From Genghis Khan to Tamerlane: The Reawakening of Mongol Asia

About this book

An epic account of how a new world order under Tamerlane was born out of the decline of the Mongol Empire A masterwork.William Dalrymple Financial Times A landmark publication.Noel Malcom The Telegraph By the mid-fourteenth century the world empire founded by Genghis Khan was in crisis. The Mongol Ilkhanate had ended in Iran and Iraq Chinas Mongol rulers were threatened by the native Ming and the Golden Horde and the Central Asian Mongols were prey to internal discord. Into this void moved the warlord Tamerlane the last major conqueror to emerge from Inner Asia. In this authoritative account Peter Jackson traces Tamerlanes rise to power against the backdrop of the decline of Mongol rule. Jackson argues that Tamerlane a keen exponent of Mongol custom and tradition operated in Genghis Khans shadow and took care to draw parallels between himself and his great precursor. But as a Muslim Tamerlane drew on Islamic traditions and his waging of wars in the name of jihad whether sincere or not had a more powerful impact than those of any Muslim Mongol ruler before him.