How did Amir Temur become a hero in Europe?

 

Was Amir Temur merely a military commander? How did European scholars assess him? How was the personality of the Great Sahibqiran shaped in European thought? Answers to these questions are provided by rare sources presented in the Second Renaissance exhibition of the museum at the Islamic Civilization Center in Uzbekistan, established under the authorship of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

 

The exposition of the Islamic Civilization Center in Uzbekistan includes a special section dedicated to the personality of the great military leader and statesman Amir Temur. It showcases rare manuscripts, historical publications, and significant sources reflecting the formation of the Sahibqiran’s image within the European scholarly and literary milieu, illuminating Temur’s state, his political legacy, and his place in world history.

 

This part of the exhibition is significant not only as a source on national history, but also as a unique scholarly resource demonstrating the history of intellectual relations between Eastern and Western civilizations. Amir Temur aroused great interest in Europe as well, remaining at the center of attention of historians, writers, and thinkers for centuries.

 

 

“The Code of Temur”: a European edition of a statecraft concept

 

In a display case within the Second Renaissance section of the museum exposition, an English-language edition of The Code of Temur, published in Great Britain in 1783 by Major Davy and Professor Joseph White, is exhibited.

 

The Code of Temur occupies a special place among the political and legal legacies left by renowned rulers to future generations. It is not a simple collection of laws, but rather an original concept of statehood reflecting Amir Temur’s approach to governance, political strategy, and legal worldview.

 

The work details the system of state administration, criteria for selecting amirs and ministers, principles of just governance, tax and financial policy, as well as issues of state security. Through this work, European readers came to know Temur not only as a formidable commander, but also as a thinker who developed a theory of state organization.

 

Through Joseph White’s translation, The Code of Temur gave a powerful impetus to the development of Oriental studies in the West and introduced the Temurid school of statecraft to the European scholarly community.

 

“The Life of the Great Temur”: one of the earliest historical studies

 

The exhibition also presents one of the earliest historical studies written in Europe about Amir Temur — The Life of the Great Temur by Pietro Perondino, published in Latin in Florence in 1553.

 

In his work, Perondino highlights Amir Temur’s life, military campaigns, and achievements in state governance, placing special emphasis on his role in relations between East and West. The author was among the first to present Temur’s strategic decisions, reforms in state construction, and geopolitical policies to European readers on a scholarly basis.

 

This work intensified interest in the Temurid Empire in medieval Europe and played an important role in shaping scholarly perceptions of Temur in the Western public consciousness.

 

 

The central hero of historical drama

 

The exhibition also features the tragedy The Great Temur by the English writer Charles Saunders, published in London in 1681. This literary work portrays Amir Temur’s life and activity in a dramatic spirit, presenting his personal character, military successes, and inner conflicts as an artistic image.

 

Saunders depicts Temur not only as a powerful commander, but also as a complex personality, a great leader, and the central figure of a historical drama. The tragedy became one of the important literary sources that shaped the image of Eastern rulers in European theatrical art, bringing Temur’s personality closer to Western audiences.

 

The “Zafarnama” in French

 

The display case also presents the French-language translation of Sharaf al-Din Ali Yazdi’s famous Zafarnama, published in Delft in 1723 under the title History of Amir Temur.

 

This work, consisting of two parts, covers well-founded information about the period preceding Temur as well as events of Amir Temur’s era. The author notes that the work was written at the initiative of Ibrahim Sultan, son of Shahrukh Mirza.

 

The Zafarnama became one of the principal sources for European historians studying the Temurid period and significantly increased interest in Eastern history.

 

 

One of the key sources in eighteenth-century European historiography

 

The Center’s exposition also includes The History of Temur by the French historian Jean-Baptiste Margat de Tilly, published in Paris in 1739. This book comprehensively covers Amir Temur’s life, military campaigns, and achievements in governing a vast empire.

 

The author analyzes Temur’s strategic thinking, reforms in state governance, and his role in relations between East and West. The work is considered one of the important sources that shaped scholarly views on Temur in eighteenth-century European historiography.

 

In Europe, the personality of the Sahibqiran was perceived not only as a military commander, but also as a statesman, thinker, and a major participant in civilizational processes. European scholars studied his state-building practices, legal system, and geopolitical policies with great interest.

 

The works exhibited in the Center’s exposition vividly demonstrate Amir Temur’s place in world history and European thought. They reveal the historical roots of intellectual dialogue between Eastern and Western civilizations and confirm the universal value of Temur’s legacy.

 

Durdona Rasulova

P.S. The article may be republished with a link to the official website of the Center