History vs. Tamerlane the Conqueror - Stephanie Honchell Smith

Tamerlane was one of history’s greatest conquerors— but was he a great state builder or a bloodthirsty tyrant? You decide.

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He was born in the 1330s in the Chaghatayid Khanate, formerly the Mongol Empire. On the steppe, he rose from a lowly sheep thief to become one of history’s greatest conquerors, uniting nearly all of Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Iran under his rule. But was he a great state builder or a bloodthirsty tyrant? Stephanie Honchell Smith puts this controversial figure on trial in History vs. Tamerlane.

Lesson by Stephanie Honchell Smith, directed by Brett Underhill, PorkchopBob Studio.

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[seanmcloughlin]

Fun fact.

His tomb was unsealed by a Soviet archeological team on June 20th 1941 and sent to Moscow, with a warning that a curse would be put on the those who removed him from his final resting place. 2 days later Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union began.

And even more supposedly at the height of the battle of Stalingrad Stalin ordered the immediate return of Timurs body to his tomb in Samarkand. And wouldn’t ya know right after it was returned the German army in Stalingrad was surrounded.

Coincidence???
Almost certainly, still interesting tho.

[bekad]

Thank you! Finally something about Central Asia. There are so many interesting stories and historical figures, but somehow world ignores them. I hope it will change.

[frogglen]

Ted Ed should really do more of these. I'm not sure why there aren't more history vs videos.

[NguyenHoang-mohs]

Tamerlane in Uzbekistan’s history: great ruler.

Tamerlane in everyone else’s history: brutal tyrant.

[abdumalikfayziev]

i'm from uzbekistan and i want to thank you guys for your effort of properly passing the correct information to the audience :)

[teststudent]

Right when we thought this series was dead, it returned ❤️

[FERUZE_]

I’m from Uzbekistan 🇺🇿 I was very surprised. The whole world knows us, our history, our ancestors. it's really nice 😢😢😢😢👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[epicmusic]

There are so many historical figures that would be perfect for this awesome series.
Especially ones which are dragged into controversy like Gandhi, Churchill, The Mughals, Emperor Diocletian, Woodrow Wilson, Ulyssses S Grant and a whole lot more people.

[Blurrybob]

It feels me with some another kind of joy to see what we learned from school about our ancestor in a Ted-Ed video. Love from Uzbekistan.

[m.islamnafees]

I really love the fact that the judge himself is learning through the heated debates

[celinanamalambo]

I would love to see a history against Shaka the Zulu. He's celebrated as one of Africa's greatest warriors and did many things to forward the Zulu nation but was also brutal and cruel to enemies.

[TheDressIsntGold]

IVE LITERALLY BEEN WAITING YEARS FOR THIS SERIES TO COME BACK!!! IM SO HAPPY

[uberfeel]

Timur was so brutal that when he was alive many people from the west and to the east thought he was genghis khan reincarnated.

[oliviamcnally]

I love that you guy keeping this series active. I would recommend doing Marie Antoinette next since she is a very debated character in history. Or the first empress of China since she also very debated person too.

[NL-wsfv]

I always love these type of TedEd videos. Gives a good perspective on historical figures and develops an interesting setting for discussion.
I would love to see one on Cardinal Richelieu. There is so much fodder for being a grand diplomat and architect of the modern European state, but at the same time being a ruthless administrator and father of nationalism.

[alvinkoeswanto]

"One's hero is another one's villain" is the theme of this series.

[sarvarbekrahmatjonov]

We are proud that we have such a great forefather😎🇺🇿

[Abdulhafiz-eiie]

I am from Uzbekistan. Amir Temur was born in 1336 in the present-day Kashkadarya region of Uzbekistan. Any negative word directed at him is wrong and an insult to Uzbeks!

[pixistypses]

As a Georgian, I must say he was one of the most brutal and bloodthirsty tyrant the middle ages have ever seen.

[comunistas]

"Timur had wiped out 10 percent of the human population, he had declard that his campaign in India had been a holy war. Declaring himself the sword of Islam, but seeing that his victims from Anatolia to Indus river were Muslims, the proper description associated with Timur was the Prince of destruction."