Siege of Isfahan (1387)
The Siege of Isfahan (1387) was part of Timur’s Persian campaigns. Timur captured the city from the Muzaffarid dynasty, resulting in heavy casualties and its incorporation into the Timurid Empire.
| Siege of Isfahan | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Timurid conquests in Persia | |||||||||
.jpg) “Timur’s forces capture Isfahan in 1387, as depicted in a 16th-century Persian miniature from the Zafarnama.” | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Timurid Empire | Muzaffarid dynasty | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Timur | Unknown Muzaffarid governor | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| ~20,000–30,000 troops | ~15,000–25,000 troops | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Unknown | Heavy; many killed, wounded, or captured; significant civilian deaths | ||||||||
Background
To annex the Muzaffarid kingdom, Timur would have to capture its two main cities: Isfahan and Shiraz. In 1387, when Timur arrived with his army at Isfahan, it immediately surrendered, and he treated it with relative mercy, as he normally did with cities that surrendered.
Siege
Soon after, Isfahan revolted against Timur’s taxes by killing the tax collectors and some of his soldiers. Timur laid siege to the city and recaptured it with little effort.
Massacre of citizens
After restoring his control over the city, he ordered the massacre of the citizens who had resisted; the death toll has been estimated between 70,000 – 200,000.Chaliand, Gerard; Arnaud Blin (2007). The History of Terrorism: From Antiquity to Al Qaeda. University of California Press. p. 87. ISBN 978-0-520-24709-3. isfahan Timur.
Encyclopaedia Iranica, Volume 1. ISBN 978-0933273993. the 1387 siege of Isfahan under Timur's personal direction ended in the slaughter of some 70,000 denizens of the city
Christensen, Peter (1993). The Decline of Iranshahr. Museum Tusculanum Press. p. 148. ISBN 9788772892597. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
An eyewitness counted more than 28 towers constructed of about 1,500 heads each. This has been described as a “systematic use of terror against towns…an integral element of Tamerlane’s strategic method,” which he viewed as preventing bloodshed by discouraging resistance. His massacres were selective, sparing those who were artistic and educated. This would later influence the next great Iranian conqueror, Nader ShahAxworthy, Michael. The Sword of Persia..
Aftermath
After the massacre, Isfahan remained loyal to Timur, and he then went on to capture Shiraz. Unlike the events following the Siege of Herat, Timur did not destroy any buildings or architecture, allowing the city to retain its importance and influence in Persia.[citation needed]
References