IV.

Tamerlane’s Legacy

After reportedly preparing a massive invasion of China, Tamerlane died in 1405 near Otrar, in present-day Kazakhstan. Tamerlane’s empire began to break apart immediately after his death. He was buried in Samarqand, and his mausoleum, the Gur-e Amir, is one of Samarqand's great architectural monuments. Tamerlane built many spectacular palaces and mosques, the most celebrated of which are in Samarqand. Although he was notorious for his cruelty in war and for the many atrocities committed by his armies, Tamerlane was also a lover of scholarship and the arts. His dynasty, the Timurids, which ruled Transoxiana and Iran until the early 16th century, was noted for its patronage of Turkish and Persian literature. One of his descendants, Babur, founded the Mughal Empire of India in 1526. Tamerlane’s scribes detailed his campaigns in an account known as the Zafar Nama, or Book of Victory. His lasting fame is reflected in English playwright Christopher Marlowe's powerful poetic drama Tamburlaine the Great (1587). Tamerlane is a national hero in Uzbekistan.