1 Elevation of Timour or Tamerlane to the Throne of Samar cand.-His Conquefts in Perfia, Georgia, Tartary, Ruffia, India, Syria, and Anatolia.-His Turkifh War.-Defeat and Captivity of Bajazet.- Death of Timour.- Civil War of the Sons of Bajazet.-Restoration of the Turkish Monarchy by Mahomet the Firft.-Siege of Conftantinople by Amurath the Second. THE LXV. Hiftories of HE conqueft and monarchy of the world was the C H A P. firft object of the ambition of TIMOUR, To live in the memory and esteem of future ages was the fecond wifh of his magnanimous fpirit. All the civil and military Timour, or tranfactions of his reign were diligently recorded in the Tamerlane. journals of his fecretaries (1): the authentic narrative was revifed by the perfons beft informed of each particular transaction; and it is believed in the empire and family of Timour, that the monarch himself compofed the commentaries (2) of his life, and the inftitutions (3) of his government (4). But thefe cares were ineffectual for the prefervation X 2 (1) Thefe journals were communicated to Sherefeddin, or Cherefeddin Ali, a native of Yezd, who composed in the Perfian language a history of Timour Beg, which has been translated into French by M. Petis de la Croix (Paris, 1722, in 4 vols. 12mo.), and has always been my faithful guide. His geography and chronology are wonderfully accurate; and he may be trusted for public facts, though he fervilely praises the virtue and fortune of the hero. Timour's attention to procure intelligence from his own and foreign countries, may be feen in the Inftitutions, p. 215, 217, 349, 351. (2) Thefe Commentaries are yet unknown in Europe: but Mr. White gives fome hope, that they may be imported and tranflated by his friend Major Davy, who had read in the east this " minute and faithful narrative of an interefting and eventful period." (3) I am ignorant whether the original inftitutions, in the Turkifli or Mogul language, be ftill extant. The Perfic verfion, with an English tranflation and most valuable index, was published (Oxford, 1783, in 4to.) by the joint labours of Major Davy, and Mr. White the Arabic profeffor. This work has been fince tranflated from the Perfic into French (Paris. 1787) by M. Langlès, a learned Orientalift, who has added the life of Timour, and many curious notes.. (4) Shaw Allum, the present Mogul, feads, values, but cannot imitate, the inftitutions of his great ancestor. The English translator relies on their internal 1 CHAP. prefervation of his fame, and these precious memorials in LXV. the Mogul or Perfian language were concealed from the world, or at least from the knowledge of Europe. The nations which he vanquished exercifed a base and impotent revenge; and ignorance has long repeated the tale of calumny (5), which had disfigured the birth and character, the perfon, and even the name of Tamerlane (6). Yet his real merit would be enhanced, rather than debased, by the elevation of a peasant to the throne of Afia; nor can his lameness be a theme of reproach, unless he had the weaknefs to blush at a natural, or perhaps an honourable, infirmity. In the eyes of the Moguls, who held the indefeasible fucceffion of the house of Zingis, he was doubtless a rebel fubject; yet he sprang from the noble tribe of Berlass: his fifth ancestor, Carafhar Nevian, had been the vizir of Zagatai, in his new realm of Tranfoxiana; and in the afcent of fome generations, the branch of Timour is confounded, at least by the females (7), with the Imperial ftem (8). He was internal evidence: but if any fufpicions fhould arife of fraud and fiction, they will not be difpelled by Major Davy's letter. The Orientals have never cultivated the art of criticism; the patronage of a prince, lefs honourable perhaps, is not lefs lucrative than that of a bookseller: nor can it be deemed incredible, that a Perfian, the real author, fhould renounce the cre dit, to raise the value and price of the work. (5) The original of the tale is found in the following work, which is much efteemed for its florid elegance of style: Ahmedis Arabfiada (Ahmed Ebn Arabshah) Vitæ et Rerum geftarum Timuri. Arabice et Latine. Edidit Samuel Henricus Manger. Franequeræ, 1767, 2 tom. in 4to. This Syrian author is ever a malicious, and often an ignorant, enemy: the very titles of his chapters are injurious; as how the wicked, as how the impious, as how the viper, &c. The copious article of TIMUR, in Bibliothéque Orientale, is of a mixed nature, as d'Herbelot indifferently draws his materials (p.877 888.) from Khondemir, Ebn Schounah, and the Lebtarikh. (6) Demir, or Timour, fignifies, in the Turkish language, Iron; and Beg is the appellation of a lord or prince. By the change of a letter or accent, it is changed into Lenc, or lame; and a European corruption confound's the two words in the name of Tamerlane. (7) After relating fome falfe and foolish tales of Timour Lenc, Arabshah is compelled to speak truth, and to own him for a kinîman of Zingis, per mulieres (as he peevishly adds) laqueos Satana (pars i. c. 1. p. 25.). The teftimony of Abulghazi Khan (P. ii. c. 5. P. v. c. 4.) is clear, unquestion able, and decifive. (8) According to one of the pedigrees, the fourth ancestor of Zingis, and the ninth of Timour, were brothers; and they agreed, that the pofterity of the elder fhould fucceed to the dignity of khan, and that the defcendants of the younger fhould fill the office of their minister and general. This tradition was at least convenient to justify the first steps of Timour's ambition (Institutions, p. 24, 25. from the MS. fragments of Timour's his, tory). LXV. A. D. was born forty miles to the fouth of Samarcand, in the vil- C HAP. lage of Sebzar, in the fruitful territory of Cafh, of which his fathers were the hereditary chiefs, as well as of a toman of ten thousand horse (9). His birth (10) was cast on one of those periods of anarchy which announce the fall of the Afiatic dynasties, and open a new field to adventurous ambition. The khans of Zagatai were extinct; the emirs afpired to independence; and their domestic feuds could only be fufpended by the conqueft and tyranny of the khans of Kashgar, who, with an army of Getes or Calmucks (11), invaded the Tranfoxian kingdom. From His firft adthe twelfth year of his age, Timour had entered the field ventures, of action; in the twenty-fifth, he ftood forth as the deli- 1361-1370. verer of his country; and the eyes and wishes of the people were turned towards an hero who fuffered in their caufe. The chiefs of the law and of the army had pledged their falvation to fupport him with their lives and fortunes; but in the hour of danger they were filent and afraid; and, after waiting seven days on the hills of Samarcand, he retreated to the defert with only fixty horsemen. The fugitives were overtaken by a thousand Getes, whom he repulfed with incredible flaughter, and his enemies were forced to exclaim," Timour is a wonderful man: fortune " and the divine favour are with him." But in this bloody action his own followers were reduced to ten, a number which was foon diminished by the desertion of three Car rizmians. He wandered in the defert with his wife, seven companions, and four horses; and fixty-two days was he plunged in a loathsome dungeon, from whence he escaped by his own courage, and the remorfe of the oppreffor. After (9) See the preface of Sherefeddin, and Abulfeda's Geography (Chorafmiæ, &c. Defcriptio, p. 60, 61.), in the third volume of Hudion's Minor Greek Geographers. (10) See his nativity in Dr, Hyde (Syntagma Differt. tom. ii. p. 466.), as, it was caft by the astrologers of his grandfon Ulugh Beg. He was born A. D. 1336, April 9, 11° 57′ P. M. lat. 36. I know not whether they can prove the great conjunction of the planets from whence, like other conquerors and prophets, Timour derived the furname of Saheb Keran, or mafter of the conjunctions (Bibliot. Orient. p. 878.). (11) In the Inftitutions of Timour, thefe fubjects of the khan of Kashgar are most improperly styled Ouzbegs, or Uzbeks, a name which belongs to another branch and country of Tartars (Abulghazi, P. v. c., 5. P. vii. c. 5.). Could I be fure that this word is in the Turkish original, I would boldly pronounce, that the Inftitutions were framed a century after the death of Timour, fince the establishment of the Uzbeks in Transoxiana. CHAP. After swimming the broad and rapid stream of the Jihoon, rant and outlaw, on the borders of the adjacent states. alo; and the hour of prayer was arrived, and we pray❝ed. And we mounted our horfes, and, came to my "dwelling; and I collected my people, and made a feast." His trufty bands were foon encreafed by the bravest of the tribes; he led them against a fuperior foe; and after some viciffitudes of war, the Getes were finally driven from the kingdom of Tranfoxiana. He had done much for his own glory; but much remained to be done, much art to be exerted, and fome blood to be fpilt, before he could teach his equals to obey him as their mafter. The birth and power of emir Houffein compelled him to accept a vicious and unworthy colleague, whofe fifter was the best beloved of his wives. Their union was short and jealous; but the policy of Timour, in their frequent quarrels, expofed his rival to the reproach of injuftice and perfidy: and, after a final defeat, Houffein was flain by fome fagacious friends, who prefumed, for the last time, to disobey the commands of their lord. At the age of thirty-four (12), and (12) The ft book of Sherefeddin is employed on the private life of the hero; and he himself, or his fecretary (inftitutions, p. 3-77.), enlarges with LXV. and in a general diet or couroultai, he was invefted with CHA P. Imperial command, but he affected to revere the house of Zingis; and while the emir Timour reigned over Zaga- He afcends tai and the East, a nominal khan served as a private officer the throne in the armies of his fervant. A fertile kingdom, five hun- of Zagatai, dred miles in length and in breadth, might have fatisfied A. D. 1370, April. the ambition of a fubject; but Timour afpired to the dominion of the world; and before his death, the crown of Zagatai was one of the twenty-feven crowns which he had placed on his head. Without expatiating on the victories of thirty-five campaigns; without defcribing the lines of march, which he repeatedly traced over the continent of Afia; I fhall briefly reprefent his conquefts in I. Perfia, II. Tartary, and, III. India (13), and from thence proceed to the more interesting narrative of his Ottoman war. A. D. A. D. 1380-1393. I. For every war, a motive of fafety or revenge, of His conhonour or zeal, of right or convenience, may be readily quefts, found in the jurifprudence of conquerors. No fooner had 1370-1400. Timour re-united to the patrimony of Zagatai the depen- I. Of Perfia, dent countries of Carizme and Candahar, than he turned his eyes towards the kingdoms of Iran or Perfia. From the Oxus to the Tigris, that extenfive country was left without a lawful fovereign fince the death of Aboufaid, the laft of the defcendants of the great Holacou. Peace and juftice had been banished from the land above forty years; and the Mogul invader might feem to liften to the cries of an oppreffed people. Their petty tyrants might have oppofed him with confederate arms: they feparately food, and fucceffively fell; and the difference of their fate was only marked by the promptitude of fubmiffion or the obstinacy of refiftance. Ibrahim, prince of Shirwan or Albania, kiffed the footstool of the Imperial throne. His peace-offerings of filks, horfes, and jewels, were compofed, according to the Tartar fashion, each article of nine pieces; but a critical fpectator obferved, that there were only with pleasure on the thirteen defigns and enterprises which most truly conftitute his perfonal merit. It even shines through the dark colouring of Arabfhah, P. i. c. 1 --12. (13) The conquefts of Perfia, Tartary, and India, are reprefented in the 2d and 3d books of Sherefeddin, and by Arabshah, c. 13-55. Confult the excellent Indexes to the Inftitutions. |