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Table of Contents
Timur The Lame
Birth
Timur (meaning “iron”) was born in 1336 near the Transoxian city of Kesh. In modern-day Uzbekistan, this medieval Persian city is known as Shahrisabz.1)
Tamerlane
Tamerlane is the Europeanized version of Timur's Persian nickname, Timur-e Lang, which translates as 'Timur the Lame'.2)
Name Origin
Tamerlane was paralyzed by injuries to his right leg and right hand in his mid-twenties. According to legend, he was killed by arrows when his party of robbers was attacked by a shepherd. It's more probable that he was injured in combat while serving as a soldier for the Khan of Sistan (in north-east Iran).3)
Tomb
Tamerlane's tomb was unearthed in 1941 by Russian archaeologists, who discovered he had a crippling hip ailment and two missing fingers on his right hand.4)
Look
He was tall for the period (1.73 m) and broad-chested, according to the excavation. His facial bones were pronounced, and he had Mongoloid characteristics.5)
When I Rise, The World Shall Tremble!
The lines “When I Rise, The World Shall Tremble” were purportedly engraved on Timur's tomb.6)