Timur Malik

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Timur Malik's statue in the Sughd Historical Museum

Timur Malik was governor of the city of Khujand in today's Tajikistan during the rule of the Khorezm Shahs in Central Asia until 1219 . Today he is considered a Tajik national hero because of his bravery in the fight against the Mongol invaders .

Life

Little is known about the life of Timur Malik. It was only in his role as governor of Khujand during the Mongol invasion that he gained notoriety. In Timur Malik's time, Khujand was considered one of the most important cities of the Khorezmian Empire and was known for its viticulture, beautiful gardens, traditional handicrafts and trading along the Silk Road .

The empire of the Khorezm Shahs, which was dominant in Central Asia at that time, had its heyday at the beginning of the 13th century, until tensions with the Mongol Empire under Genghis Khan increased. In 1215 the two empires established trade relations, which came to an abrupt end with the murder of a Mongolian trading company in Otrar, Khoresm . Against this background, Genghis Khan set out on a campaign of revenge in Khorezmia in 1218. In 1219 he reached the well-fortified city of Khujand with his army, where Timur Malik was governor. Timur Malik entrenched himself with the residents of the city in the Timur Malik fortress , which is named after him , so that the Syr Darya River acted as a natural barrier to the Mongolian army. The Mongolian force consisted of 20,000 men, but Timur Malik held the fortress against the invaders for the time being. By building a bridge by 50,000 prisoners of war, the Mongols finally succeeded in conquering the city - despite the constant fire from the defenders led by Timur Malik. Timur Malik managed to evacuate the residents from the city in time. He was pursued by the Mongols on his escape; allegedly he showed particular bravery by repeatedly wounding or killing his outnumbered pursuers with his arrows. His archery skills were praised by the Persian historian Ata-Malik Juvayni , who in his main work Tārīch-i Jahānguschāy described that Timur Malik's arrows never missed their target.

After successfully escaping, Timur Malik wandered through what is now Iraq as a dervish before settling in what is now Syria . He later returned to his homeland, Khujand, where he died.

supporting documents

  1. ↑ Svat Soucek, Branko Soucek: A History of Inner Asia . S. 245 .
  2. ↑ Narendra Simone: Stan Stumble: Central Asia Travel Humor . Canada 2016.
  3. ^ Michael Weiers: Legacy from the Steppe: Contributions to the language and history of the Mongols . Harrassowitz Verlag, p. 137 .
  4. ↑ Anwarul Haque Haqqi (* 1922): Chingiz Khan: The Life and Legacy of an Empire Builder . Primus Book, Delhi 2010, ISBN 978-81-908918-9-9 , pp. 102 ff .
personal data
SURNAME Malik, Timur
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Governor of the city of Khujand in what is now Tajikistan during the rule of the Khorezm Shahs in Central Asia
DATE OF BIRTH 12th Century
DATE OF DEATH 13th Century