Osprey, Men-at-Arms #222 The Age of Tamerlane (1990) 00Ed OCR 8.12

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mmD MILITARY

MEN-AT-ARMS SERIES

TH AG 0

AMERLAN

222

THE AGE OF TAMERLANE Text by DAVID NICOLLE PHD Colour plates by ANGUS McBRIDE

First publi~he:d in (;I"(':lI Britain in I9YO by Osprc)' 1~llbli~hillg. Elm" C.Qurl, (:hapcl Wa}'. &11Or' CT i~ rt:1;lilll'i:l 11\ Iht' Publishers.AII ('n(luiric.... should be ,l(ldl'('\o.\c."(1 10: Scorpio PO nOX41!'>' Hailsham. E. Sussex I3N:l71SL The Publisht'rs rClo;r('! lhal lhc~ C;lll c.'lller int" 110 correspondence upolliltis m:lIl1:-r.

TlteAge ofIamerlane Tile Lame Conqueror T~m 'r1an

or amburlan, a h was kn wn in various I art· of ur pe i one f the m 51 eXIra rdinar c nqu mrs in histor. ithjn hal a lif hj.' armies' iz d huge t rritori ,. [r m th hurd'r, of M ng Ij I Pal. tine ancl nat tia. lighl, .lal s ac pled-at lea I n minall Timur's over! I'd hip as th y owe red beft re his apparent! irr ·i libl anni .. His pa was al. mark'd b mas acres lhalouldid c en Iho' of the 'longol. for. h I' a vag'r . mall w neler that lhe r~lnl' uf lili omplcx and ni hun ri h chara I r pI' 'ad int Europ h re Timur becam lh' slIbje I II t only f :hrisloph I' IIarl we" fam u: play Tal/lbcr/alllc Ihl' Creal but also of work I Spanish, Fr n hand oth 'I' Engli h writ r as well as German, ltalian and z b comp r. Tht' r al am rlane I' Timur-i-L nk(Timur th Lam ) - ame from a [amit o[ Tul' ifi d M ngol ari to rats th Barlas Ian. Th y d minal d a 'maU I rril r u t h f amarqancl,and w'dallegian'etoth on olJagalai Khans wh had rul d mu h of en Ira] . ia r II wing lhe fra menlati n f n his Kh n Empir> in th late 13th entur Timur, who e nam m an 'ir 11 nc', v ntuaU w n th titl , n nqu r d L I'd f th n 'limat ' and Sahib Qjran ('L I'd f th FOrlunat I sLial onjun Ii 1\'). H had all' ady gain d the ni kIlam' 'Lam' aft r bing truck by. v ral arrows during a minor skirmi. h in t : one hit Timur in th· right leg, anoth I' in th right arm, p rmanend damaging b lh. (Th s w und w r rirm d wh 1\ '[imur's t mb wa opened by ar ha ologi·ts in 1941.) t around th ame time Timurwa als wound din th right hand-by hi own fath r abr a ordin t n LOI~. Timur's a lonishing life ouIel fill th pag f several if Il-al- I'm b k' and lh SLOr of Lh

dyna ly h :lablished i. full f drama, VI IOn s and d feat at th hands rvariou r in luding th I urful Qara and q 0 unlu ('Black' and 'Whit h p) Tur mans. B-1 wi. a bri f hI' nology of the ar-torn years Ii'om around Timur's birth t hi. dyna ty' lIap in th al'l y'arso the I Jth n tur .

1335

or

D alh f 1 "t d ccndant Hul u . tart of c Ilapse of II-Khan (M ngol) auth rit ill tran. Birtll t.!I Timar lIenr Ki 'h. Yuan (Mungol) d n:t .hina bing.

driven out of

Timur becume ruler uf TraIl. 0 ·(min. Till/ur ;I/lIade.\ kllllflmZIII. Timar i'll'adcJ ]agalai lerriLo'..)! as far as IOllgolia. Birth l'Til1IUr'ii' n. hahrukh. Traditional . tal Ii. hmcnt of ur' man ( ara 'unlu an I q Qc yunlu d nasti in Kurdislan I'm nia < n I zarhajan underJalc rid suzcr inty. The warriors of 14th C. Iran wore many type ofannou.r. In this Persian m.anu cript from Sbiraz at least four horsemen have mail hauberks whiJe the bor e in the centre is protected by lamellar armour and a rigid chamfroD on it head. (Kirshi-5arnaJc Ayyar, c.1335 AD, Bodleian Lib., Ms. OU5. 381, f.39v, Oxford)

Toq amish 1 . 0111(': rul ror h 'olel n H I'd'. Prince or Moscow eI 'fcats lei 11 11 rel'arm atb,HtI of'Kulikoo·jld.

Death of Timur. R vi\al r

Timur invade.1 ..IIglwlli.lllI/I and eastem hall,

hahrllkh iz s Samarqand. Def! at f J layrid: of Iraq b ar Qo unJu. ara lInJu Ideal Timurid alii sat I atLI rKur Riv r. . hahrukh" exp ·clitiolJ into \ e~tcrn [ran and against art unlu. • hahrukh kf!'ats Qara lInlu at Ihree-da . battle nfAlashgird. Wars b '1\ C'11 Timuri 1 lu.~b .B 'f( and r ngol:, d f at lugh Beg. Periodi zbeg raid. fl"Ol11 11 ,rth into Timurid I"hwarazm. hahrukh' exp 'cliti n int cst'rn Iran againsl ara 0 IIllu; Timurids I sc {' hW'lrazm alld n rtll rn Trans-

a t'rl1 go ernol's.

ra/J/llre.1 HI'f(lI.

Timul' irwadeJ we 'Iem Ira 11 , caPIUTI' obriz. Timur capture hJaha.n alld. '!Liraz. Timur invades Colden Horde. difeal' ~ oqlaw ish (II baIII e oj Kundll137S·6

~1392'6

---_~

1398-9

~

1399-1404

\.

(

\,,

Timur's Empire & Campaigns

oxania

I

t

zb 'g . Gt n. _ Gcnonc Ven. _ Vl.ncUan

8.,.z, - Byzontlne. On. - Onomon, Loc. - Locol fulcra Sor. - Sarbodors

IJc.alh of'Shahnlkh. 1447 1447-49 Timurid civil war!>. ;>.lul'derol'Ulugb Beg. 1449 Uzbcgs involved in Timurid eivil wars. 145Oltoman capture of Ist.anbul 1453 (Byz.antine COllStalltinople). Aq Qoyunlu dcfcat Til1lurid Sultan Aim S.a'id. 'I·un·tlman OJlra Qoyunlu overthrown by Turcoman Aq Qoyunlu in Armenia. \\cstern Iran, Iraq. Prince of ~"loscow defeals Colden I-Ionic amlY al bailie of Ugl'a River. eOcctivc liberalion orRussia f!'OIll ;>'1011gol domination. Anarchy in Transoxania, colk-Ipse and fi-agl'llClltalioll of"I'imurid power. Dclcat of' 'I'urcom:ln Aq Qoyunlu by Persian Safilvids al baltlc of Shurur, collapse of Aq Qoyunlu. Tinwrid Prince Babar conqucrs 1\ rghan iSI a n. Dt'ath ofTilllurid Sultan Husayn Bay:amplc, hUl'lwd ill \\11;11 Illil{ht h.l\t' ht'CJ1 an accident. Timur',!, HI\ 11 !"t'lil,(iCllh kdilll,'" art· unl.nu\\ II. but hi' did mala' .. KI't'.ll ,Ium Ill' pict). ami \\:h t'\{,lltuall) huril'd ,tt tilt' fi't't or :\"m' Sayyid B:I raka, :t ~'I inl \\ hI) h ..d HIlt-n'd him ..d,ict' Ihrou~ll(}ut mUl'h of hi, lilt'. Despitc such publil- pict). Timur.i·Lt·nl.. rc·

lained a typical i\lolI.l{ol love or alcohol in largc quanti lin; and his d rUll kClllWSS bn'a Ille.: provl.:t"bi., I, ~h':lll\dlik, ill a lranSp.,rnH altC'lllpt 10 ding to till' Iet":r ifllot lbe spiril or Islamic law, the only [Jeopk who wcrc allowl'd to drink wine at Timur'~ rl)Ul'l Wl'rt Chri:Hians, olhers being rcstrlclt:d to allernati\'C rorms of' beverage, Huge amountS of' [i)IKI, as WC'I I as d rin k a lid wotllf'n, wcre 'consllllled' at Tilllur's COUl'l with an allllost l1Iodel'll dedication to ,o'l~picuUllS l'onsump!iIIH, Thf' stat liS of' Tilllurid \\'i\'e~ and cOllcuhill . . S was remarkably lihera tcd atld itideI'd inn L1ellt ial, fu rt hc'r ()!ll'lld ing nnhO h) Whchl' aid Iw ('IWIH'd thi' IOl"ks of t{,'l'ror and lorl' in piq'c's OWll Ii kl' Ii, lll~ and III rough them and thl'il' hatllc'~ oV"l'lurnt'd the- Iwig-hl:; nf . , mountains.

9

Tim"r's Army Legend has Timur·i·Lcnk reduced to ont follower in 1362, but ill realit)' be led a mixed army built aruund :.t core of Hlithful Turco-Mongol tribal troops. He probabJ)' inherited a small following in his role as a member urlhe feudal elite arK ish near

Samarqand. Trihal nomads may have beell the most warlike clement in Timur's rapidly expanding army, but the fcudld during till' lndi;w l\llIliny 10111' amI a halfl'L'IlIUrit's l,lIel". KlIO\\in,(r East"rn wall orlb.. upJKr court ofH"ra". Chad.... Thill WIll on .. oflhelllrongC'lIl fortr...lIl1..,. ........'''-rn 1.lan, and was buill Ih:1I hi, mell would Etn' lal'Rt' lllllll],c-rs or \\ar for Timllr'" SOn Shahrukh .... r1y in the 15110 C. (Photo Gu.a ••..h .. r .... ri) t'kphallts, Timur had lar,l:"t' h,LrlH'c1 caltrop" SI'('retl~ scaltered ahcad of his pllSiliol1 al nig-lll 'II a.' myth; hut the way his 111('11 ~laughlCl'cd up to nOl 10 al wilh .Iipalii troops wt:n.: hurled rrom the battlements aner their (.'it)' lell. so man) being I/Hllwn that the IJlllldl('~ of hl;,zinf.:" oil·),oakcd "tr:I\\ 01' ('Ollon 011 last rew survivcd, 'heir Ihll h !t. t Hi hi Il\'l'rsi n (If' 11( 't or lIlt' \\' "I 'I'll stepp' n ma Is 10 Islam, ,hamani'li, ma/!;i riLUal, \\t're ,Iill lI,ecl, 'Rain 51 n ';,,', pitT(', ol'rOl'k Iwli '\' , 110 It \'., \\' 'I' t 'hal gc Ihe \\(':11111'1', were rr>pnrle I~' u ,:d . " ora stir ill tht.: ~lidd1e East tllan in Ellrope" i'.kallwhih· lhl' i\ I onWl1 Cfil,kn H nrde SIlIT;w"d Ti m II .. 's i nV:l",iollS and, though weakened, was slill able to (Tush attemplS h) ~uJllC of ils Russiall vassals 10 rebel. III teresti Itgl Ycllough the Russin n pri necs ,({("Ilera II y remaiucd loyal to their Colelt'n I-Iorelc l)vtTlords rat Iter than sidill,l.{ with Timur's invaders, mati)' of their troop~ fighting in \'Iongol armies, The military organisatiOtI of tht' Coldcn Horde remailwd essClit i;\II)' Lhe sa me as I ha t orca rl I('r !\ Iwig-ol St ate,; thollgh lht'rc was au illcn:asillg use of infantt'y ill some areas, particul:lrJr ill Ihe Crimca, where h:l I Idgu liS \\ l'rc: r('pMt cd by 1493. [n the IOllg nlll the mOSI imponanl and best doculllented or the Titllurids' locs \'/('["(' the (1'1r01 alld Aq Qoyunlu Turcomall$ of AZ f.1l3''', London)

011 a Til 1I rsda} , pa,si H)4 ill rrolll ur tilL" ruler II ho sa l upon a jewt'l,slllddnl Ihnmt: wt "n :1 c:lstl,' bah-lin y. :\ I'( III Ilcl II in I SHJU(I hi:; "I'my com III a nders. milil:I!'y ,tall' alld 1l1l1.,ici;l1\s. Ivith a mounted herald 011 lbe .I{rnuml beilHI n'ady tu intrlxluct' dignital'il'S and ullit't'rs aC('l)l"ding to their rank. :-"Iilitary unils paraded (Ill lht· sl'clmd day, L";lch being summoned in turTl b) /1lI'f1ji5 or statl'ofJicers who otht'r\1 be f'i1l'Il\L"d:l MIn orCI-IQ. On tIle righl \\ing \\;h all dill' or ht'a\') ,lrmOLlI't'd Iroopcrs I'idin~

full} armoured hors(" ;lIld led b} a \Ihite banner. i\'i ('ach unit 1\;1' in'pcctc'd it.. onicer prilp:d upon hi... pra)t'r mat and Ihen olfcred girh 10 t ht' ~u Iiall. '1·llt· left \\ i n~ \\ "re rc\ il'\\ cd !lex I. an elite heill~ annnurt'd Ihoug:h Ihere wa~ no llH'ntion of hOI"S('·arnuHlr. Ihe hulk or Iroops again lX"inl;"

Th...rl ...(Tu...,......n "'''81..ro Iran ~r"wlilyli~ed and o;...m .... wh., cr..d", mililary r.~ur..o; bc:in", ~implifiC!d wilh lillie ...a ..; ..ly in Ih..ir eq..ipmenl. In ,hio; manuo;cr;pl ...r "., ..80 AD .11 ..·....r A..I«I hdmclli, lH:nd".nf .....A"pli, ;0 hold,; a largl! wing"d m." (Kh....... rn .. m .. h. M .. ~ .. un. ur Dr.,orali".. Arl,;. f.t) It'S of clothing 10 those

worn by their llomadil" or ari~lOcrali, Turcl)i\longol ruins. These I1lshiutls had mon° in l:ummOil Wilh the dress ol'the i\liddle East, lhoug-h this man's tall felt hat and tIlt: sh;t\d around his shoulders mark him as all Inlllian rather thall:lll Arab, Substantial 'bearded' a~t"i .Ippcar to ha\"C been widespread as infantry \\eapullS thmug-hout much uf the 1~lamit- \\ol'ld in the 11th aod 15th c{"llturk'S (~Iain sour,es: pa~eo; frum 1I1Iklll)\\1l manusnipl in "'tllih .l/h//IIIJ. Trallsllxania or A,.'lrba)'jan, latc I ph C., Topkapi Lib.. ~"'. 11.11. .1 153 If.3\' .t-r & nr; A"I/{lImfl b) Xitami, Baqhdad (" .1385, British Lib., ~Is. Or. 1:1297 f. I hr. Londoll).

B: T;mu,'s fOts. Ira" & Iraq, lal, 1 -Ilk ctrllu~r.­ B1: ]flla)',id "tm~r (flf'n/~plla", lat, 14th ("'Iu~r

L .. mellar ;lrmour W;lS ~oing out (If 11M' in tlH" i\liddle East thou(o;h it \\;l~ retaillcd fOI' horses. Ii \\ as g"'ldu:llI~ sulx· .......· ded b) mail-;lIld·pl.lte. an ('ar!) form of \\ hich i, ,hm\ n here \\ urll h) a warrior of th(' Baghdad-based J.t1ayrid d) Ilast~. His armour is very sophiSlic.uoo. including a oncpicce decorated helmct \\ ith sliding' nasal. hillgcd vambrac('s to protect his arllls and an ('ar!) type of mail-and-plat(' protcction lor hi.s legs. The large medallion-likc plate 011 his cht'St i.s a rdic from previous ~ longol styles while his holY is prot('("It-d by a fulllamdiar bard (~Iain suurt'c: Th,u .\/rI1;r ROlI/aT/UJ by Khwaju Kirrmll1i, Ba~hdad ('.1396. British Lib.. ~Is. Add. t81 I3, f-:~ I \. London).

H

B:!: Tit/COli/till II iba' /('(Irr;o/'. rlHlt'f11 . Illalfllm.IlIlr f -Ilh crllfll~I'

M

The ahulId;IIICl' or mail and lack 01" lamellar or platc armour worn by thili \\'atTior fi'om tlte (.lara (lI' Aq Qoyulllu Iribal t'olltl:derOltiun$ suggt'sls ~1J"{)lIg Arab, i\lal1'1luk or OW.!lllall inlluCII("t:. I-li~ hclllll't is ora ralher oltl·t;lshi()llt·d tt,rm Wilh 1''11'Tu.rco-In.nian daggerll and Turco-Mongol ceramic 'Greek Fire' lIlre...dea. Such obje multi! Ie bell' t nel hcaddn'-;.., S ('Ill I) ha\ be n TurkiJ h (?\lain, Ire's: illllstrati0l1S l11uni knlifi ·d 11'1. IlU. ripl:> ill FI/lilt AI/JllIIII, Tr-tll. wnnia ur .\zarl 3) jail. hilt'

all~

rr

Tur o-Mong I archery. A-'ornpo ite bow of lnt form un trun to how w p n curvin 'harpl forward wben at re >t; B-bow wben trung and it main part W"ith their Per'iao nrun Sj C-COUlPO it boW" fully draW"ll ho...mg much longer pull than wa po sible wiLh a imple European how; D- on 01' thuuob-draw, h rc u in a rin to protect Lhumh end indi OIling how Iring can be puJJed baek to much h rver angle than possible with the editerranean' draw

I ~lh t:arl} 1,)111 :.. '('opbpi I.ill" 11'.:1" .j.r, I I 1\' & ~1s, Haz, :.. I ISlanl ul),

F:

~rs. O.

Hal.. :21-:,

IT, 70\', 77\,

7 ilJlllritll, Ijlh 1'1'1/11/1)'.' 111/(11/. IN/lilt! IlId} t?/ 1511t (('IIII1~V Fift('t'nth ITnlur) Irani,1I1 and ,\nalolian mal1l1TripI. :hol\' lhal infi:II11C} conlillltco LO pla~ all impOl'l;lnl I"J ill \\',HI, 1", panic darly ill th' mouillainolls n'j{ioll' or \\ h,ll had Iwell .\rm'llia. :u h troup, \l'hethl'r Il'ib . men ur urban mililia:. ha I mil h in COl1lmOIl \\ ilh Timur', ill(~ 1l11') and lheir ·lI. IlIn1l'. (bcI 1'\,1\1' \l'cI rc:i I lal Byl:.lanllsCTipl Inslilulc, Ms. 1\.1665, 'I'blisi; Turkish or Russian mail-and-platc cuirass, 15lh C., Kulikova B:lllleflcld ;vluseum).

(:: Tit/' l,lI{er Timllrids: (;/: SIlItIIll

/.5/h

Tb~ military ralihionli a5 w~1I all a .. listie "Iylu or th~ lat~ Tin,urid po::riod eont.inued inlo Ih~ lint y~arli or Ih~ liUbIift(u~nl Saravid dyn;Olily. li~r~, in a m.anu"~ ..;pl or '''9911500 AD, hO"Ii~man and inranlry lead II prin~~"5 and b~ .. ladiu on a journey. (To).kapi Lib.,l\h. 831,lIuanhul)

":n:.

alld i\q Q)~ unlll armies "'ppt'al' to ha\'(: becn equippt:d in a manlier doser 10 thai of dJ{' risingOttomans thai I to lhe' U'oops ofTransoxania. This mall wears illl carly lorm of stl-C