Tamerlane
Lived from 1333-1405
I
Tamerlane was the son of the chief of a Mongolian tribe in Central
Asia. His real name was Timour, but as he was lamed in battle
when a youth he was generally called Timour the Lame, and this name
was gradually changed to Tamerlane. He was born in 1333, so that
he lived in the time of the English king, Edward III, when the
Black Prince was winning his victories over the French. He was a
descendant of a celebrated Tatar soldier, Genghis (jen'-ghis) Khan,
who conquered Persia, China, and other countries of Asia. When
twenty-four years old Tamerlane became the head of his tribe, and
in a few years he made himself the leader of the whole Mongolian
race.
He was a tall, stern-looking man, of great strength, and, although
lame in his right leg, could ride a spirited horse at full gallop
and do all the work of an active soldier. He was as brave as a
lion--and as cruel.
He chose the ancient city of Samarcand (Sa-mar-cand'), in Turkistan
(Tur-kis-tan'), for his capital; and here he built a beautiful
marble palace, where he lived in the greatest luxury.
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