1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:03,760 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class from how 2 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:13,360 Speaker 1: Stuff Works dot com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. 3 00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:15,560 Speaker 1: I'm to blame a chuk rewarding and I'm scared Dolly, 4 00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:18,280 Speaker 1: and we've we've really enjoyed the topics that we've been 5 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:21,200 Speaker 1: covering lately, but there's one thing that's been missing, and 6 00:00:21,239 --> 00:00:25,439 Speaker 1: we've really been missing it, and that is a proper exhamation. 7 00:00:26,079 --> 00:00:28,400 Speaker 1: And that's why I really perked up when listener Will 8 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:31,760 Speaker 1: suggested a podcast on tamer Lane, which offers us not 9 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:36,600 Speaker 1: only an exhimation and a curse, but, as he describes it, 10 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:39,080 Speaker 1: a person who is a patron of the arts, a 11 00:00:39,159 --> 00:00:42,879 Speaker 1: military genius, and a bloodthirsty conqueror all wrapped up in 12 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:45,680 Speaker 1: one sounds right up our alley. It does, and it 13 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:48,800 Speaker 1: was funny because when Will suggested this, he mentioned that 14 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:50,920 Speaker 1: he found it because he had just moved to a 15 00:00:50,960 --> 00:00:52,880 Speaker 1: new city and he didn't know anybody, so he was 16 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:57,960 Speaker 1: researching bloody conquests. That's something a little ominous. Will it does. 17 00:00:58,000 --> 00:00:59,800 Speaker 1: I can't say, well that that's going to make you 18 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:01,960 Speaker 1: a lot of friends, but it definitely gets us on 19 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:04,960 Speaker 1: your side. But back to tamer Lane. He's also known 20 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:08,960 Speaker 1: as Tiamore, and he wasn't your average ruthless warrior. He 21 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:12,200 Speaker 1: conquered an empire that stretched from the Aegean to the Ganges, 22 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:16,200 Speaker 1: and he's been called the last great nomad, predator, one 23 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:20,199 Speaker 1: of history's most notorious psychopaths, and the scourge of God. 24 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 1: He's even claimed ascent from Genghis Khan, which is gonna 25 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:26,200 Speaker 1: make sense when we look at his life a little later. 26 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:29,360 Speaker 1: So with that kind of street cred, it's clear that 27 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:31,679 Speaker 1: there are a lot of stories that we could tell 28 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 1: about this guy. But to keep things simple, we're going 29 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:38,280 Speaker 1: to focus on his last major battle, which was the 30 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 1: Battle of Ankara, in which he went up against another 31 00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:45,000 Speaker 1: great force, the Ottoman Empire, and you really get to 32 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:47,880 Speaker 1: see the tactics that made him who he was when 33 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:50,840 Speaker 1: when you look at this battle closely, and the battle 34 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:53,480 Speaker 1: itself is is pretty famous. It makes an appearance in 35 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:57,600 Speaker 1: our old friend Christopher Marlowe's play Timberland the Great, and 36 00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:01,320 Speaker 1: even though in that case, you know it's been dramatized, 37 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 1: the events surrounding our protagonist in this player fictionalized. So 38 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:07,920 Speaker 1: we're going to start with some something with some real 39 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:12,680 Speaker 1: historical truth to it. The early days of tumor's life. Yes, 40 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:15,720 Speaker 1: he was born with the name Timore, which means iron 41 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:19,600 Speaker 1: in Turkic, on April eight, thirteen thirty six in Kesh, 42 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:23,120 Speaker 1: which is south of Summer Kand and what is now Uzbekistan, 43 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:25,680 Speaker 1: and his father was a minor chief of the bar 44 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:28,880 Speaker 1: Lass tribe and settled in that area at the heart 45 00:02:28,919 --> 00:02:32,840 Speaker 1: of the crumbling Mongol Empire, which was breaking apart into 46 00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:37,160 Speaker 1: warring factions ruled by descendants of Genghis Khan. And these 47 00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:40,239 Speaker 1: were the three factions, the Choga Tai Khanate, the ill 48 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:44,560 Speaker 1: Knnied Dynasty, and the so called Golden Horde. So the 49 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:47,679 Speaker 1: Barlass were part of the Chagatai Khanate, which had its 50 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:51,680 Speaker 1: own trouble with tensions between nomadic tribes and those who 51 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:53,320 Speaker 1: wanted to settle life. So there was a lot of 52 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:56,840 Speaker 1: tribal in fighting, yeah, as well as these grander model 53 00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:00,880 Speaker 1: in fighting tensions. So a lot going on. But Timur 54 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 1: came up in this environment and started out as kind 55 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:08,639 Speaker 1: of a bandit really, probably participating in these intertribal disputes, 56 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 1: but also doing just some plain old criminal stuff. It 57 00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 1: was during a raid while he was still a young man. 58 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:18,520 Speaker 1: Some say he was stealing sheep. That he was injured 59 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:21,079 Speaker 1: in his right arm and leg, and his right arm 60 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:25,040 Speaker 1: was just left completely useless, and because of the injuries 61 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:28,040 Speaker 1: in his right leg, he walked with a limp. So 62 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:31,520 Speaker 1: this is what actually led to that western name. Tamberline 63 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:36,360 Speaker 1: was originally timor e length or two more the lame, 64 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:40,560 Speaker 1: which was obviously not a flattering title. It was something 65 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:43,960 Speaker 1: used by his enemies to to mock him. Yeah, but 66 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:46,840 Speaker 1: even after those injuries, it's interesting, he was still a 67 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:49,560 Speaker 1: force to be reckoned with. He was a big, strong 68 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:52,440 Speaker 1: guy with a large head and a long beard of 69 00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 1: a reddish hue, or that's what said of him anyway. 70 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:58,120 Speaker 1: And he became a skilled horseman and a superior soldier, 71 00:03:58,160 --> 00:04:01,000 Speaker 1: and he quickly built up a following. And then in 72 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:04,200 Speaker 1: thirteen sixty one, Teamour took charge of the area around 73 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:07,839 Speaker 1: Summer kand when he swore allegiance to took look who 74 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:10,640 Speaker 1: had taken over the Chagatai Khanate. And when took Luk 75 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:13,880 Speaker 1: died not long after, Teamore actually formed an alliance with 76 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:17,479 Speaker 1: another tribal chief named Hussain, and they split up the 77 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:20,280 Speaker 1: areas and kind of put down the other warring tribes 78 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:24,159 Speaker 1: and took over ruling this area. Yeah, but eventually Timore 79 00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:27,960 Speaker 1: even turned on Hussein and defeated him. So working his 80 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:31,360 Speaker 1: way up all the while, and by thirteen seventy he 81 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:33,800 Speaker 1: was just in his early thirties. He was at that 82 00:04:33,880 --> 00:04:37,719 Speaker 1: point the ruler of the Chekatai Khanate, which had its 83 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:41,600 Speaker 1: capital at Summer Kan. So he had gone from just 84 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:44,919 Speaker 1: being the son of one of these local tribes to 85 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:49,119 Speaker 1: ruling the whole khan Yeah. And this is the point 86 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:51,680 Speaker 1: that also he starts claiming to be a descendant of 87 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:54,880 Speaker 1: Genghis Khan. The more most sources indicate that this is 88 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:59,880 Speaker 1: probably unlikely. And he's announcing his goal of re establishing 89 00:04:59,880 --> 00:05:04,200 Speaker 1: the Mongol Empire. So he's establishing the strategy of war 90 00:05:04,360 --> 00:05:07,320 Speaker 1: abroad and peace or a more subtled life at home, 91 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:10,479 Speaker 1: which satisfies kind of everyone. It satisfies those who want 92 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:13,279 Speaker 1: new conquests as well as those who wanted the more stable, 93 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:17,280 Speaker 1: settled life. He re establishes and monopolizes the Silk Road 94 00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:20,800 Speaker 1: and spends the thirteen eighties and nineties invading and conquering 95 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:27,920 Speaker 1: many areas, including Persia, Iraq, Armenia, Georgia, Anatolia, Syria, all 96 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:31,520 Speaker 1: of Central Asia, Northern India, and the approaches to China 97 00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:35,360 Speaker 1: and much of southern Russia too. Probably his longest struggle though, 98 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:39,000 Speaker 1: was that against the Golden Horde, one of those original 99 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:42,120 Speaker 1: warring factions that we talked about, and he finally defeated 100 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:45,239 Speaker 1: them in thirteen. So we've got to talk about how 101 00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:47,280 Speaker 1: he did all of this. I mean, that's a pretty 102 00:05:47,320 --> 00:05:51,159 Speaker 1: impressive list. You just strattled off there to Lena. First 103 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:54,040 Speaker 1: of all, he was really scary. I mean, that was 104 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:57,960 Speaker 1: his prime way of conquering all of these territories. He 105 00:05:58,040 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 1: served up his invasions with a keeping helping of violence. 106 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:05,839 Speaker 1: You could say he would basically come in, destroy entire cities, 107 00:06:06,279 --> 00:06:11,120 Speaker 1: massacre their entire populations, and then build towers or pyramids 108 00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:13,880 Speaker 1: out of their severed heads. Seriously, Yeah, that was kind 109 00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:17,480 Speaker 1: of his trademark. It was in Isfahan in Central Asia, 110 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:20,200 Speaker 1: for example, he demanded that each of his soldiers take 111 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:23,960 Speaker 1: a severed head, and it amounted to seventy thousand total 112 00:06:24,040 --> 00:06:27,320 Speaker 1: that were built into towers, and another city, two thousand 113 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:30,400 Speaker 1: people were cemented together to make a living tower. So, 114 00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:32,520 Speaker 1: I mean, you hear numbers like this all the time. 115 00:06:32,600 --> 00:06:37,120 Speaker 1: Seventy thousand, ninety twenty thousand. These are the numbers that 116 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:41,600 Speaker 1: were involved in these massacres, and uh, it's sort of amazing, well, 117 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:44,000 Speaker 1: and it makes you reconsider what he was actually out 118 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:47,240 Speaker 1: there doing to Richard Cavendish in History Today called these 119 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:50,800 Speaker 1: quote more in the nature of large scale looting expeditions 120 00:06:50,839 --> 00:06:53,680 Speaker 1: than empire building, and it it does seem that way. 121 00:06:53,720 --> 00:06:56,239 Speaker 1: And it's really no wonder that people were so afraid 122 00:06:56,240 --> 00:07:00,000 Speaker 1: of him, because he used fear as a compelling weapon 123 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:02,760 Speaker 1: and as much as any of his other tactics, which 124 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:07,360 Speaker 1: also included things like lightning advances and feigned retreats and ambushes. 125 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:10,440 Speaker 1: So he was smart in a military sense, but it 126 00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:14,120 Speaker 1: was the spear tactic that really accomplished things in the end. 127 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:17,360 Speaker 1: He would even send secret agents ahead of troops to 128 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:21,640 Speaker 1: spread rumors about atrocity, so cities would get scared and 129 00:07:21,680 --> 00:07:23,600 Speaker 1: sort of lay down their arms. Not that that would 130 00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:25,680 Speaker 1: really help them very much in the end. No, it 131 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:28,280 Speaker 1: didn't done a lot of cases. But Teymour was also 132 00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:32,360 Speaker 1: somewhat contradictory and that he wasn't just a killing machine. 133 00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:36,280 Speaker 1: He was also a fine chess player. He actually created 134 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:38,880 Speaker 1: the game of tamer Lane chess, and he enjoyed a 135 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:42,800 Speaker 1: good theological discussion now and again he engaged scholars in debate. 136 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:46,840 Speaker 1: He also did a lot to beautify his capital summercand 137 00:07:47,160 --> 00:07:51,280 Speaker 1: He encouraged art, their literature, science, and public works. And 138 00:07:51,320 --> 00:07:53,200 Speaker 1: it seems like the one group of people that he 139 00:07:53,280 --> 00:07:56,680 Speaker 1: consistently spared when he did loot these towns where the 140 00:07:57,320 --> 00:08:01,400 Speaker 1: cities artisans, they're fine crafts, and he would bring them 141 00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:05,520 Speaker 1: back to to his capital and have them beautify it 142 00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:08,400 Speaker 1: and build new buildings and and just make it a 143 00:08:08,440 --> 00:08:11,320 Speaker 1: better place. That's kind of ironic, though, when you consider 144 00:08:11,480 --> 00:08:16,400 Speaker 1: that Timour himself spent very little time in his capital. No, 145 00:08:16,760 --> 00:08:18,840 Speaker 1: he usually only stayed there for a few days at 146 00:08:18,840 --> 00:08:22,040 Speaker 1: a time. He was truly a nomad. He personally led 147 00:08:22,080 --> 00:08:25,400 Speaker 1: all of his campaigns and he was constantly campaigning. He 148 00:08:25,480 --> 00:08:27,720 Speaker 1: was in Summer con for about two years at the 149 00:08:27,800 --> 00:08:30,720 Speaker 1: end of the thirteen nineties, but then invaded India in 150 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:35,559 Speaker 1: thirt officially because the Sultan of Delhi wasn't persecuting the 151 00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:37,520 Speaker 1: Hindus enough, but it kind of just seemed like an 152 00:08:37,520 --> 00:08:41,920 Speaker 1: excuse of the house exactly, and he ended up destroying 153 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:45,400 Speaker 1: Deli and he killed a hundred thousand civilians and according 154 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:47,840 Speaker 1: to most sources, this took more than a century for 155 00:08:47,960 --> 00:08:51,680 Speaker 1: the city to recover from. So even after that bloody 156 00:08:51,800 --> 00:08:55,199 Speaker 1: Indian campaign, he still had a couple empires left to 157 00:08:55,240 --> 00:08:58,959 Speaker 1: polish off. One was the mom Luke Empire in Syria 158 00:08:59,040 --> 00:09:02,480 Speaker 1: in Egypt, and he sacked Damascus in fourteen oh one. 159 00:09:02,600 --> 00:09:06,240 Speaker 1: Classic fear tactics kind of stuff went on there, and 160 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:10,319 Speaker 1: then the only place left standing was the Ottoman Empire 161 00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:13,320 Speaker 1: in Turkey, which at the time was led by Sultan 162 00:09:13,640 --> 00:09:16,560 Speaker 1: by a z the First and by a Ze who 163 00:09:16,559 --> 00:09:19,920 Speaker 1: was also known as the Thunderbolt. Wasn't really a guy 164 00:09:20,040 --> 00:09:22,640 Speaker 1: to be messed with. I mean, if anybody was going 165 00:09:22,679 --> 00:09:25,920 Speaker 1: to go up against Tamerlane, it seems like the Sultan 166 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:28,440 Speaker 1: would be the guy to do it. Definitely. He was 167 00:09:28,520 --> 00:09:31,120 Speaker 1: also a proven general. He had defeated the Serbs at 168 00:09:31,160 --> 00:09:34,880 Speaker 1: Kosovo intight nine and then killed his own brother to 169 00:09:34,960 --> 00:09:37,400 Speaker 1: solidify his position at the head of the empire, so 170 00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:39,959 Speaker 1: absolutely seems like someone who could go toe to toe 171 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:43,320 Speaker 1: with Teamore. And that Kosovo victory had also launched a 172 00:09:43,360 --> 00:09:46,839 Speaker 1: European crusade against him, which by a Ze'd also put down. 173 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:50,000 Speaker 1: So like Teamore, he had a very disciplined army though 174 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:53,720 Speaker 1: many of them were Christian drawn from conquered lands in Europe. 175 00:09:54,160 --> 00:09:56,360 Speaker 1: The most famous part of this army of his, though, 176 00:09:56,440 --> 00:10:00,440 Speaker 1: was probably his elite Janissary infantry. They were taken from 177 00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:03,600 Speaker 1: their families at an early age and educated in war 178 00:10:03,679 --> 00:10:06,240 Speaker 1: and in Islam, and their single mission in life would 179 00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:08,920 Speaker 1: be to fight for their faith. They had a cavalry 180 00:10:08,960 --> 00:10:11,960 Speaker 1: to and a more significant infantry even than Teamore had, 181 00:10:12,080 --> 00:10:14,280 Speaker 1: so a lot to go up against, so it was 182 00:10:14,280 --> 00:10:16,560 Speaker 1: clear that defeating by a Zeed wasn't going to be simple. 183 00:10:16,920 --> 00:10:19,600 Speaker 1: But Teamwoar couldn't ignore him either. By a Zeed had 184 00:10:19,640 --> 00:10:24,040 Speaker 1: antagonized him by giving refuge to Teamor's enemies and attacking 185 00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:26,240 Speaker 1: areas that were under his control, he had to be 186 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:30,320 Speaker 1: put down, essentially, and negotiations had been going on between 187 00:10:30,360 --> 00:10:32,640 Speaker 1: the two men for some time, but by this point 188 00:10:32,640 --> 00:10:37,200 Speaker 1: the situation had devolved into essentially an exchange of insults. 189 00:10:37,280 --> 00:10:41,200 Speaker 1: War had to had to finally follow that. So Teamor's 190 00:10:41,280 --> 00:10:44,800 Speaker 1: forces invaded the Ottoman domain in the spring of fourteen 191 00:10:44,800 --> 00:10:47,839 Speaker 1: o two, and they felt pretty ready because they had 192 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:52,400 Speaker 1: already laid waste to all of the regions surrounding the empire, 193 00:10:52,559 --> 00:10:55,959 Speaker 1: so they didn't have to worry about anybody immediately rushing 194 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:58,560 Speaker 1: into the aid of by A Zeed. And to add 195 00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:01,600 Speaker 1: to that, Teamor's army had also called up some fresh 196 00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:05,360 Speaker 1: reserves from samarcand so they were really ready to go 197 00:11:05,440 --> 00:11:08,360 Speaker 1: out and and fight the janissaries and and fight by 198 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:11,120 Speaker 1: Zed's army. Yeah, they started out by trying to use 199 00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:14,160 Speaker 1: that fear thing with the last Ottoman delegation that had 200 00:11:14,200 --> 00:11:16,600 Speaker 1: come to negotiate with them. They kind of showed off 201 00:11:16,600 --> 00:11:19,600 Speaker 1: their reserves, you know, showed off their elephants and everything 202 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:22,080 Speaker 1: that they had with them, and and it kind of worked. 203 00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:24,440 Speaker 1: By a Zeed's army, they were probably pretty impressed by this. 204 00:11:24,679 --> 00:11:26,440 Speaker 1: But by A Zed at the time had his forces 205 00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:29,480 Speaker 1: concentrated in a Kara, which was a city that commanded 206 00:11:29,480 --> 00:11:33,600 Speaker 1: the approaches to Constantinople and the Ottoman capital of Brusa. 207 00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:37,360 Speaker 1: So at this point he's really at a crossroads. He 208 00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:40,160 Speaker 1: has a decision to make do I stay here or 209 00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:42,880 Speaker 1: do I go out and meet Teamore's army head on, 210 00:11:43,400 --> 00:11:46,520 Speaker 1: And he decides to march eastward toward Teamore, acting on 211 00:11:46,559 --> 00:11:50,320 Speaker 1: the information that Teamurs forces are marching northwest took Cot 212 00:11:50,559 --> 00:11:52,480 Speaker 1: so he thinks he knows where he's going and he 213 00:11:52,520 --> 00:11:54,959 Speaker 1: thinks he has the advantage over Teamore at this point. 214 00:11:55,120 --> 00:11:58,240 Speaker 1: But that's not Teamor's plan after all. Maybe it was 215 00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:02,920 Speaker 1: because that proposed approach was too mountainous. Maybe because Teamore 216 00:12:03,040 --> 00:12:07,079 Speaker 1: knew that by Zid expected him to go northwest. Teamore 217 00:12:07,160 --> 00:12:11,439 Speaker 1: instead moved southwest and made this loop north and then 218 00:12:11,480 --> 00:12:15,160 Speaker 1: further west again, all the way back around to Ankara, 219 00:12:15,280 --> 00:12:18,960 Speaker 1: where he laid siege to the city and Teamore actually 220 00:12:19,160 --> 00:12:21,800 Speaker 1: suits up for this. He's sixty six years old, but 221 00:12:22,080 --> 00:12:25,959 Speaker 1: he's not about to miss any campaign after this long 222 00:12:26,000 --> 00:12:29,640 Speaker 1: military career. Yeah, by a Zide had figured out the 223 00:12:29,679 --> 00:12:33,040 Speaker 1: location of Teamours forces through a couple of skirmishes and 224 00:12:33,160 --> 00:12:36,760 Speaker 1: rushes back to Ankara. And here's where by Zeine misses 225 00:12:36,880 --> 00:12:40,520 Speaker 1: a really key opportunity. Instead of catching Team More off 226 00:12:40,559 --> 00:12:44,000 Speaker 1: guard and attacking immediately, he chooses to give battle the 227 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:46,640 Speaker 1: following day to give his forces a chance to rest. 228 00:12:47,040 --> 00:12:50,040 Speaker 1: Seems to make sense, right, but this takes away the 229 00:12:50,080 --> 00:12:53,000 Speaker 1: surprise advantage and also gives them plenty of time to 230 00:12:53,080 --> 00:12:57,240 Speaker 1: dehydrate in the heat of July because Teamore has actually 231 00:12:57,320 --> 00:13:01,120 Speaker 1: diverted the only available water supply. He's been really busy. 232 00:13:01,360 --> 00:13:04,520 Speaker 1: He has while waiting for Bayazeeds Army Team Wars forces 233 00:13:04,559 --> 00:13:08,440 Speaker 1: had built a diversion dam upstreet on Kubook Creek with 234 00:13:08,480 --> 00:13:11,040 Speaker 1: a breach in it that would let the creek continue 235 00:13:11,040 --> 00:13:13,880 Speaker 1: flowing downstream until they decided to close it. So see 236 00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:18,439 Speaker 1: it looked like yeah, exactly. Then they made a reservoir 237 00:13:18,600 --> 00:13:22,440 Speaker 1: on a western tributary downstream and a canal was dug 238 00:13:22,480 --> 00:13:25,640 Speaker 1: from the diversion dam to the reservoir to funnel off 239 00:13:25,679 --> 00:13:28,600 Speaker 1: the streams remaining water when the dam was sealed off. 240 00:13:29,120 --> 00:13:31,319 Speaker 1: And this was made possible. I mean, it may seem 241 00:13:31,400 --> 00:13:34,680 Speaker 1: just completely unbelievable, but it was possible because of the 242 00:13:34,760 --> 00:13:37,880 Speaker 1: thousands of men that were available and by Team Wars 243 00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:40,840 Speaker 1: trained elephants, which were trophies of his victory in India 244 00:13:40,880 --> 00:13:44,200 Speaker 1: that he'd brought along with him. So when by Zede arrived, 245 00:13:44,280 --> 00:13:47,400 Speaker 1: he saw the Kobuk Creek flowing, but downstream it was 246 00:13:47,440 --> 00:13:50,240 Speaker 1: actually dry and there was no other source of water 247 00:13:50,280 --> 00:13:54,079 Speaker 1: available to the Ottoman Army. Thousands of soldiers and horses 248 00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:58,520 Speaker 1: were involved here, so you definitely needed water to keep going. Exactly. 249 00:13:58,559 --> 00:14:01,000 Speaker 1: So this day of resting up turns out to be 250 00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:03,760 Speaker 1: a day of trying out in the July heat and 251 00:14:04,040 --> 00:14:07,720 Speaker 1: giving teamore the advantage to knowing that you're there. The 252 00:14:07,800 --> 00:14:12,720 Speaker 1: actual battle finally took place on July two, and according 253 00:14:12,760 --> 00:14:15,520 Speaker 1: to an article by Simon Craig and Military History, one 254 00:14:15,559 --> 00:14:19,200 Speaker 1: of our favorite sources for battle information, there were between 255 00:14:19,360 --> 00:14:22,640 Speaker 1: two hundred thousand and four hundred thousand troops on the 256 00:14:22,680 --> 00:14:27,280 Speaker 1: field altogether, and the numerical advantage probably was with Teamore. 257 00:14:27,640 --> 00:14:32,520 Speaker 1: So Teamor organized his forces into eight different detachments, and 258 00:14:32,760 --> 00:14:36,200 Speaker 1: he himself controlled the center detachment. One of his sons 259 00:14:36,240 --> 00:14:39,720 Speaker 1: commanded the left wing, and another son commanded the right wing, 260 00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:45,080 Speaker 1: and that really fresh reserve from back home was placed 261 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:47,920 Speaker 1: at the rear between the main body of the army 262 00:14:48,320 --> 00:14:52,000 Speaker 1: and the still defiant city of Ankara. So try to 263 00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:55,480 Speaker 1: imagine all of that set up, and then imagine those 264 00:14:55,520 --> 00:15:00,240 Speaker 1: elephants fresh from all of these canal projects apparent really 265 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:04,440 Speaker 1: they are wearing armor of painted leather, and the men 266 00:15:04,600 --> 00:15:06,760 Speaker 1: on top of the elephants who are who are all 267 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:09,960 Speaker 1: in front, by the way, had flame throwers, and the 268 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:14,119 Speaker 1: elephants themselves had these curved blades attached to their tusks. 269 00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:18,480 Speaker 1: And we're trained actually advance with a plunging motion to 270 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:22,120 Speaker 1: just create as much havoc as possible, as if an 271 00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:24,960 Speaker 1: elephant charging towards you wasn't scary enough. Yeah, exactly. I 272 00:15:24,960 --> 00:15:28,600 Speaker 1: mean it's assumed that these were mostly there for intimidation 273 00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:32,280 Speaker 1: or mostly there for show, but I mean a bladed elephants, 274 00:15:32,320 --> 00:15:35,440 Speaker 1: it counds really scary. Yeah, they could really do some damage. 275 00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:37,680 Speaker 1: So the Ottoman four set up across for them on 276 00:15:37,720 --> 00:15:40,480 Speaker 1: some low hills near Mountain Era and by a Ze 277 00:15:40,640 --> 00:15:43,960 Speaker 1: commanded the center, with the Army of Romelia supported by 278 00:15:44,040 --> 00:15:47,280 Speaker 1: tatars to his left and that of Anatolia backed up 279 00:15:47,280 --> 00:15:50,120 Speaker 1: by Serbs to his right, and the first clash was 280 00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:53,760 Speaker 1: between the Ottoman left and Teamar's right. The Ottomans were 281 00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:57,200 Speaker 1: repulsed at this point, um so teamore side was winning 282 00:15:57,200 --> 00:15:59,840 Speaker 1: on that end. But then Teamore launched his left wing 283 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:02,960 Speaker 1: against the Serbs on the Ottoman right, and that didn't 284 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:05,160 Speaker 1: go so well for Team Or. His forces were driven 285 00:16:05,200 --> 00:16:07,800 Speaker 1: back at first, and it really seemed like the Ottoman 286 00:16:07,800 --> 00:16:10,240 Speaker 1: forces had the advantage at that point, But then there 287 00:16:10,320 --> 00:16:13,400 Speaker 1: was a twist by ZEDs touch our forces on the 288 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:18,000 Speaker 1: left turn against him and joined up with Teamor. And 289 00:16:18,160 --> 00:16:21,680 Speaker 1: most people think that Teamwors agents had been there for 290 00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:24,560 Speaker 1: a little bit. Another another problem about waiting for a day, 291 00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:28,480 Speaker 1: Teamors agents that had time to sneak in, start talking 292 00:16:28,520 --> 00:16:32,400 Speaker 1: to people and and turn some turn some opinions. Regardless, though, 293 00:16:32,800 --> 00:16:36,960 Speaker 1: this allowed Teamor to focus on buy zds center as 294 00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:40,720 Speaker 1: by Zes left just completely crumbled, so some of the 295 00:16:40,760 --> 00:16:44,920 Speaker 1: soldiers on buy Z's right ended up switching teams as well, 296 00:16:44,960 --> 00:16:47,720 Speaker 1: and by that point it was pretty much decided. With 297 00:16:47,760 --> 00:16:52,600 Speaker 1: so much betrayal on the Ottoman Forces side, um, it 298 00:16:52,680 --> 00:16:56,040 Speaker 1: was clearly Teamor's battle. Yeah, and just a note about 299 00:16:56,080 --> 00:16:59,160 Speaker 1: the role of betrayal here, because obviously played a really 300 00:16:59,240 --> 00:17:01,840 Speaker 1: big role. In his article, Craig says that the root 301 00:17:01,920 --> 00:17:05,600 Speaker 1: of this treachery was probably low morale among bias Eds 302 00:17:05,640 --> 00:17:09,679 Speaker 1: troops as cold hearted as Teamore seemed. In fact, he 303 00:17:09,760 --> 00:17:12,280 Speaker 1: placed a big importance on the morale of his troops, 304 00:17:12,320 --> 00:17:16,199 Speaker 1: so for example, if they need a little boost in morale, 305 00:17:16,320 --> 00:17:20,360 Speaker 1: he would bring in some astrologers who would predict a 306 00:17:20,440 --> 00:17:24,160 Speaker 1: victorious outcome a lot of heads in their future. But yeah, exactly, 307 00:17:24,200 --> 00:17:27,399 Speaker 1: and I mean, come to think of it, that's what happened, right, So, 308 00:17:27,600 --> 00:17:30,480 Speaker 1: I mean it seemed to work for them, but BIASEDS 309 00:17:30,640 --> 00:17:33,240 Speaker 1: troops weren't so lucky. By Ze tried to hold his 310 00:17:33,320 --> 00:17:35,760 Speaker 1: ground for a while, but he eventually tried to flee 311 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:39,760 Speaker 1: and was captured himself. He was transported to summercond after 312 00:17:39,840 --> 00:17:42,640 Speaker 1: that and imprisoned, where he died a year later. Some 313 00:17:42,800 --> 00:17:45,560 Speaker 1: say from despair, although I'm not sure how much I 314 00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:48,720 Speaker 1: really buy into that being Team as prisoner. I mean, 315 00:17:49,160 --> 00:17:51,600 Speaker 1: I imagine that would be difficult. It's kind of amazing 316 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:53,840 Speaker 1: that he was even kept as the prisoner in the 317 00:17:53,880 --> 00:17:56,480 Speaker 1: first place. Yeah, I don't know what the reasoning behind 318 00:17:56,520 --> 00:17:58,439 Speaker 1: that was. He would think that someone is ruthless as 319 00:17:58,480 --> 00:18:00,960 Speaker 1: Teamore would just sort of have him killed off right away, 320 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:04,520 Speaker 1: But not so and tamer Lane at this point, now 321 00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:07,800 Speaker 1: approaching seventy, he's not taking a break, even though he's 322 00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:11,119 Speaker 1: finally defeated his biggest foe at the time. He is, 323 00:18:11,400 --> 00:18:15,240 Speaker 1: at that point seventy years old, planning his next campaign 324 00:18:15,359 --> 00:18:18,920 Speaker 1: in China. But he died on route to China February 325 00:18:20,320 --> 00:18:24,320 Speaker 1: oh five, luckily for people where he was headed. So 326 00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:29,080 Speaker 1: after Teamoor's death, his empire pretty much became engulfed in 327 00:18:29,160 --> 00:18:33,639 Speaker 1: civil war and disintegrated. Teamoor himself never really bothered with administration, 328 00:18:33,760 --> 00:18:37,439 Speaker 1: so there was no social, economic, or political cohesion, just 329 00:18:37,600 --> 00:18:41,320 Speaker 1: this fear of team Or. Apparently, and as Craig puts it, 330 00:18:41,400 --> 00:18:44,280 Speaker 1: the battle with sort of the end in itself for Teamor, 331 00:18:44,359 --> 00:18:47,359 Speaker 1: and He's quote perhaps best understood as a sort of 332 00:18:47,440 --> 00:18:51,640 Speaker 1: career criminal, a gangster on the grand scale. And yeah, 333 00:18:51,760 --> 00:18:54,960 Speaker 1: it makes sense that without that compelling figure behind it all, 334 00:18:55,280 --> 00:18:57,359 Speaker 1: the empire is not gonna last. But even though his 335 00:18:57,440 --> 00:19:01,240 Speaker 1: empire didn't last, Teamore himself is still revered and was 336 00:19:01,320 --> 00:19:04,040 Speaker 1: after that. He was buried in a sarcophagus covered by 337 00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:07,200 Speaker 1: a huge slab of jade and a mausoleum known as 338 00:19:07,640 --> 00:19:10,680 Speaker 1: Guri Amir. I think that's the closest I can get 339 00:19:10,760 --> 00:19:14,160 Speaker 1: to a good pronunciation of that. If anyone has any 340 00:19:14,280 --> 00:19:16,800 Speaker 1: better corrections, please let me know, or if you visited, 341 00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:19,359 Speaker 1: if you've visited, because apparently it's still called one of 342 00:19:19,359 --> 00:19:23,280 Speaker 1: the greatest treasures of Islamic architecture, and that mausoleum is 343 00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:26,760 Speaker 1: still shrouded in mystery. Legend has it that the disturber 344 00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:29,680 Speaker 1: of his tomb would be cursed, and no one really 345 00:19:29,720 --> 00:19:32,080 Speaker 1: tempted fate there, no one really tried to disturb his 346 00:19:32,160 --> 00:19:36,440 Speaker 1: tomb for more than five hundred years until in June 347 00:19:36,480 --> 00:19:40,639 Speaker 1: the Soviet Archaeological Commission opened the tomb and examined the 348 00:19:40,680 --> 00:19:44,720 Speaker 1: skeleton within, and the remains included hairs, including a few 349 00:19:44,760 --> 00:19:49,240 Speaker 1: bristles of chestnut mustache, and fragments of skin and muscle tissue, 350 00:19:49,600 --> 00:19:52,640 Speaker 1: and the measurements of the skeleton revealed that at around 351 00:19:52,760 --> 00:19:56,119 Speaker 1: a hundred seventy centimeters, Team War was actually tall for 352 00:19:56,280 --> 00:19:59,240 Speaker 1: the time and very powerful, and the injuries on his 353 00:19:59,359 --> 00:20:02,359 Speaker 1: right side were confirmed. Then he was in fact lame 354 00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:04,439 Speaker 1: because his right leg was shorter than his left, and 355 00:20:04,480 --> 00:20:08,200 Speaker 1: his whole frame was kind of twisted. And one scientist 356 00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:11,200 Speaker 1: involved actually used the skull to make a facial reconstruction, 357 00:20:11,280 --> 00:20:13,199 Speaker 1: so we can see what his features look like. What 358 00:20:13,280 --> 00:20:17,160 Speaker 1: about the curse? What about the curse? That's a good question. Well, 359 00:20:17,400 --> 00:20:21,080 Speaker 1: some say it came true. It was Soviet scientists involved, 360 00:20:21,119 --> 00:20:26,840 Speaker 1: and days after the tomb was opened, Hitler attacked Soviet Russia. Yeah, 361 00:20:27,040 --> 00:20:30,040 Speaker 1: that's a pretty serious curse. That is a pretty serious curse. 362 00:20:30,119 --> 00:20:32,639 Speaker 1: But he was a pretty scary guy Team War was. 363 00:20:32,800 --> 00:20:35,439 Speaker 1: So I think that it's only appropriate now that we 364 00:20:35,480 --> 00:20:38,320 Speaker 1: move on to a little less serious of a listener mail. 365 00:20:40,119 --> 00:20:43,119 Speaker 1: This letter comes to us from Ariel in Washington, d C. 366 00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:45,920 Speaker 1: And she says Hi, Sarah Dublina. I just listened to 367 00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:48,119 Speaker 1: your podcast on ned Kelly the other day and I 368 00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:50,399 Speaker 1: wanted to let you know about something funny that happened 369 00:20:50,440 --> 00:20:52,640 Speaker 1: to me. I was waiting in line at a baseball 370 00:20:52,640 --> 00:20:54,720 Speaker 1: game to get a snack when I noticed that there 371 00:20:54,720 --> 00:20:57,800 Speaker 1: were two Australian guys in front of me. Online they 372 00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:00,040 Speaker 1: ordered the biggest bucket of French fries on the in 373 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:02,280 Speaker 1: you and one of them remarked to the other that 374 00:21:02,320 --> 00:21:05,159 Speaker 1: the bucket was as big as ned Kelly's helmet. I 375 00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:07,800 Speaker 1: knew what they were talking about. Had I not heard 376 00:21:07,840 --> 00:21:10,200 Speaker 1: your podcast, I would have been confused by the conversation 377 00:21:10,240 --> 00:21:12,919 Speaker 1: I eas dropped on. Thanks for the awesome podcast and 378 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:17,439 Speaker 1: keep them coming so understanding obscure Australian units of measure 379 00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:21,119 Speaker 1: of a surprising bonus to listening to Steffy mist in 380 00:21:21,240 --> 00:21:25,000 Speaker 1: History clock. Yeah, so helping eavesdroppers everywhere. If we can 381 00:21:25,040 --> 00:21:27,000 Speaker 1: help you with a particular topic that you want to 382 00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:29,760 Speaker 1: know more about, you can write us at History Podcast 383 00:21:29,840 --> 00:21:31,680 Speaker 1: at how stuff works dot com, or you can look 384 00:21:31,760 --> 00:21:34,600 Speaker 1: us up on Twitter at myston history or on Facebook. 385 00:21:34,600 --> 00:21:36,320 Speaker 1: And if you want to learn a little bit more 386 00:21:36,480 --> 00:21:41,120 Speaker 1: about Termerlaine supposed relative Genghiz Khan. We do have an 387 00:21:41,200 --> 00:21:44,800 Speaker 1: article on that famous warrior. It's called did Genghiz Khan 388 00:21:44,960 --> 00:21:48,560 Speaker 1: Kill one point seven million people in an hour? You 389 00:21:48,600 --> 00:21:50,919 Speaker 1: can find it by searching for Genghis Khan on our 390 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:58,639 Speaker 1: home page at www dot how stuff works dot com. 391 00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:01,320 Speaker 1: Be sure to check out our new deo podcast, Stuff 392 00:22:01,359 --> 00:22:04,000 Speaker 1: from the Future. Join how staff Work staff as we 393 00:22:04,040 --> 00:22:08,760 Speaker 1: explore the most promising and perplexing possibilities of tomorrow. The 394 00:22:08,840 --> 00:22:11,840 Speaker 1: hou Stuff Works iPhone app has arrived. Download it today 395 00:22:12,080 --> 00:22:12,760 Speaker 1: on iTunes.