#timurids

[rn-inferno]

I've been reading a histrographical book about early 1400s Iran recently, and within it, I've already stumbled upon three insane historical stories of just random people.

1. Amir Chaqmaq Shami, major administrative official under and advisor to Shah Rukh Timurid. The book says that we have many contradicting stories on his origins.

Then goes on to say that the most plausible one is that he's from Egypt (which was under the Mamluk Sultanate at the time) and fled all the way to Central Asia before just. Linking up with Shah Rukh during the First Timurid Succession Crisis and ending up in his service.

2. After Timur died, his main treasurer was accussed of embezzlement after it was found that there was 2,000 tumens (the currency) missing. This encouraged his son to study accounting, and after some time, his son demonstrated in front of Shah Rukh how the original evidence that had gotten his father convicted had made a major mathematical error and the actual missing count was 200 tumens. Shah Rukh was so impressed that he pardoned the father and employed both in the Imperial Diwan.

3. A Sayyid (Zayn al-'Abadin) was imprisoned by Timur during his conquests of Iran. However, after Zayn showed Timur a Qu'ran he had presumably copied whilst in prison, Timur was so impressed that he pardoned the man, employed him, and the man's son would also work in administration.

(The book is 'Power, Politics, and Religion in Timurid Iran' by Beatrice Forbes Manz, btw)

[gazavadname]

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