When was Timur born and where was he born?
Timur was born in the 1320s near the city of Kesh, which is now Shahrisabz in modern-day Uzbekistan. He was a member of the Barlas, a Turkicized Mongol tribe.
Common questions about Timur
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What physical disabilities did Timur have and how did he get them?
Timur was born with a withered right leg and a withered right arm. He lost two fingers and permanently disabled his right leg after being shot by two arrows during a raid around 1363.
When did Timur die and where did he die?
Timur died at Farab on the 17th or the 18th of February 1405 while on an expedition to invade Ming China. He became ill while encamped on the farther side of the Syr Daria and never reached the Chinese border.
Which cities did Timur sack and massacre during his conquests?
Timur sacked and massacred citizens in Herat, Isfahan, Delhi, Baghdad, Aleppo, Damascus, and Smyrna. He also destroyed Sarai, the capital of the Golden Horde, and Astrakhan.
Who were Timur's descendants and what empires did they found?
Timur's grandson Ulugh Beg was a renowned astronomer and mathematician who ruled Central Asia from 1411 to 1449. His great-great-great-grandson Babur founded the Mughal Empire.
How did Timur die and what happened to his body after death?
Timur died on the 17th or the 18th of February 1405 before reaching the Chinese border. His body was embalmed with musk and rose water, wrapped in linen, laid in an ebony coffin, and buried in the Gur-e-Amir in Samarkand.