As brutal as Timur was, he had an impact on the world that goes beyond mere statistics of conquest and territory. He became the convenient starting point for creation of dynastic legitimacy for new rulers who would rise in the coming centuries eg The Mughals.

Timur is looked up as an iconic Muslim conqueror, a Ghazi and a But Shikan (Idol Breaker). He was also looked upon as the totem pole of Mongol heritage and pride. But Timur was not what people made him to be – he was a Marauder & a looter. But he was a very ambitious one. he was more ambitious than anyone before him.

Claims of him being a muslim, a ghazi fall flat when one realizes that Timur had banned muzziens from raising calls of namaz from minarets in Samarkand – His capital & seat of power.

Same goes for claims of him being a symbol of Mongol pride. He was the one who defeated and destroyed the famed Golden Horde – The symbol of Mongol power in Transoxiana (Central Asia). He was neither a muslim nor a mongol – he was whatever the circumstances wanted him to be. He became a Jihadi when he wanted to invade India. He became a Mongol when he wanted to seek legitimacy for attacking the Golden Horde. After his conquest of northern Iran in the winter of 1384-85 he invoked the heritage of the Mongol Ilkhans to claim legitimacy of his rule.

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