2019-02-14 Thu

Timur, or Tamerlane, is one of Central Asia’s most famous historical figures. He was a Turko Mogol military leader, who conquered most of the Islamic world. Timur is famous for his invasion of India to Russia till the Mediterranean Sea.

There are very few conquerors that have inspired such terror as Amir Timur or Timour. He is remembered as a vicious warrior who razed cities to the ground and put populations to end.

According to some source, Timur was born at Kesh, a city located in Samarkhand, on 9th April 1336. In 1370 he founded the Timur Empire in Persia and Central Asia and ruled it till 14th February 1405.

Till 1380 the whole of Central Asia was under him. After the conquest of Central Asia, the thirst of new conquest took Timour to Russia. He crossed Indus River in 1398 and entered India when due to the death of Sultan Firuz Shah Tughluq, India had fallen into pieces. Due to this, the army of Delhi was destroyed and the city was ruined.

When Timur invaded India, Khizr Khan a sayyid from Multan joined him. Timur appointed him the governor of Multan and Lahore. As Khizr Khan never assumed full independent charge, the coins were struck and Khutba was read in the name of Mongol ruler Timur and after his death in the name the name of his successor, Shah Rukh.

During the reign Timur had issued various coins in gold and silver. Depicted here is a silver Tanka which issued during his reign. The obverse of a coin depicts the legend ‘Allah’ in the cartouche and ‘Sultan Mahmud Khan Amir Timur Gurkan Alla Mulkahu’ around the Cartouche. The reverse of a coin depicts the Kalima.

Image Source: Google Images