Timurid Architecture (15th Century)

Although the Chaghatai Khans had accepted Islam before,they were not scrit in following its requerements.Thic fact had offened the Ulema,the Shaykhs,and Sayyids,so that when Timur had entered Samarkand as the governor of Transox_ ania,appointed by Tughluq Temur,the people of Samarkand had welcomed him as a hero.(27)

After acquiring full power and the title of Ship-qiran in Balkh, Timur be gan to fulfill the promises that he had made to the Sayyids and Shaykhs. He also diminished the exiting precedence of the Yasa of Chinggis over the religious law or the S haira.(28) For matters concerning of Koranic law,be appointed Cadi's and he established certain regulations to prevent conflicts between the Yasa and the Sharia.

Timur not only constructed new canals,but also gave them Turkish names. We see that most of the irrigation canals were named after his Turkish emirs. We know from the works of geographers of the tenth century, such as Istakhri and Muqaddasi and from Yaqut Hamami, who was in Transoxania and Khorezm during the period of the Khorezmshahs, that most cities, towns and villages had Arabic and Iranian names.(33) But later, Nafiz Arbu gave the names two twenty canals constructed by Timur's order, and nine of these canals bear the names of Timur's emirs.

The improvemet of agriculte was one of the main objectives of Timur.For instance,the city of Urgench,the population of which had been mostly put to sword by Chinggis Khan,was ordered by Timur to be repopulated and sowed wiht barley.(34) At his time, Samarkand was a Center of productivity in many lines.Agriculture was encouraged with irrigational development.Sericultere was promoted and the artisans that were brought into the capital included skilled workers from many parts of southwest Asia.(35) In order to encourage agricultere,Timur had imposed a new tax system.The new tax was fixed at a third of the produce on all irrigated land,besides a certain due for useing water from the public reservoirs;but any culvivator who built a thank,planted a grove,or brought new land under cultivation paid no revenue for the first and second years. (36) His strong hand was extended no less over agricultere and industry,than over commerce.The land was fertilized by artificial irrigation .Canals,bridges,orchards and workshops abuonded.He promoted sericultere and transferred to Samarkand the ablest silk-spinners and silk-weavers of Persia and Syria.He commanded that commanded that cotton, hemp,and flax should be planted,and forced the most famous pruducers of cotton textiles to settle in Samarkand.(37) Timur carried on these policies not only in Transoxania and the Westren regions but also in the east.After returning to Samarkand from his campaign to the Golden Horde in 1397,he sent Amirzade Muhammad Sultan to Moghulistan and gave him the order to carry out constructions and agriculture.(38) Later,the sons and the descandants of Timur also encouraged agriculture.For example,Ulugh Beg bestowed grants on people who cultivated land.