Death
Timur preferred to fight his battles in the spring. However, he died en route during an uncharacteristic winter
campaign. In December 1404, Timur began military campaigns against Ming China and detained a Ming
envoy. He suffered illness while encamped on the farther side of the Syr Daria and died at Farab on 17
February 1405,[89] before ever reaching the Chinese border. [90] After his death the Ming envoys such as Fu An
and the remaining entourage were released[87] by his grandson Khalil Sultan.
Geographer Clements Markham, in his introduction to the narrative of Clavijo's embassy, states that, after
Timur died, his body "was embalmed with musk and rose water, wrapped in linen, laid in an ebony coffin and
sent to Samarkand, where it was buried".[91] His tomb, the Gur-e Amir, still stands in Samarkand, though it has
been heavily restored in recent years.[92]
Succession
Main article: Timurid Empire
Timur's mausoleum is located in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
Timur had twice previously appointed an heir apparent to succeed him, both of whom he had outlived. The
first, his son Jahangir, died of illness in 1376.[93][94]:51 The second, his grandson Muhammad Sultan, had
succumbed to battle wounds in 1403.[95] After the latter's death, Timur did nothing to replace him. It was only
when he was on his own death-bed that he appointed Muhammad Sultan's younger brother, Pir Muhammad
as his successor.[96]
Pir Muhammad was unable to gain sufficient support from his relatives and a bitter civil war erupted amongst
Timur's descendants, with multiple princes pursuing their claims. It was not until 1409 that Timur's youngest
son, Shah Rukh was able to overcome his rivals and take the throne as Timur's successor.[97]
Wives and concubines
Timur had forty-three wives and concubines, all of these women were also his consorts. Timur made dozens
of women his wives and concubines as he conquered their fathers' or erstwhile husbands' lands. [98]
• Turmish Agha, mother of Jahangir Mirza, Jahanshah Mirza and Aka Begi;
• Oljay Turkhan Agha (m. 1357/58), daughter of Amir Mashlah and granddaughter of Amir Qazaghan;
• Saray Mulk Khanum (m. 1367), widow of Amir Husain, and daughter of Qazan Khan;
• Islam Agha (m. 1367), widow of Amir Husain, and daughter of Amir Bayan Salduz;
• Ulus Agha (m. 1367), widow of Amir Husain, and daughter of Amir Khizr Yasuri;
• Dilshad Agha (m. 1374), daughter of Shams ed-Din and his wife Bujan Agha;
• Touman Agha (m. 1377), daughter of Amir Musa and his wife Arzu Mulk Agha, daughter of Amir
Bayezid Jalayir;
• Chulpan Mulk Agha, daughter of Haji Beg of Jetah;
• Tukal Khanum (m. 1397), daughter of Mongol Khan Khizr Khawaja Oglan;[94]:24–5
• Tolun Agha, concubine, and mother of Umar Shaikh Mirza I;
• Mengli Agha, concubine, and mother of Miran Shah;
• Toghay Turkhan Agha, lady from the Kara Khitai, widow of Amir Husain, and mother of Shah Rukh;
• Tughdi Bey Agha, daughter of Aq Sufi Qongirat;
• Sultan Aray Agha, a Nukuz lady;
• Malikanshah Agha, a Filuni lady;
• Khand Malik Agha, mother of Ibrahim Mirza;
• Sultan Agha, mother of a son who died in infancy;
His other wives and concubines included: Dawlat Tarkan Agha, Burhan Agha, Jani Beg Agha, Tini Beg Agha,
Durr Sultan Agha, Munduz Agha, Bakht Sultan Agha, Nowruz Agha, Jahan Bakht Agha, Nigar Agha, Ruhparwar
Agha, Dil Beg Agha, Dilshad Agha, Murad Beg Agha, Piruzbakht Agha, Khoshkeldi Agha, Dilkhosh Agha, Barat
Bey Agha, Sevinch Malik Agha, Arzu Bey Agha, Yadgar Sultan Agha, Khudadad Agha, Bakht Nigar Agha, Qutlu
Bey Agha, and another Nigar Agha[citation needed].
Descendants
See also: Timurid family tree
Sons of Timur
• Umar Shaikh Mirza I – with Tolun Agha
• Jahangir Mirza – with Turmish Agha
• Miran Shah Mirza – with Mengli Agha
• Shah Rukh Mirza – with Toghay Turkhan Agha
Daughters of Timur
• Aka Begi (d. 1382) – by Turmish Agha. Married to Muhammad Beg, son of Amir Musa Tayichiud
o Sultan Husayn Tayichiud
• Sultan Bakht Begum (d. 1429/30) – by Oljay Turkhan Agha. Married first Muhammad Mirke Apardi,
married second, 1389/90, Sulayman Shah Dughlat
• Sa'adat Sultan – by Dilshad Agha
• Bikijan – by Mengli Agha
• Qutlugh Sultan Agha – by Toghay Turkhan Agha[99][100]
Sons of Umar Shaikh Mirza I
• Pir Muhammad
• Iskandar
• Rustam
• Bayqara I
o Mansur
▪ Sultan Husayn Bayqarah
• Badi' al-Zaman
o Muhammed Mu'min
o Muhammad Zaman Mirza
• Muzaffar Hussein
• Ibrahim Hussein
Sons of Jahangir
• Muhammad Sultan Mirza
• Pir Muhammad
Sons of Miran Shah
• Khalil Sultan
• Abu Bakr
• Muhammad Mirza
o Abu Sa'id Mirza
▪ Umar Shaikh Mirza II
• Zahir-ud-din Muhammad Babur
o the Mughals
• Jahangir Mirza II
Sons of Shah Rukh Mirza
• Mirza Muhammad Taraghay – better known as Ulugh Beg
o Abdul-Latif
• Ghiyath-al-Din Baysunghur
o Ala al-Dawla Mirza
▪ Ibrahim Mirza
o Sultan Muhammad
▪ Yadigar Muhammad
o Abul-Qasim Babur Mirza
• Sultan Ibrahim Mirza
o Abdullah Mirza
• Mirza Soyurghatmïsh Khan
• Muhammad Juki
Religious views
A modern portrait of Timur in Gur-e-Amir, Samarkand.
Timur was a practicing Sunni Muslim, possibly belonging to the Naqshbandi school, which was influential in
Transoxiana.[101] His chief official religious counsellor and adviser was the Hanafi scholar 'Abdu 'l-Jabbar
Khwarazmi. In Tirmidh, he had come under the influence of his spiritual mentor Sayyid Baraka, a leader from
Balkh who is buried alongside Timur in Gur-e-Amir.[102][103][104]
Timur was known to hold Ali and the Ahl al-Bayt in high regard and has been noted by various scholars for his
"pro-Shia" stance. However, he also punished Shias for desecrating the memories of the Sahaba.[105] Timur
was also noted for attacking the Shia with Sunni apologism, while at other times he attacked Sunnis on
religious ground as well.[106] In contrast, Timur held the Seljuk Sultan Ahmad Sanjar in high regard for attacking
the Ismailis at Alamut, while Timur's own attack on Ismailis at Anjudan was equally brutal.[106]
