Timurid Empire at Its Zenith and the Political Landscape of Its Descendants (1390s)

Timeline

1. 1391–1394Samarkand · UzbekistanTimur made Samarkand his capital, constructing mosques, madrasas, and palaces and attracting Persian and Central Asian artisans. The empire controlled Transoxiana, Khwarazm, and much of Mesopotamia, becoming one of the strongest military powers on the Eurasian continent by the late 14th century.
2. 1394–1396Erzurum · AnatoliaTimur campaigned into Asia Minor, defeating local Turkic beyliks and intimidating the Ottoman Empire. In the late 1390s relations between Timur and Bayezid I deteriorated sharply, and diplomatic negotiations broke down, setting the stage for the 1402 Battle of Ankara.
3. 1398–1400Delhi · IndiaIn 1398 Timur crossed the Indus with his army, defeated Sultan Nasir-ud-Din Mahmud near Delhi, captured the city, and plundered it extensively. Though the expedition established no lasting rule, Timur's descendants—through Babur—later founded the Mughal dynasty in India in the 16th century, and the Indian expedition is regarded as an important prelude to the Mughal Empire.