| Timurid dynasty گورکانیان Gūrkāniyān | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Parent house | Barlas |
| Country | |
| Current region | Central Asia Greater Iran Indian peninsula |
| Founded | 1370 |
| Founder | Timur |
| Final ruler | Bahadur Shah II |
| Titles | |
| Traditions | Sunni Islam (Hanafi) |
| Dissolution | 1857 |
| Deposition |
|
| Cadet branches | Mughal dynasty |
TheTimurid dynasty, self-designated asGurkani (Persian:گورکانیان,romanized: Gūrkāniyān), was aSunni Muslim[1] dynasty orBarlāsclan ofTurco-Mongol origin[2][3][4][5] descended from the warlordTimur (also known as Tamerlane). The word "Gurkani" derives from "Gurkan", a Persianized form of the Mongolian word "Kuragan" meaning "son-in-law".[6] This was an honorific title used by the dynasty as the Timurids were in-laws of the line ofGenghis Khan,[7] founder of theMongol Empire, as Timur had marriedSaray Mulk Khanum, a direct descendant ofGenghis Khan. Members of the Timurid dynasty signaled theTimurid Renaissance, and they were strongly influenced byPersian culture[2][8] and established two significantempires in history, theTimurid Empire (1370–1507) based inPersia andCentral Asia, and theMughal Empire (1526–1857) based in theIndian subcontinent.
The origin of the Timurid dynasty goes back to theMongol tribe known asBarlas, who were remnants of the Mongol army ofGenghis Khan,[2][9][10] founder of theMongol Empire. After theMongol conquest of Central Asia, the Barlas settled in what is today southernKazakhstan, fromShymkent toTaraz andAlmaty, which then came to be known for a time asMoghulistan – "Land of Mongols" in Persian – and intermingled to a considerable degree with the localTurkic andTurkic-speaking population, so that at the time of Timur's reign the Barlas had become thoroughly Turkicized in terms of language and habits.
Additionally, by adoptingIslam, the Central Asian Turks and Mongols adopted thePersian literary and high culture[11] which had dominated Central Asia since the early days of Islamic influence. Persian literature was instrumental in the assimilation of the Timurid elite into the Perso-Islamic courtly culture.[12]
| Titular name | Personal name | Reign |
|---|---|---|
| Timur ruled over theChagatai Khanate withSoyurghatmïsh Khan as nominalKhan followed bySultan Mahmud Khan. He himself adopted the Muslim Arabic title ofAmir. In essence the Khanate was finished and theTimurid Empire was firmly established. | ||
| Amir امیر Timur Lang تیمور لنگ | Timur Beg Gurkani تیمور بیگ گورکانی | 1370–1405 |
| Amir امیر | Pir Muhammad bin Jahangir Mirza پیر محمد بن جہانگیر میرزا | 1405–1407 |
| Amir امیر | Khalil Sultan bin Miran Shah خلیل سلطان بن میران شاہ | 1405–1409 |
| Amir امیر | Shahrukh Mirza شاھرخ میرزا | 1405–1447 |
| Amir امیر Ulugh Beg الغ بیگ | Mirza Muhammad Tāraghay میرزا محمد طارق | 1447–1449 |
| Division ofTimurid Empire | ||
| Transoxiana | Khurasan/Herat/Fars/Iraq-e-Ajam | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abdal-Latif Mirza میرزا عبداللطیف Padarkush (Father Killer) 1449–1450 |
| |||
| Abdullah Mirza میرزا عبد اللہ 1450–1451 | Abul-Qasim Babur Mirza میرزا ابوالقاسم بابر بن بایسنقر 1451–1457 | |||
| Mirza Shah Mahmud میرزا شاہ محمود 1457 | ||||
| Ibrahim Sultan ابراھیم میرزا 1457–1459 | ||||
| Abu Sa'id Mirza ابو سعید میرزا (Although Abu Sa'id Mirza re-united most of the Timurid heartland in Central Asia with the help ofUzbek Chief,Abul-Khayr Khan (grandfather ofMuhammad Shayabani Khan), he agreed to divideIran with theBlack Sheep Turkomen underJahan Shah, but theWhite Sheep Turkomen underUzun Hassan defeated and killed first Jahan Shah and then Abu Sa'id. After Abu Sa'id's death another era of fragmentation follows.) 1451–1469 | ||||
| **Transoxiana is divided | Sultan Husayn Bayqara سلطان حسین میرزا بایقرا 14691st reign | |||
| Yadgar Muhammad Mirza میرزا یادگار محمد 1470 (6 weeks) | ||||
| Sultan Husayn Bayqara سلطان حسین میرزا بایقرا 1470–15062nd reign | ||||
| ||||
| Uzbeks underMuhammad Shayabak Khan ConquerHerat | ||||
| Samarkand | Bukhara | Hissar | Farghana | Balkh | Kabul | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sultan Ahmad Mirza سلطان احمد میرزا 1469–1494 | Umar Shaikh Mirza II عمر شیخ میرزا ثانی 1469–1494 | Sultan Mahmud Mirza سلطان محمود میرزا 1469–1495 | Ulugh Beg Mirza II میرزا الغ بیگ 1469 – 1502 | |||||
| Sultan Baysonqor Mirza bin Mahmud Mirza بایسنقر میرزا بن محمود میرزا 1495–1497 | Sultan Ali bin Mahmud Mirza سلطان علی بن محمود میرزا 1495–1500 | Sultan Masud Mirza bin Mahmud Mirza سلطان مسعود بن محمود میرزا 1495 – ? | Zahir-ud-din Muhammad Babur ظہیر الدین محمد بابر 1494–1497 | Khusrau Shah خسرو شاہ (Usurper) ? – 1504 | Mukim Beg Arghun مقیم ارغون (Usurper) ? – 1504 | |||
| Uzbeks underMuhammad Shayabak Khan محمد شایبک خان ازبک 1500–1501 | Jahangir Mirza II جہانگیر میرزا (puppet of Sultan Ahmed Tambol) 1497 – 1503 | Zahir-ud-din Muhammad Babur ظہیر الدین محمد بابر 1504–1504 | ||||||
| Uzbeks underMuhammad Shayabak Khan محمد شایبک خان ازبک 1503–1504 | Zahir-ud-din Muhammad Babur ظہیر الدین محمد بابر 1504–1511 | |||||||
| Zahir-ud-din Muhammad Babur ظہیر الدین محمد بابر (Never till his conquest of India were the dominions of Babur as extensive as at this period. Like his grandfatherAbu Sa'id Mirza, he managed to re-unite the Timurid heartland in Central Asia with the help of Shah of Iran,Ismail I. His dominions stretched from theCaspian Sea and theUral Mountains to the farthest limits of Ghazni and comprehendedKabul andGhazni;Kunduz andHissar;Samarkand andBukhara;Farghana;Tashkent andSeiram) 1511–1512 | ||||||||
| Uzbeks underUbaydullah Sultan عبید اللہ سلطان re-conquer Transoxiana and Balkh 1512 | Zahir-ud-din Muhammad Babur ظہیر الدین محمد بابر 1512–1530 | |||||||
| Timurid Empire in Central Asia becomes extinct under theKhanate of Bukhara of theUzbeks. However, Timurid dynasty moves on to conquerIndia under the leadership ofZahir-ud-din Muhammad Babur in 1526 C.E. and established theTimurid dynasty of India. | ||||||||
| Emperor | Birth | Reign Period | Death | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Babur | 14 February 1483 | 21 April 1526 – 26 December 1530 | 1530 | Was a direct descendant ofGenghis Khan through his mother and was descendant ofTimur through his father. Founded the Mughal Empire after his victories at theFirst Battle of Panipat and theBattle of Khanwa. |
| Humayun | 6 March 1508 | 26 December 1530 – 17 May 1540 | 27 January 1556 | Reign interrupted bySur Empire. Youth and inexperience at ascension led to his being regarded as a less effective ruler than a usurper,Sher Shah Suri. |
| Sher Shah Suri | 1486 | 17 May 1540 – 22 May 1545 | 22 May 1545 | Deposed Humayun and led theSur Empire. |
| Islam Shah Suri | 1507 | 1545–1554 | 1554 | Second and last ruler of theSur Empire, claims of sons Sikandar and Adil Shah were eliminated by Humayun's restoration. |
| Humayun | 6 March 1508 | 22 June 1555 – 27 January 1556 | 27 January 1556 | Restored rule was more unified and effective than the initial reign of 1530–1540; left a unified empire for his son,Akbar. |
| Akbar | 15 October 1542 | 11 February 1556 – 27 October 1605 | 27 October 1605 | He andBairam Khan defeatedHemu during theSecond Battle of Panipat and later won famous victories during theSiege of Chittorgarh and theSiege of Ranthambore; He greatly expanded the Empire and is regarded as the most illustrious ruler of the Mughal Empire as he set up the empire's various institutions; He marriedMariam-uz-Zamani, a Rajput princess who became the mother to his successor Jahangir. One of his most famous construction marvels was theLahore Fort and Agra Fort.[13] |
| Jahangir | 31 August 1569 | 3 November 1605 – 28 October 1627 | 28 October 1627 | Jahangir set the precedent for sons rebelling against their emperor fathers. Opened first relations with theBritish East India Company. |
| Shah Jahan | 5 January 1592 | 19 January 1628 – 31 July 1658 | 22 January 1666 | Under him, Mughal art and architecture reached their zenith; constructed theTaj Mahal,Jama Masjid,Red Fort,Jahangir mausoleum, andShalimar Gardens inLahore. Deposed by his son Aurangzeb. |
| Aurangzeb | 3 November 1618 | 31 July 1658 – 3 March 1707 | 3 March 1707 | He reinterpretedIslamic law and presented theFatawa-e-Alamgiri; he captured the diamond mines of theSultanate of Golconda; he spent the major part of his last27 years in the war with the Maratha rebels; at its zenith, his conquests expanded the empire to its greatest extent; the over-stretched empire was controlled byMansabdars, and faced challenges after his death. He is known to have transcribed copies of theQur'an using his styles ofcalligraphy. |
| Bahadur Shah I | 14 October 1643 | 19 June 1707–27 February 1712 | 27 February 1712 | First of the Mughal emperors to preside over an empire ravaged by uncontrollable revolts. After his reign, the empire went into steady decline due to the lack of leadership qualities among his immediate successors. |
| Jahandar Shah | 10 May 1661 | 29 March 1712 – 11 February 1713 | 11 February 1713 | The son of Bahadur Shah I, he was an unpopular and incompetent titular figurehead; he attained the throne after his father's death by his victory in battle over his brother, who was killed. |
| Farrukhsiyar | 20 August 1683 | 11 January 1713 – 9 April 1719 | 9 April 1719 | His reign marked the ascendancy of the manipulativeSyed Brothers, execution of the rebelliousBanda. In 1717 he granted aFirman to theEnglish East India Company granting them duty-free trading rights inBengal. The Firman was repudiated by the notableMurshid Quli Khan the Mughal appointed ruler of Bengal. |
| Rafi Ul-Darjat | 1 December 1699 | 28 February – 6 June 1719 | 6 June 1719 | |
| Rafi Ud-Daulat | June 1696 | 6 June – 17 September 1719 | 18 September 1719 | |
| Muhammad Ibrahim | 9 August 1703 | 15 October – 13 November 1720 | 31 January 1746 | |
| Muhammad Shah | 7 August 1702 | 27 September 1719 – 26 April | 26 April 1748 | Got rid of theSyed Brothers. Tried to counter the emergence of theMarathas but his empire disintegrated. Suffered the invasion ofNadir-Shah of Persia in 1739.[14] |
| Ahmad Shah Bahadur | 23 December 1725 | 29 April 1748 – 2 June 1754 | 1 January 1775 | |
| Alamgir II | 6 June 1699 | 3 June 1754 – 29 November 1759 | 29 November 1759 | He was murdered according to by the VizierImad-ul-Mulk andMaratha associateSadashivrao Bhau. |
| Shah Jahan III | 1711 | 10 December 1759 – 10 October 1760 | 1772 | Was ordained to the imperial throne as a result of the intricacies in Delhi with the help ofImad-ul-Mulk. He was later deposed by Maratha Sardars.[15][full citation needed][16] |
| Shah Alam II | 25 June 1728 | 10 October 1760 – 31 July 1788, 16 October 1788 – 19 November 1806 | 19 November 1806 | He was proclaimed as Mughal Emperor by the Marathas.[15] Later, he was again recognized as theMughal Emperor byAhmad Shah Durrani after theThird Battle of Panipat in 1761.[17] 1764 saw the defeat of the combined forces of Mughal Emperor, Nawab of Oudh and Nawab of Bengal and Bihar at the hand of East India Company at theBattle of Buxar. Following this defeat, Shah Alam II left Delhi for Allahabad, ending hostilities with theTreaty of Allahabad (1765). Shah Alam II was reinstated to the throne of Delhi in 1772 byMahadaji Shinde under the protection of the Marathas.[18] He was ade jure emperor. During his reign in 1793 British East India company abolished Nizamat (Mughal suzerainty) and took control of the former Mughal province of Bengal marking the beginning of British reign in parts of Eastern India officially. |
| Akbar Shah II | 22 April 1760 | 19 November 1806 – 28 September 1837 | 28 September 1837 | He became a British pensioner after the defeat of the Marathas in the Third Anglo-Maratha war who was until then the protector of the Mughal throne. Under the East India company's protection, his imperial name was removed from official coinage after a brief dispute with theBritish East India Company. |
| Bahadur Shah II | 24 October 1775 | 28 September 1837 – 21 September 1857 | 7 November 1862 | The last Mughal emperor was deposed in 1858 by the British East India Company and exiled toBurma following theWar of 1857 after the fall of Delhi to the company troops. His death marks the end of the Mughal dynasty but not of the family. |
Like his father,Olōğ Beg was entirely integrated into the Persian Islamic cultural circles, and during his reign Persian predominated as the language of high culture, a status that it retained in the region ofSamarqand until theRussian revolution 1917 [...]Ḥoseyn Bāyqarā encouraged the development of Persian literature and literary talent in every way possible
Persian literature, especially poetry, occupied a central in the process of assimilation of Timurid elite to the Perso-Islamicate courtly culture, and so it is not surprising to findBaysanghur commissioneda new edition ofFirdawsi'sShanama.
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