Preface
At the crossroads of history, sometimes the choices and decisions of rulers can determine the course of an entire era. Timur (also known as Timur) was a powerful monarch of the Mongol Empire, and his actions undoubtedly profoundly shaped the historical pattern of Central and West Asia.
However, there is a puzzling mystery: Why, after the victory over the Ottoman Empire, did not choose to continue to expand the power of the West, but turned his attention to the Ming Dynasty in the East? What is the story behind this decision?
1. Ambition
The Battle of Ankara in 1402 was one of the most brilliant achievements in Timur's life. In the face of the mighty Ottoman Empire, the Mongol noble-born sultan easily won a decisive victory with his superb strategic vision and brave iron cavalry. Sultan Bayezid I was captured alive, and the Ottoman Empire was on the verge of collapse.
This victory greatly enhanced Timur's self-confidence and ambition. As a Mongol, he was influenced by Genghis Khan from an early age. The iron-blooded lord of the battlefield once unified the Eurasian continent and established the Great Mongol Empire that spanned half the world. And Timur wanted to reproduce this glory.
In Timur's view, the Ottoman Empire was nothing more than an obstacle in his path to conquest. Once this problem is solved, the next target is the mysterious and wealthy Ming Dynasty.
Timur was well aware of China's geography and military intelligence, thanks to the close ties of the remnants of the Northern Yuan forces at the time. He carefully devised an offensive route from Central Asia to Beijing and made ample logistical preparations.
It can be seen that Timur is determined to fight to the death with the Ming Dynasty. Because only by taking this important territory of China can he truly reproduce the glory of the Great Mongol Empire during the time of Genghis Khan. This is not only his dream, but also his responsibility and mission as a Mongolian nobleman.
However, just as Timur was preparing for the Eastern Crusade, a bloody coup d'état occurred within the Ming Dynasty. This event, known to later generations as the "Jingyan Change", provided an excellent opportunity for Timur's ambitions.
2. Expansion of Islam
In addition to his ambition to rebuild the Great Mongol Empire, Timur had another important motive – the expansion of Islamic civilization. As a devout Muslim, Timur called himself the "Sultan" and the guardian and propagator of Islam. In his eyes, conquest was for missionary purposes, and expansion was for the expansion of Islam.
This religious philosophy provided rationality and legitimacy for Timur's expansion. He can claim to be "proselytizing," not dominating. This statement will undoubtedly better motivate the Muslim soldiers to fight to the end.
For this reason, after conquering Central Asia, West Asia, and the Indian Peninsula, Timur focused on expanding the influence of Islam in the region. He would set up a pro-Islamic puppet regime there, build a large number of buildings, build mosques, and spread Islamic culture.
This would not only strengthen his rule, but also allow Islam to take root in the region. In Timur's view, this was his sacred mission as a sultan. And the next target of Timur's glance is the mysterious and rich Ming Dynasty in the east.
As an empire that embraced Islam, Timur naturally hoped to include this land in his territory and let Islamic civilization shine here. This not only satisfied his religious ideals, but also made his empire more expansive and closer to the glory of Genghis Khan. It can be said that this was another important motive for Timur's Eastern Crusade against the Ming Dynasty.
3. Glance at the Central Plains
For China, Timur had actually heard of it for a long time. As a Mongol nobleman, he naturally knew the legend of Genghis Khan's crusades and the rule of the Yuan Dynasty in the Central Plains. Moreover, the remnants of the Northern Yuan forces at that time were also inextricably linked with the Timurid Empire, providing him with a lot of military geographical information about China.
This information also provided a valuable reference for Timur's plan for the Eastern Crusade. He was well aware of China's terrain and troop deployment, and even carefully designed an offensive route from Central Asia to Beijing.
The choice of this route can be said to be one of Timur's great strategic wisdom. Starting from Khotan, passing through the Tianshan Mountains and reaching the border of the Ming Dynasty, this route is not only steep, but also lacks water resources, which is very suitable for Timur's cavalry unit that is good at mobile warfare.
At the same time, Timur was well logistically prepared. According to the recollections of the contemporaries, he prepared enough grain and grass reserves for this expedition for seven years. This undoubtedly greatly enhances the endurance of this large army, allowing them to maintain their combat effectiveness during the long journey.
It can be seen that Timur was confident about this crusade. He not only knows China's geography well, but also makes careful arrangements in terms of logistics support. This undoubtedly greatly increased his chances of victory.
In Timur's view, as long as he can capture the Ming Dynasty, he can truly reproduce the glory of the Great Mongol Empire during the Genghis Khan period. This is not only his dream, but also his responsibility and mission as a Mongolian nobleman.
Fourth, the change of Jingjing
Just as Timur was preparing for the Eastern Crusade, a bloody coup d'état occurred within the Ming Dynasty. In 1403, Zhu Di seized the throne by force in the Jingjing Rebellion and drove his nephew Zhu Yunwen off the dragon chair.
This coup d'état brought great turmoil to the Ming Dynasty, the government and the opposition were in chaos, and the border air defense was empty, which was a good time for Timur to take advantage of the weakness. At that time, the Ming Dynasty was in a state of withering talents. After the liquidation of Zhu Yuanzhang's generals, only veterans such as Zhu Neng and Yao Guangxiao can take on the banner. In terms of border defense, the Ming Dynasty's troop deployment was also quite weak.
When the general soldier Song Sheng learned the news that Timur was coming to attack, he could only rush to the battle. He knew that in the face of the attack of Timur's 200,000 elite army, the Ming Dynasty was simply powerless to resist. To make matters worse, Timur's army was only the vanguard, and he also prepared a steady stream of reinforcements in the rear.
This situation of internal and external troubles brought a huge crisis to the Ming Dynasty. Although Zhu Di seized the throne by force, he obviously could not fully control the situation. At this time, if it was fiercely attacked by Timur, I am afraid that the Ming Dynasty would not be able to escape the fate of destruction.
And at this critical moment, Timur learned the news of this martyrdom. He immediately questioned the legitimacy of the imperial power of the Ming Dynasty, pointed to the nose of the Ming envoy, and scolded Zhu Di as a usurper who "betrayed his father and killed his nephew" and should be requisitioned.
This is undoubtedly a "justifiable" excuse created by Timur for the Eastern Expedition to the Ming Dynasty. In reality, he was just looking for a reason to make a statement about his expansionist ambitions.
5. Iron Cavalry Crusade
On November 27, 1404, Timur officially left Samarkand and began his crusade. This army of 200,000 elite cavalry crossed the Syr Darya River, crossed the Altai Mountains, and rushed straight to the border of China.
During this long journey, Timur's army encountered many difficulties. Nothing is more severe than the bitterly cold climate. According to the memories of the contemporaries, many soldiers were frozen to death in the process of crossing the river and climbing the mountain.
But even in the face of such a difficult environment, Timur still gritted his teeth and persevered. He was so persistent in his dream of recreating the Great Mongol Empire. In Timur's view, as long as he can capture the Ming Dynasty, he can truly reproduce the glory of Genghis Khan's time. This was not only his personal ambition, but also his duty and mission as a Mongolian nobleman.
To this end, he did not hesitate to spend huge manpower and material resources to carefully prepare this expedition. Timur prepared enough grain and forage reserves for seven years for this crusade. This undoubtedly greatly enhances the endurance of this large army, allowing them to maintain their combat effectiveness during the long journey.
In this way, this mighty army of iron cavalry approached the Chinese border step by step. Their arrival undoubtedly brought a huge threat to the Ming Dynasty. In the face of the attack of Timur's 200,000 elite army, the border guards of the Ming Dynasty were obviously overstretched. This upcoming decisive battle will be a thrilling contest. It remains to be seen who will emerge victorious.
Sixth, sudden changes
Just when the two sides were tense, a sudden change completely changed the direction of this war. On February 18, 1405, Timur died suddenly. It is said that he fell seriously ill after an alcoholic outbreak, and eventually died.
The unexpected death of Timur undoubtedly cast a shadow over the expedition. Although his heir, Khalid, succeeded to the throne, the Timurid Empire was already in turmoil. The plan to conquer the Ming Dynasty had to be forced to abort.
This result also surprised the world at that time. After all, Timur has always been regarded as a hero of a generation, and his military talent and strategic vision have terrified countless enemies. No one thought that he would die suddenly at this critical moment. But on closer inspection, this result is not entirely unexpected. Timur's crusade faced many difficulties from the very beginning.
First, there is the issue of logistical support. Despite Timur's adequate preparations, the long journey and harsh climate brought great tests to this large army. In the process of crossing the river and climbing the mountains, many soldiers were frozen to death, which greatly depleted their combat effectiveness.
The second is the issue of internal contradictions. After all, the Timurid Empire was a large multi-ethnic empire, and internal contradictions and strife never ceased. His sudden death undoubtedly exacerbated these contradictions and made the already crumbling empire even more precarious.
In this way, Timur's ambitions fell short. And the Ming Dynasty also escaped a test of life and death.
epilogue
History is always witty, and it often strikes an unexpected turn at a critical moment. Although Timur's Eastern Crusade to the Ming Dynasty died unexpectedly, it reflected various silhouettes of that turbulent era.
An ambitious conqueror, a dynasty of internal and external troubles, the two forces collide fiercely in this land, but finally the curtain ends in a dramatic way. This forgotten story allows us to see a microcosm of the ups and downs of history.