Tamerlane

Tamerlane, or Timur the Lame (c. 1336–1405), Mongol conqueror, descendant of Genghis Khan. Tamerlane succeeded to the throne of Turkestan in 1369 and from his capital at Samarkand set out on a series of conquests, including Afghanistan, Persia, and southern portions of what is now the USSR. In 1398 he invaded India and sacked Delhi, where it is believed he and his troops massacred 80,000 people. Three years later he moved against Syria and captured Baghdad. The following year (1402) his armies defeated the Ottoman Turks and captured their sultan, Beyazid I. After capturing Damascus and defeating the Egyptian army, he plotted to overrun China but died before he could implement his plans. His empire, centered in Turkestan, crumbled after his death.

See also: Mongol Empire.