The Sack of Baghdad: Tamerlane's 1401 Campaign Against the Jalayirids

In 1401, Tamerlane turned his armies toward Baghdad, the ancient capital of the Abbasid caliphate. Despite its diminished power under the Jalayirid dynasty, the city was a center of learning and trade. The siege lasted forty days, ending in a horrific sack that rivaled the Mongol destruction of 1258. Tamerlane's forces demolished mosques, burned libraries, and deported thousands of scholars and craftsmen to Samarkand. This episode explores the reasons behind the attack—Tamerlane's anger at Sultan Ahmad Jalayir for allying with the Ottomans and Mamluks—and the aftermath. We discuss the fate of the Abbasid shadow caliph al-Mustakfi, the destruction of the Qara Saray palace, and the legends of treasure hidden in the Tigris. Drawing on eyewitness accounts from Ibn Arabshah and the Zafarnama, we uncover how this campaign fit into Tamerlane's broader strategy of dominance and cultural transfer. A brutal but pivotal moment in Central Asian history. #Tamerlane #Baghdad #Jalayirid #1401 #SackOfBaghdad #IbnArabshah #Zafarnama #Sahib-iQiran #Mongol #Yassa #Caliphate #Samarkand #Mesopotamia #Abbasid #MedievalWarfare #Siege #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo