1370–1507 CE
Tamerlane’s victorious campaign first swept across Central Asia, then through Persia, and onwards towards the Caucasus, the Golden Horde, and Eastern Europe in the 1370s — profoundly affecting Iran.
After the death of Tamerlane (also known as the “Iron Lame One”), his grandson Khalil‑Sultan finally seized full control over the entire territory.
Even greater success was achieved by Shah Rukh, who united all the lands of Tamerlane’s empire, which had been torn apart by civil war following the founder’s death.
The rule of the Central Asian tyrant and his descendants lasted in Iran until the early 16th century.
Paradoxically, alongside the bloodshed wrought by the new ruler’s armies, a true florescence of the arts took place. This was most evident in architecture and painting.
Architectural masterpieces of that era — now genuine symbols of the East and medieval Islamic civilization — were erected in:
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Samarkand;
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Herat;
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Tabriz.
Behzad, the great medieval master of Persian miniature painting and founder of a distinct artistic movement, worked in Herat and Tabriz. His works are still studied at art history departments in Iran and beyond.
Culturally, the era of Tamerlane and especially his descendants can rightfully be considered the «Timurid Renaissance».
Under the patronage of the ruling elite, diverse cultural spheres developed intensively:
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Miniature painting;
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Literature (including translations of Tamerlane’s biography, Sufi poetry, and treatises into Persian);
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Astronomy (the works of Ulugh Beg);
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and many other fields of science and art — all reached a completely new level under the Timurids.
