Bahadur Shah II (1857–1862)
 +
*Shahzada Muhammad Hidayat Afshar, Ilahi Bakhsh Bahadur]] (1862–1878)
 +
*Shahzada Muhammad Sulaiman Shah Bahadur (1878–1890)
 +
*Shahzada Muhammad Kaiwan Shah Gorkwani, Suraya Jah Bahadur (1890–1913)
 +
Mirza Salim Muhammad Shah Bahadur]] (1913–1925)
 +
*No recognized head of the family (1925–1931)
 +
Shahzada Muhammad Khair ud-din Mirza, Khurshid Jah Bahadur (1931–1975)
 +
*Mirza Ghulam Moinuddin Muhammad, Javaid Jah Bahadur (1975-Present)
  
*[[Bahadur Shah II]] (1857–1862)
+
== Notes ==
*[[Shahzada Muhammad Hidayat Afshar, Ilahi Bakhsh Bahadur]] (1862–1878)
+
<references/>
*[[Shahzada Muhammad Sulaiman Shah Bahadur]] (1878–1890)
 
*[[Shahzada Muhammad Kaiwan Shah Gorkwani, Suraya Jah Bahadur]] (1890–1913)
 
*[[Mirza Salim Muhammad Shah Bahadur]] (1913–1925)
 
*No recognised head of the family (1925–1931)
 
*[[Shahzada Muhammad Khair ud-din Mirza, Khurshid Jah Bahadur]] (1931–1975)
 
*[[Mirza Ghulam Moinuddin Muhammad, Javaid Jah Bahadur]] (1975-Present)
 
  
== References and notes ==
+
==References==
{{reflist}}
+
* Canfield, Robert Leroy. 1991. ''Turko-Persia in Historical Perspective.'' School of American Research advanced seminar series. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521390941.
 
+
* Chaliand, Gérard, and A.M. Berrett. 2004. ''Nomadic Empires: From Mongolia to the Danube.'' New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers. ISBN 9780765802040.
==Further reading==
+
*Chandra, Satish. 1999. ''Medieval India: From Sultanat to the Mughals.'' New Delhi, IN: Har-Anand Publications. ISBN 9788124105221.
* Roxburgh, David J. 2005.'' The Persian album, 1400-1600: from dispersal to collection.'' New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300103250
+
* Dale, Stephen Frederic. 2004. ''The Garden of the Eight Paradises: Bābur and the Culture of Empire in Central Asia, Afghanistan and India (1483-1530).'' Brill's Inner Asian library, v. 10. Leiden, NL: Brill. ISBN 9789004137073.
* Chaliand, Gérard, and A. M. Berrett. 2004. ''Nomadic empires: from Mongolia to the Danube.'' New Brunswick, U.S.A.: Transaction Publishers. ISBN 9780765802040
+
* Daniel, Elton L. 2001. ''The History of Iran.'' The Greenwood histories of the modern nations. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. ISBN 9780313307317.
* Manz, Beatrice Forbes. 1989. ''The rise and rule of Tamerlane.'' Cambridge studies in Islamic civilization. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521345958
+
* Dutt, Sagarika. 2006. ''India in a Globalized World.'' Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press. ISBN 9780719069000.
* Oxford University Press, and John Onians. 2004. ''Atlas of world art.'' Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195215830
+
* Fletcher, Banister, and Dan Cruickshank. 1996. ''Sir Banister Fletcher's A History of Architecture.'' London, UK: Architectural Press. ISBN 9780750622677.
 +
* Kennedy, Hugh. 2007. ''The Great Arab Conquests: How the Spread of Islam Changed the World we Live in.'' Philadelphia, PA: Da Capo. ISBN 9780306815850.
 +
* Manz, Beatrice Forbes. 1989. ''The Rise and Rule of Tamerlane.'' Cambridge studies in Islamic civilization. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521345958.
 +
* Marozzi, Justin. 2006. ''Tamerlane: Sword of Islam, Conqueror of the World.'' Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press. ISBN 9780306814655.
 +
* Norwich, John Julius. 1975. ''Great Architecture of the World.'' New York, NY: Random House. ISBN 9780394498874.
 +
* Onians, John, and Oxford University Press. 2004. ''Atlas of World Art.'' Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195215830.
 +
* Roxburgh, David J. 2005. ''The Persian Album, 1400-1600: From Dispersal to Collection.'' New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300103250.
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
 +
All links retrieved April 30, 2023.
 +
*[http://www.art-arena.com/timurid.htm The Timurids].
 +
*[http://pagesperso-orange.fr/steppeasia/genealogie_tamerlan.htm Timurid genealogy].
  
*[http://www.islamicarchitecture.org/dynasties/timurids.html Timurids Dynasty]
+
[[Category:History]]
*[http://www.art-arena.com/timurid.htm Timurids Art]
 
*[http://depts.washington.edu/uwch/silkroad/exhibit/timurids/timurids.html Virtual Art Exhibit]
 
*[http://www.hostkingdom.net/centasia.html#Samarkand Chronology of Samarkand rulers]
 
*[http://www.hostkingdom.net/Centasia3.html#Herat Chronology of Herat rulers]
 
*[http://www.4dw.net/royalark/India4/delhi.htm royalark]
 
*[http://pagesperso-orange.fr/steppeasia/genealogie_tamerlan.htm Timurid genealogy]
 
  
[[Category:History]]
 
 
{{Credit|241651078}}
 
{{Credit|241651078}}

Latest revision as of 23:37, 30 April 2023


Timurid Dynasty at its greatest extent.

The Timurids, self-designated Gurkānī[1] descent, whose empire included the whole of Central Asia, Iran, modern Afghanistan, and Pakistan, as well as large parts of India, Mesopotamia, and Caucasus. It was founded by the legendary conqueror Timur (Tamerlane) in the fourteenth century.

In the sixteenth century, Timurid prince Babur, the ruler of Ferghana, invaded India and founded the Mughal Empire, which ruled most of the Indian subcontinent until its decline after Aurangzeb in the early eighteenth century, and its eventual demise by the British Raj after the Indian rebellion of 1857.

After establishing their rule in India, the Timurids became great patrons of culture They gave the world one of its most beautiful feats of architecture, the Taj Mahal, and fused Persian and India styles to produce new art-forms, and a new language, Urdu. At times, followers of different faiths under Timurid rule enjoyed religious freedom and non-Muslims held senior posts in the Timurid administration. The positive aspect of their legacy still contributes to interfaith harmony in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, but the negative aspect fuels inter-community (communitarian) hatred and even violence. Lessons can be learned from the legacy of Timurid rule on how to govern multi-racial, multi-religious societies.

Origins

The origin of the Timurid dynasty goes back to the Mongolian nomadic confederation known as Barlas, who were remnants of the original Mongol army of Genghis Khan. After the Mongol conquest of Central Asia, the Barlas settled in Turkistan (which then became also known as Moghulistan—"Land of Mongols") and intermingled to a considerable degree with the local Turkic and Turkic-speaking population, so that at the time of Timur's reign the Barlas had become thoroughly Turkicized in terms of language and habits. Additionally, by adopting Islam, the Central Asian Turks and Mongols also adopted the Persian literary and high culture which has dominated Central Asia since the early days of Islamic influence. Persian literature was instrumental in the assimilation of the Timurid elite to the Perso-Islamic courtly culture.[2] Timur was also steeped in Persian culture[3] and in most of the territories which he incorporated, Persian was the primary language of administration and literary culture. Thus the language of the settled "diwan" was Persian, and its scribes had to be thoroughly adept in Persian culture, whatever their ethnic origin.[4]

Founding the dynasty

Timur conquered large parts of Transoxiana (in modern day Central Asia) and Khorasan (parts of modern day Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan) from 1363 onwards with various alliances (Samarkand in 1366, and Balkh in 1369), and was recognized as ruler over them in 1370. Acting officially in the name of the Mongolian Chagatai ulus, he subjugated Transoxania and Khwarazm in the years that followed and began a campaign westwards in 1380. By 1389 he had removed the Kartids from Herat and advanced into mainland Persia from 1382 (capture of Isfahan in 1387, removal of the Muzaffarids from Shiraz in 1393, and expulsion of the Jalayirids from Baghdad). In 1394/95, he triumphed over the Golden Horde and enforced his sovereignty in the Caucasus, in 1398 subjugated Multan and Dipalpur in modern day Pakistan and in modern day India left Delhi in such ruin that it is said for two months "not a bird moved wing in the city."[5] In 1400/01, conquered Aleppo, Damascus and eastern Anatolia, in 1401, destroyed Baghdad and in 1402, triumphed over the Ottomans at Ankara. In addition, he transformed Samarkand into the Center of the World. An estimated 17 million people may have died from his conquests.[6]

After the end of the Timurid Empire in 1506, the Mughal Empire was later established in India by Babur in 1526, who was a descendant of Timur through his father and possibly a descendant of Genghis Khan through his mother. The dynasty he established is commonly known as the Mughal Dynasty. By the seventeenth century, the Mughal Empire ruled most of India, but later declined during the eighteenth century. The Timurid Dynasty came to an end in 1857 after the Mughal Empire was dissolved by the British Empire and Bahadur Shah II was exiled to Burma.

Due to the fact that the Persian cities were desolated by previous wars, the seat of Persian culture was now in Samarkand and Herat. These cities became the center of the Timurid renaissance[1]

Culture

Although the Timurids hailed from the Barlas tribe which was of Mongol origin, they had embraced Persian culture[7] and Persian art (distinguished by extensive adaptations from the Chinese,[1] and also Chagatay Literature,[1] converted to Islam and resided in Turkestan and Khorasan. Thus, the Timurid era had a dual character,[1] which reflected both the Turco-Mongol origins and the Persian culture as well the Persian language. The Persian language was also the state language (also known as Diwan language) of the dynasty.

Literature

Timurid literature in Persian language

Illustration from Jāmī's Rose Garden of the Pious, dated 1553. The image blends Persian poetry and Persian miniature into one, as is the norm for many works of the Timurid era.

Persian literature, especially Persian poetry occupied a central place in the process of assimilation of the Timurid elite to the Perso-Islamic courtly culture.[8] The Timurid sultans, especially Šāhrukh Mīrzā and his son Mohammad Taragai Oloğ Beg, patronized Persian culture. Among the most important literary works of the Timurid era is the Persian biography of Timur, known as "Zafarnāma," written by Sharaf ud-Dīn Alī Yazdī, which itself is based on an older "Zafarnāma" by Nizām al-Dīn Shāmī, the official biographer of Timur during his lifetime. The most famous poet of the Timurid era was Nūr ud-Dīn Jāmī, the last great medieval Sufi mystic of Persia and one of the greatest in Persian poetry. The most famous painter of the Timurid court, as well as the most famous of the Persian miniature painters in general, was Ustād Kamāl ud-Dīin Behzād. In addition, the Timurid sultan Ulugh Beg is known as a great astronomer, building a "observatory that was a marvel of the age."[9] Daniel says that the Timurid's were "distinguished as patrons of Islamic scholarship, literature, art] and architecture" and that several Timurid rulers were 'accomplished in these fields themselves."[10]

BaySanghur Shahnameh

Baysanghur commissioned a new edition of the Shahnameh of Ferdowsi and wrote an introduction to it. According to T. Lenz:[11]

It can be viewed as a specific reaction in the wake of Timur's death in 807/1405 to the new cultural demands facing Shahhrokh and his sons, a Turkic military elite no longer deriving their power and influence solely from a charis­matic steppe leader with a carefully cultivated linkage to Mongol aristocracy. Now centered in Khorasan, the ruling house regarded the increased assimilation and patronage of Persian culture as an integral component of efforts to secure the legitimacy and authority of the dynasty within the context of the Islamic Iranian monarchical tradition, and the Baysanghur Shahnameh, as much a precious object as it is a manuscript to be read, powerfully symbolizes the Timurid conception of their own place in that tradition. A valuable documen­tary source for Timurid decorative arts that have all but disappeared for the period, the manuscript still awaits a comprehensive monographic study.

National literature in Chagatay language

The early Timurids played a very important role in the history of Turkic literature. Based on the established Persian literary tradition, a national Turkic literature was developed, written in the Chagatay language, the native tongue of the Timurid family. Chagatay poets such as Mīr Alī Sher Nawā'ī, Sultan Husayn Bāyqarā, and Babur encouraged other Turkic-speaking poets to write in their own vernacular in addition to Arabic and Persian.

The Bāburnāma, the autobiography of Bābur, as well as Mīr Alī Sher Nawā'ī's Chagatay poetry are among the best-known Turkic literary works and have fascinated and influenced many others world wide. The Baburnama was highly Persianized in its sentence structure, morphology or word formation and vocabulary.[12]

Art

During the reign of Timurid rule, the golden age of Persian painting was ushered. During this period as well as the Safavid dynasty, Chinese art and artists had a significant influence on Persian art. Timurid artists refined the Persian art of the book, which combines paper, calligraphy, illumination, illustration and binding in a brilliant and colorful whole.[13] It was the Mongol ethnicity of the Chaghatayid and Timurid Khans that is the source of the stylistic depiction Persian art during the Middle Ages. These same Mongols intermarried with the Persians and Turks]] of Central Asia, even adopting their religion and languages. Yet their simple control of the world at that time, particularly in the thirteenth-fifteenth centuries, reflected itself in the idealized appearance of Persians as Mongols. Though the ethnic make-up gradually blended into the Iranian and Mesopotamian local populations, the Mongol stylism continued well after, and crossed into Asia Minor and even North Africa.

Architecture

Timurid architecture

"Akhangan" tomb, where Gowharšād's sister Gowhartāj is buried. The architecture is a fine example of the Timurid era in Persia.

In the realm of architecture, the Timurids drew on and developed many Seljuq traditions. Turquoise and blue tiles forming intricate linear and geometric patterns decorated the facades of buildings. Sometimes the interior was decorated similarly, with painting and stucco relief further enriching the effect. Timurid architecture is the pinnacle of Islamic art in Central Asia. Spectacular and stately edifices erected by Timur and his successors in Samarkand and Herat helped to disseminate the influence of the Ilkhanid school of art in India, thus giving rise to the celebrated Mughal (or Mongol) school of architecture. Timurid architecture started with the sanctuary of Ahmed Yasawi in present-day Kazakhstan and culminated in Timur's mausoleum Gur-e Amir in Samarkand. Timur’s Gur-I Mir, the fourteenth century mausoleum of the conqueror is covered with "turquoise Persian tiles."[14] Nearby, in the center of the ancient town, there is a Persian style Madrassa (religious school)[14] and a Persian style Mosque[14] built by Ulugh Beg. The mausoleum of Timurid princes, with their turquoise and blue-tiled domes remain among the most refined and exquisite Persian architecture.[15] Axial symmetry is a characteristic of all major Timurid structures, notably the Shāh-e Zenda in Samarkand, the Musallah complex in Herat, and the mosque of Gowhar Shād in Mashhad. Double domes of various shapes abound, and the outsides are perfused with brilliantly colors. Timurs dominance of the region strengthened the influence of his capital and Persian architecture upon India.[16]

Mughal architecture

After the foundation of the Mughal Empire, the Timurids successfully expanded the Persian cultural influence from Khorasan to India, where the Persian language, literature, architecture, and art dominated the Indian subcontinent]] until the British conquest. The Mughals, Persianized Turks who invaded from Central Asia and claimed descent from both Timur and Genghis—strengthened the Persianate culture of Muslim India.[17]

The Mughal period marked a striking revival of Islamic architecture in northern India. Under the patronage of the Mughal emperors, Indian, Persian, and various provincial styles were fused to produce works of unusual quality and refinement.

The Mughal emperor Akbar the Great constructed the royal city of Fatehpur Sikri, located 26 miles west of Agra, in the late 1500s. The most famous example of Mughal architecture is the Taj Mahal, the "teardrop on eternity," completed in 1648 by the emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal who died while giving birth to their 14th child. The extensive use of precious and semiprecious stones as inlay and the vast quantity of white marble required nearly bankrupted the empire. The Taj Mahal is completely symmetric other than the sarcophagus of Shah Jahan which is placed off center in the crypt room below the main floor. This symmetry extended to the building of an entire mirror mosque in red sandstone to complement the Mecca-facing mosque place to the west of the main structure. Another structure built that showed great depth of Mughal influence was the Shalimar Gardens.

Religion

As Muslims, the Timurid rulers did much to promote Islam, building mosques and sponsoring scholarship. However, Muslims were always a minority within the Mughal Empire. Non-Muslims were at times treated harshly; both Babur and Aurangzeb destroyed Temples. Akbar, however, fused Christianity, Hinduism and Islam into a single God-centered religion, Din-i-Ilahi. At other times, their rule was marked by a high degree of religious tolerance when non-Muslims held high positions of state, no tithe was levied on non-Muslims and many people participated in religious festivals of traditions other than their own. Without denying that persecution of non-Muslims did occur under Timurid rule, Dutt says that "many Hindu and Muslim scholars studied each other's religions, while the common people existed peacefully."[18] Many Timurid rulers were advocates of the Sufu doctrine of wahdat-al-wajud, the "unity of God and the created world, which was given creative expression by a new breed of poets."[19]

Legacy

Life under Timurid rule was for much of the time politically stable, with many citizens enjoying peace and prosperity within secure borders. Perhaps the Timurids greatest achievement was their fusing of Persian and Indian forms, as Dutt comments, "the fusion of two cultures gave rise to new styles of art, architecture and music and to a new language, Urdu."[20]

The positive aspects of the Timurid legacy still contributes to interfaith harmony in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, but the negative aspect fuels inter-community (communitarian) hatred and even violence. Lessons can be learned from the legacy of Timurid rule on how to govern multi-racial, multi-religious societies.

Rulers of the Timurid Empire

  • Timur (Tamerlane) 1370-1405 (771-807 AH)—with Suyurghitmiš Chaghtay as nominal overlord followed by Mahmūd Chaghtay as overlord and finally Muhammad Sultān as heir
  • Pir Muhammad bin Jahāngīr 1405-1407 (807-808 AH)

Rulers of Herat

  • Shāhrukh 1405-1447 (807-50 AH) (overall ruler of the Timurid Empire 1409-1447)
  • Abu'l-Qasim Bābar 1447-1457 (850-61 AH)
  • Shāh Mahmūd 1457 (861 AH)
  • Ibrāhim 1457-1459 (861-863 AH)
  • Sultān Abu Sa’id Gūrgān 1459-1469 (863-73 AH) (in Transoxiana 1451-1469)
  • Yādgār Muhammad 1470 (873 AH)
  • Sultān Hussayn 1470-1506 (874-911 AH)
  • Badi ul-Zamān 1506-1507 (911-912 AH)
  • Muzaffar Hussayn 1506-1507 (911-912 AH)

Herat is conquered by the Uzbeks under Muhammad Shaybani

Rulers of Samarkand

  • Khalīl Sultān 1405-1409 (807-11 AH)
  • Mohammad Taragai bin Shāhrukh-I 1409-1449 (811-53 AH) (overall ruler of the Timurid Empire 1447-1449)
  • 'Abd al-Latif 1449-1450 (853-854 AH)
  • ‘Abdullah 1450-1451 (854-55 AH)
  • Sultān Abu Sa’id Gūrgān 1451-1469 (855-73 AH) (in Herat 1459-1469)

Abu Sa'id's sons divided his territories upon his death, into Samarkand, Badakhshan and Farghana

  • Sultān ibn Abu Sa’id 1469-1494 (873-899 AH)
  • Sultān Mahmūd ibn Abu Sa’id 1494-1495 (899-900 AH)
  • Sultān Baysunqur 1495-1497 (900-902 AH)
  • Mas’ūd 1495 (900 AH)
  • Sultān Alī Mīrzā 1495-1500 (900-905 AH)

Samarkand is conquered by the Uzbeks under Muhammad Shaybani

Rulers of Mughal Empire

A photo of Bahadur Shah II in 1858, possibly the only picture ever taken of a Timurid king.
  • Zahiruddin Babur Mirza 1526-1530 (933-937 AH)—established Mughal Dynasty in India (Mughal Empire)
  • Nasiruddin Humayun Mirza 1530-1556 (937-963 AH)—ruler of Mughal Empire, son of Babur
  • Kamran Mirza 1530-1557 (937-962 AH)—ruler of Kabul and Lahore, son of Babur
  • Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar Mirza (Akbar the Great) 1556-1605 (963-1014 AH)—greatest ruler of Mughal Empire, son of Humayun
  • Abul Qasim Muhammad bin Kamran 968 AH
  • Suleiman Mirza 936-92 AH
  • Shahrukh III 983-87 AH—son of Ibrahim
  • Nuruddin Muhammad Jahangir 1605-1627 (1014-1036 AH)—ruler of Mughal Empire, son of Akbar and Rajput Princess Mariam Zamani
  • Shahbuddin Muhammad Shah Jahan (Shah Jahan I) 1627-1658—ruler of Mughal Empire, son of Jahangir and Rajput Princess Manmati
  • Mohiuddin Mohammed Aurangzeb (Aurangzeb Alamgir I) 1658-1707—ruler of Mughal Empire, son of Shah Jahan
  • Bahadur Shah I (Shah Alam I) 1707-1712—son of Aurangzeb
  • Jahandar Shah]], b. 1664, ruler from 1712-1713
  • Furrukhsiyar, b. 1683, ruler from 1713-1719
  • Rafi Ul-Darjat, ruler 1719
  • Rafi Ud-Daulat (Shah Jahan II), ruler 1719
  • Nikusiyar, ruler 1719
  • Muhammad Ibrahim, ruler 1720
  • Muhammad Shah, b. 1702, ruler from 1719–1720, 1720-1748
  • Ahmad Shah Bahadur, b. 1725, ruler from 1748-1754
  • Alamgir II, b. 1699, ruler from 1754-1759==son of Jahandar Shah
  • Shah Jahan III, ruler 1759
  • Shah Alam II, b. 1728, ruler from 1759-1806
  • Akbar Shah II, b. 1760, ruler from 1806-1837
  • Bahadur Shah II (Bahadur Shah Zafar) 1837-1857—last ruler of the Timurid Dynasty

Heads of the Timurid Dynasty

  • Bahadur Shah II (1857–1862)
  • Shahzada Muhammad Hidayat Afshar, Ilahi Bakhsh Bahadur]] (1862–1878)
  • Shahzada Muhammad Sulaiman Shah Bahadur (1878–1890)
  • Shahzada Muhammad Kaiwan Shah Gorkwani, Suraya Jah Bahadur (1890–1913)

Mirza Salim Muhammad Shah Bahadur]] (1913–1925)

  • No recognized head of the family (1925–1931)

Shahzada Muhammad Khair ud-din Mirza, Khurshid Jah Bahadur (1931–1975)

  • Mirza Ghulam Moinuddin Muhammad, Javaid Jah Bahadur (1975-Present)

Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 The Columbia Encyclopedia, Timurids. Retrieved October 23, 2008.
  2. Roxburgh (2005), 130.
  3. Chaliand and Berrett (2004), 75.
  4. Manz (1989), 109.
  5. Marozzi (2006), 274.
  6. Matthew White, Selected Death Tolls: Timur Lenk (1369–1405), Historical Atlas of the 20th Century. Retrieved October 23, 2008.
  7. F. Lehmann, Zaher ud-Din Babor - Founder of Mughal empire, Encyclopaedia Iranica.
  8. Roxburgh (2005), 130.
  9. Lewis Macleod, Uzbekistan restores Timurid legacy, BBC. Retrieved October 23, 2008.
  10. Daniel (2001), 81-82.
  11. T. Lenz, Baysonghori Shahnameh, Encyclopedia Iranica. Retrieved October 23, 2008.
  12. Dale (2004), 150.
  13. Onians (2004), 132.
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 Norwich (1975), 278.
  15. Kennedy (2007), 237.
  16. Fletcher and Cruickshan (1996), 606.
  17. Canfield (1991), 20.
  18. Dutt (2006), 76.
  19. Chandra (1999), 14.
  20. Dutt (2006), 76.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Canfield, Robert Leroy. 1991. Turko-Persia in Historical Perspective. School of American Research advanced seminar series. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521390941.
  • Chaliand, Gérard, and A.M. Berrett. 2004. Nomadic Empires: From Mongolia to the Danube. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers. ISBN 9780765802040.
  • Chandra, Satish. 1999. Medieval India: From Sultanat to the Mughals. New Delhi, IN: Har-Anand Publications. ISBN 9788124105221.
  • Dale, Stephen Frederic. 2004. The Garden of the Eight Paradises: Bābur and the Culture of Empire in Central Asia, Afghanistan and India (1483-1530). Brill's Inner Asian library, v. 10. Leiden, NL: Brill. ISBN 9789004137073.
  • Daniel, Elton L. 2001. The History of Iran. The Greenwood histories of the modern nations. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. ISBN 9780313307317.
  • Dutt, Sagarika. 2006. India in a Globalized World. Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press. ISBN 9780719069000.
  • Fletcher, Banister, and Dan Cruickshank. 1996. Sir Banister Fletcher's A History of Architecture. London, UK: Architectural Press. ISBN 9780750622677.
  • Kennedy, Hugh. 2007. The Great Arab Conquests: How the Spread of Islam Changed the World we Live in. Philadelphia, PA: Da Capo. ISBN 9780306815850.
  • Manz, Beatrice Forbes. 1989. The Rise and Rule of Tamerlane. Cambridge studies in Islamic civilization. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521345958.
  • Marozzi, Justin. 2006. Tamerlane: Sword of Islam, Conqueror of the World. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press. ISBN 9780306814655.
  • Norwich, John Julius. 1975. Great Architecture of the World. New York, NY: Random House. ISBN 9780394498874.
  • Onians, John, and Oxford University Press. 2004. Atlas of World Art. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195215830.
  • Roxburgh, David J. 2005. The Persian Album, 1400-1600: From Dispersal to Collection. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300103250.

External links

All links retrieved April 30, 2023.

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