#timurlane

[just-wanna-travel]

Samarkand, Uzbekistan

[prithvy97-blog]

Possibly the Greatest conqueror ever and the mixing of cultures.

Monday, May 17, 2021.

Chinghiz Khan or as he was known before, Temujin, was responsible for the largest uninterrupted empire in the history of the world. Another great that usually gets mentioned when talking of world-spanning empires, is of course Alexander of Macedonia. But one more personality finds a place in this list. Scholars even argue he might be greater than even Chinghiz or Alexander.

He was born near Samarkand, in a place called Kesh, in modern Uzbekistan to Taraghai, a small-time noble in the Chagatai Khanate (a part of the Mongol Empire that was bordered by the Amu Darya in the west). His name coming from Temujin: “Timur” (lit. “Iron”). Timur, unlike Temujin or Alexander, had no claim to royalty. Though, he did claim lineage from his paternal side to be related to Chinghiz. This is what makes his case stronger.

Born in one of the Mongol clans with no claim to royalty, Timur rose to power due to a mix of the perfect measures of political cunning, ruthlessness, and military genius with sheer will and incomprehensible ambition. Unlike Chinghiz Khan, who left 40 million people dead in the wake of his conquests and razed almost all of his conquered cities, Timur always brought back artists and craftsmen from his expeditions. His exploits created a melting pot of cultures that was to thrive and influence centuries of culture, art, and architecture. It really brings to our attention, the need to acknowledge how military ambition has always been one of the primary driving forces in the mingling of cultures. This in no way makes bloodshed reasonable. There is no defending violence nor encouraging it in the future. Modern warfare is no longer about cultural mixing, rather it has become about cultural extinction (much like Chighiz’s exploits).

Acknowledgment is different than encouragement. Acknowledging how a culture was formed and tracing its origins teaches us preservation and provides us with a better understanding of history. This should not be mistaken to be glorifying war. Romanticizing Emperors and their ambitions can and always has come with dire consequences. Emulation has always led to more bloodshed and mindless violence. It is important that we realize our world has come farther ahead than ever to rely on something as rudimentary and regressive as war to be the driving force in the mixing of our separate cultures. Globalization and the exchange of information have made it easier than ever to exchange ideas, art, and literature, bringing us closer together as we create a never-before-seen truly global culture.

It should also be understood that in creating this global culture, we are in no way sacrificing our own culture. Indeed, we are immortalizing it by making it a part of the bigger culture, that is bound inherently, to sustain far longer than any of its individual components.

[mzxhv]

#timurlane #ottomanempire #frederickthegreat #prussia Bayezid I at the hands of Timur. After defeating Bayezid I during the Battle of Ankara, Emir Timur had become the preeminent ruler in the Muslim world. (at Toronto, Ontario)