That name Tamerlan having been so prominent in the news recently, I thought is perhaps useful to reflect upon that other Tamerlane from a far previous era [1300's].
Islamic conqueror and central Asian empire builder, warrior ruler victorious over all those who stood in his path, also undeniably a despot and SADIST!
Tamerlane, Timur the Lame!
"Timur, Tarmashirin Khan, Emir Timur . . . historically known as Tamerlane . . . a Turkic ruler. He conquered West, South and Central Asia and founded the Timurid dynasty."
This depiction of Tamerland true to life! The tomb of the man having been recently opened, the skeletal remains examined, the facial features reconstructed in the manner of a criminal forensic investigation. This is how Tamerlane appeared! Bow and make supplication!
A ruler whose mind envisioned a world-wide Islamic empire the conquest of which was to be done in the manner of a Genghis Khan!! Brutal, savage, unremitting and cruel!
"Timur envisioned the restoration of the Mongol Empire of Genghis Khan. As a means of legitimating his conquests, Timur relied on Islamic symbols and language, referring to himself as the Sword of Islam and patronizing educational and religious institutions. He converted nearly all the Borjigin leaders [Borjigin that clan of Genghis] to Islam during his lifetime. His armies were inclusively multi-ethnic. During his lifetime Timur emerged as the most powerful ruler in the Muslim world after defeating the Mamluks of Egypt and Syria, the emerging Ottoman Empire and the declining Sultanate of Delhi. Timur had also decisively defeated the Christian Knights Hospitaller at Smyrna, styling himself a Ghazi." [ghazi a raider, a Muslim on holy jihad!]
Everyone and anyone who stood in the way of Timur defeated, his armies unchallenged and using methods of terrorism, entire populations in opposition put to the sword as the term is used!
"Timur's armies were feared throughout Asia, Africa, and Europe, sizable parts of which were laid to ruin by his campaigns. Scholars estimate that his military campaigns caused the deaths of 17 million people, amounting to about 5% of the world population."
YOU CANNOT SAY ENOUGH ABOUT TIMUR!!
In the year 2000 Timur rated as among the ten worst dictators of the last thousand years. Timur not only a conqueror but possessing that SADISTIC streak, the man liked to inflict pain.
Consider thanks to the StrategyPage CIC entry # 83 that army of Timur and his army:
"The loot from Tamerlane's sack of Delhi in 1398 was so great that the Mongol Army, normally capable of an easy 40 miles a day, could make no more than four miles a day on its march home."
So great was the LOOT, the TREASURE, the SLAVES as carried home by the soldiers of Timur, a severe impediment to movement.
Such is the nature of great rulers of the past. Lord of his realm and just don't get in his way!
coolbert.
Tamerlane is certainly a morbidly fascinating creature. A quote attributed to him was made to a group of representatives of Bokhara, a city he was about to beseige, in an attempt to parley:
ReplyDelete"If God has sent me as your scourge, you must be a partcularly awful people."