Tamerlane

Tamerlane (1335-1405). Mongol conqueror, also known as Timur Leng. A direct descendant of Genghis Khan. he established himself as a ruler of Turkestan and made Samarkand his capital. His name comes from “Timur-i-Leng”, meaning “Timur the lame”. Infamous for his cruelty, he went on to conquer Persia, southern Russia, and part of India but died while on his way to attack China. He is the hero of Christopher Marlowe’s play Tamburlaine.