Tamerlane

He was a ruthless conqueror, feared throughout Asia, Europe and Africa, and a superb military tactician. Yet he was also a patron of the arts and learning and he turned his capital - Samarkand - into a great city. Arabshah's biography of Tamerlane is that of a contemporary, and was written soon after the events it describes. It is highly detailed and, in contrast to most biographies of Tamerlane, is also highly critical, which makes it especially interesting. It is the major historical source on one of history's great conquerors. This edition carries a new introduction by a leading scholar.

Ahmad ibn Arabshah was born in Damascus. He witnessed Timur's sacking of the city and was amongst a group of captives whom Timur took back to Samarkand. He lived in the city and spent a decade working for Sultan Mehmet I, before returning to Syria. He died in Egypt.Robert D. McChesney, Professor Emeritus of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, New York University. Professor McChesney is a leading scholar on the history of Central Asia and Founder and Director of the Afghanistan Digital Library. His most recent books include Central Asia: Foundations of Change (1996), Kabul Under Siege (1999), and The History of Afghanistan (2012, translated and edited with M. M. Khorramia).

New Introduction
INTRODUTION
TIMUR ON HIS THRONE - Frontispiece
MAP
PART I
I. OF HIS ORIGIN AND THE WAY IN WHICH HE GRADUALLY SUBDUED KINGDOMS TO HIMSELF
II. OF HIS TUMULTUOUS AND MARVELLOUS CROSSING OF THE Oxus
III. OF THE DANGER WHICH HE CONFRONTED IN THE ATTACK ON THE CITY OF QARSHI AND HIS ESCAPE FROM THAT DIFFICULTY
IV. RELATES WHO WERE HELD BOUND BY THE ATTACK OF THAT DESPOT AND WHAT NOBLE
PRINCES HE WISHED TO BE ENSLAVED TO HIM
V. How WHEN THE MOGULS ROSE AGAINST THE SULTAN HIS POWER WAS BROKEN
VI. TIMUR'S CRAFTY DESIGNING AND THE DEVICE WHICH HE PLANNED
VII. TIMUR PROCEEDS TO BALKHSHAN, RECEIVING AID AGAINST THE SULTAN FROM THOSE WHO WERE HOLDING THAT CITY
VIII. DESCRIBES THE EXPEDITION OF TOQTAMISH KHAN, SULTAN OF DASHT AND TURKISTAN
IX. CONCERNING THE QUARREL AND EVIL THINGS WHICH AROSE BETWEEN ALI SHIR AND TIMUR
X.WHAT TIMUR DID WITH THE ROGUES AND VILLAINS OF SAMARKAND AND HOW HE SENT THEM TO HELL
XI.THE TERRITORIES OF SAMARKAND ARE DESCRIBED AND ALSO THOSE WHICH LIE BETWEEN THE RIVERS OF BALKHSHAN AND KHAJEND
XII. OF THE BEGINNING OF HIS TYRANNY AFTER HE HAD SUBDUED THE PROVINCES OF TRANSOXIANA
XIII. TIMUR PLANS TO INVADE COUNTRIES AND FIRST THE TERRITORIES OF KHWARIZM
XIV. THE SECOND INVASION OF KHWARIZM
XV. TIMUR SENDS A LETTER TO MALIK GHAYATUDDIN, SULTAN OF HERAT, WHO SNATCHED HIM FROM THE CROSS, AND ON HIS ACCOUNT OPPOSED HIS OWN FATHER
XVI. How THAT TYRANT VISITED THE VENERABLE ZAINUDDIN ABU BAKR OF KHAWAF
XVII. TIMUR RETURNS TO KHORASAN AW LAYS WASTE THE PROVINCES OF SEISTAN
XVIII. THAT DECEITFUL ONE ADVANCES TO THE TERRITORIES OF SABZUAR, WHICH SUBMIT TO HIM AND WHOSE PRINCE COMES TO MEET HIM
XIX. THE ACTS OF THAT VILLAIN IN THE CITY OF SABZUAR WITH SHARIF MAHOMED, THE HEAD OF A BAND OF VILLAINS
XX. A LETTER OF THAT INTREPID ONE TO THE SULTAN OF PERSIAN IRAK, ABUL FUARIS SHAH SHUJAH
XXI. THE THIRD EXPEDITION OF TIMUR INTO KHWARIZM WITH ARMIES RAVAGING AND
DESTROYING
XXII. THE FOURTH EXPEDITION OF THIS WANDERER INTO KHWARIZM
XXIII. THE THREATS UTTERED BY THAT DEMON AGAINST SHAH WALI, THE AMIR OF MAZANDERAN
XXIV. OF THE LETTER OF SHAH WALI TO THE SULTANS OF IRAK AND THE DISSENSIONS AND DISCORD WHICH THEN AROSE
XXV. THE CONFLICT OF ABU BAKR OF SHASBAN WITH THIS DESPOT
XXVI. How TIMUR INVADED PERSIAN IRAK AND SHAH MANSUR WENT UNDER THE FLOODS OF THAT SEA WHICH DEVOURED WITH OPEN MOUTH
XXVII. OF THE SUBTLE PLAN WHICH WAS UNCOVERED AND HOW THAT WHICH SHAH MANSUR WOVE WAS UNRAVELLED
XXVIII. DF THE BATTLE AND DESTRUCTION WHICH SHAH MANSUR INFLICTED ON THE ARMY OF TIMUR UNDER THE WING OF NIGHT
XXIX. OF THE EVENTS AND DISASTERS WHICH BEFELL AFTER THE OVERTHROW OF SHAH MANSUR
XXX. OF THE EFFICACY OF THE TIME OF HIS ENTRY INTO ISPAHAN
XXXI. OF THE MILITARY STATIONS WHICH HE IMPOSED ON THE MOGULS AND JATAS AND HIS EXPLOITS IN THOSE PARTS
XXXII. THIS VIPER RETURNS TO THE KINGDOMS OF FARS AND KHORASAN AND CRUSHES THE KLNGS OF PERSIAN IRAK AND DRAINS THESE PROVINCES AND PEOPLES OF ALL GOODS
XXXIII.
XXXIV.
XXXV. THE CAUSE OF HIS INVADING ARABIAN IRAK, THOUGH HIS TYRANNY NEEDED NO REASON OR CAUSE
XXXVI. THE REST AFTER THAT FIERCE STORM AND THE CALMING OF THAT TROUBLED SEA, THAT IT MIGHT BREAK AT WILL THE SURROUNDING COASTS, FREED FROM FEAR OF IT, AND MAKE UNTOWARD HAPPENINGS BEFALL THERE
XXXVII. AN EXAMPLE OF THE WAY IN WHICH THAT FAITHLESS DESPOT PLUNGED INTO THE SEAS OF HIS ARMY, AND DIVED INTO AFFAIRS, THEN ADVANCED WITH THE SURGE OF CALAMITIES; AND PARTICULARLY HIS PLUNGES INTO TRANSOXIANA AND HIS COMING FORTH FROM THE COUNTRY OF LUR
XXXVIII. THIS BASTARD BEGINS TO LAY WASTE AZERBAIJAN AND THE KINGDOMS OF ARABIAN IRAK
XXXIX. THE FORT OF AL NAJA IS DESCRIBED
XL. THE STORY OF THE LORD OF BAGDAD, THE NAMES OF HIS FATHERS AND ANCESTORS AND HOW HE CAME TO THIS COUNTRY
XLI. OF THE TRICKERY AND FRAUD WHICH HE COMMITTED IN THE COUNTRY OF ERZINJAN AND DIAR-BAKR
XLII.