I Am Timour, World Conqueror

Book excerpt: Amir Timour (1336-1405) wrote his memoirs late in life. His autobiography begins from a time just prior to his birth and continues until his last conquest mission on which he set out to conquer China but suffered a stroke on the way. He died shortly thereafter. The account is well written and is by and large coherent, and the "natural progression" of the unfolding of the events gives the reader a sense of excitement that makes him want to keep turning the page. To many, the name Amir Timour, or Tamerlane, as he is known in the West, brings to mind visions of a cruel and ruthless conqueror who massacred tens of thousands of people at will, burned their towns and villages, and conquered their lands, leaving behind mass destruction. Looking back at history, there is no doubt that this image is a true image of the ruler. But it is not the only image that should define the name Amir Timour. Although the attributes of wrath probably well define the man as a whole, other facets of his personality paint him as an extraordinarily complex human being who helped shape the future of an entire region, if not the world. Amir Timour was a learned man who was extremely well taught and well-read, enabling him to contend intellectually with the highest-ranking scholars of his time. In fact, according to his account, he had the entire Koran memorized at an early age, which resulted in him being given the title Ha-fiz al-Qur'a-n. He was also well-versed in Koranic exegesis, which was a credit to the teachers and masters of his time. He possessed an incredibly powerful memory, which enabled him to absorb and remember things at a remarkable pace. His powerful memory helped him early in life, when he was able to quickly remember things taught in school, making him excel over his peers. Later in life as a military commander, Amir Timour's memory proved to be an asset with such things, for example, as remembering every one of his officer's full names, which quickly earned him their respect. In short, by reading the memoirs of Amir Timour, the reader will learn that there is a great deal more to the man known as Tamerlane than just another cruel and ruthless ruler. By reading this account, the reader will pick up on the sense of motivation, courage, strength, and dedication that Tamerlane had for his passion to become world conqueror and the forces of his personality that collectively gave him the drive to achieve his goals in life without any notable setbacks. It is evident from the account that Amir Timour was aware of his own unique and remarkable capacity as a leader early in life, which gave him the vision of what he wanted to accomplish in the world. His vision and accomplishments planted the seed that gave fruit in the form of the culturally rich Mogul Dynasty that reigned undisputed over Transoxiana and India for the next several hundred years after Amir Timour's death. Babur Rashidzada received his BA in religious studies and business administration from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He currently lives in Long Island, New York, with his wife and three children."