Frederic John Goldsmid

“ In April 1399, some three months after quitting the capital of Mahmiid Tughlak, Timur was back in his own capital beyond the Oxus. It need scarcely be added that an im mense quantity of spoil was conveyed away. According to Clavijo, ninety captured elephants were employed merely to carry stones from certain quarries to enable the conqueror to erect a mosque at Samarkand. The war with the Turks which succeeded the return from India was rendered notable by the capture of Baghdad, Aleppo, and Damascus, and especially by the defeat and imprisonment of Sultan Bayazid. ”

“ TIMUR.Timúr Bey or Timúr Lang (Timur i Leng) , "the lame Timur" vulgarized into TAMERLANE the renowned Oriental conqueror, was born in 1336 at Kesh, better known as Shahr-i-Sabz, " the green city," situated some 50 miles south of Samarkand in Transoxiana. His father Teragai was head of the tribe of Berlas. ”

“ Tughlak's death facilitated the work of reconquest, and a few years of perseverance and energy sufficed for its accomplishment, as well as for the addition of a vast extent of territory. During this period Timur and his brother-in-law, Hosain at first fellow-fugitives and wan derers in joint adventures full of interest and romance became rivals and antagonists. At the close of 1369 Hosain was assassinated and Timur, having been formally proclaimed sovereign at Balkh, mounted the throne at Samarkand, the capital of his dominions. ”