Amir Temur is a great hero and a fair ruler

The Imam Bukhari International Scientific Research Center, in collaboration with the Institute for Asian-African Studies at the University of Hamburg, Germany, held another online seminar in the “Material Cultural of the Zerafshan Valley” online lecture series. It was attended by employees of the Center, researchers from scientific institutions in our country and abroad, as well as scientists from several countries of Europe and USA.

At the seminar Prof. Dr. Ron Sela, Associate Professor of Central Asian history at Indiana University’s Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, USA, presented a lecture on “Timur’s Triumphant Return to Central Asia in the Early Modern Period”.

The scientist noted that the name of Sahibkiran Timur occupies a high position in the history and culture of Central Asia. However, his personality and legacy have been recognized more widely outside his homeland for centuries, being appreciated in India, Iran, the Ottoman Empire, and even in Europe and America. By the 18th-19th centuries, we witness the resurgence of Timur’s fame in Central Asia. The speaker cited the political and social instability that arose in the region as the main reason for this.

It was during this period that historical symbols associated with the biography, life and work of the commander, as well as stories aimed at strengthening the legitimacy of his rule, became popular. The report analyzes the factors that influenced this process and notes that the personality of Timur became a great hero and a symbol of a just ruler for the people.

Ron Sela said of the culmination of this process: “Temur was needed by the local community, the opposition, and the strata striving for dominance. Because he was not from the Genghis dynasty, but the people’s own child, the most beautiful legends were told about his heroism, and he ruled the whole world.”

Thus, the name of Amir Temur was revived in the political and ideological landscape of Central Asia in the 18th-19th centuries, consolidating the place of Koragoni in history, his victories and the image of a just ruler.

The seminar continued with a lively question-and-answer session.