The notorious Turco-Mongol warlord Tamerlane is most famous for his brutal and bloody military campaigns. However, he was also a cultured ruler and patron of the arts and sciences. In fact, under Tamerlane and his descendants, the Timurid Empire saw the blossoming of cultural exchange and development while the imperial capitals of Samarkand and Herat became epicenters of extraordinary artistic and intellectual achievements. Discover how one of history’s most violent empire builders created a flourishing of Central Asian art, science, literature, and many other disciplines.   What’s in a Renaissance? The Mausoleum of Sufi mystic Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, one of the earliest examples of Timurid architecture. Source: Wikimedia Commons   To begin, we must acknowledge that the term “Timurid Renaissance” has come under scrutiny. Historians continue to debate whether the period can be classed as a “rebirth” of intellectual progress or even be considered unique as a period of intellectual achievement at all. The Timurids did not rediscover ancient wisdom, nor did they “enlighten” the previously “unenlightened.” Other great kingdoms and learned rulers blessed the region well before Tamerlane. Indeed, many have argued that the Timurids only stand out because they specialized in patronizing chroniclers and writers who embellished the narrative of Timurid achievement.   However, the Timurids are far from the only royal dynasty that had scribes heap superlatives on their accomplishments; dismissing their achievements because of it would be a mistake. The Timurids were not the first learned dynasty, but their empire was still a major center of learning and accomplishment up until its final days. While dynastic enhancement may have colored the Timurid achievements, these accomplishments are still noteworthy in their own right.   For the time being, the “Timurid Renaissance” is still generally accepted, even if only because the term “Renaissance” has also become a popular shorthand for a period of intellectual development. However, as we shall see, it can be argued that the Timurid Renaissance was a rejuvenation of learning and culture in at least some aspects. So, to the instigator of this not-quite-a-renaissance, Tamerlane himself.   Tamerlane Renaissance Man Tamerlane overseeing the construction of a mosque in Samarkand, 15th century. Source: Wikimedia Commons   The son of a petty steppe noble, Tamerlane received a functional but rudimentary education. Certainly, he was not raised a Philosopher King nor an enlightened despot—in fact, he was almost certainly illiterate. Yet from these modest origins, and an early career as a part-time bandit, he became one of the most powerful men in the world. Such a meteoric rise requires great intelligence, not just mere brutality. Certainly, Tamerlane was a military and political genius, and he was, for example, extremely skilled at chess, his favorite variant of which is still known as “Tamerlane chess.” Yet it would be a great mistake to assume Tamerlane’s genius was limited to warfare, conquest, and strategy.   Illiterate or not, Tamerlane possessed a fierce curiosity and desire for knowledge. The scholar Ibn Khaldun declared Tamerlane after meeting him: “ …highly intelligent and very perspicacious, addicted to debate and argumentation about what he knows and also what he does not know.” Tamerlane was also a pre-eminent patron of scholars and artisans. Such was his respect for learned men that he famously spared the lives of scholars and artisans in the cities he conquered. Even his fiercest contemporary critic, Ibn Arabshah, acknowledged that Tamerlane:   “Loved learned men…he gave the highest honor to the learned and doctors and preferred them to all others and received each of them according to his rank and granted honor and respect.”   Tamerlane turned his empire into an intellectual and cultural haven, but there was one city in particular that he lavished with intellectual patronage. Samarkand is one of the oldest and most storied cities in the world, but by Tamerlane’s day, it had declined drastically after being sacked by the Mongols in the 1220s. Even so, the city still held great prestige, and in 1370 Tamerlane made it the capital of his new empire.   Samarkand and the Development of Timurid Architecture The great Bibi-Khanym Mosque built by Tamerlane in Samarkand. Source: Wikimedia Commons   The great conqueror would do more than just restore the city to its former glory. Much of the treasure Tamerlane plundered in his conquests, and the learned men he spared, were transported back to Samarkand: the treasure to fund the city’s renovation, and the learned men to transform Samarkand into a center of scholarship, whether they liked it or not.   Coerced as they were, these scholars and learned men transformed Samarkand into the cultural and intellectual jewel of Tamerlane’s empire. Indeed, many great minds willingly came to Samarkand to partake in the bounty of learning. Tamerlane also commissioned grand building projects throughout the city, often contributing to the plans himself, adorning his capital with new walls, palaces, and centers of learning and spirituality.   The many magnificent monuments of Tamerlane’s Samarkand include the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, the largest Mosque in the world at the time, and named after Tamerlane’s wife. Just as magnificent is the Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum, built for Tamerlane’s grandson but eventually becoming the resting place of Tamerlane himself and much of the Timurid royal family.   These great projects were built in the newly emerging Timurid architectural style, a gorgeous blend of new building designs with traditional decorating and artistic techniques. Other ancient cities like Bukhara and Tamerlane’s own birthplace of Kesh also received Timurid makeovers from the conqueror. However, one city would become almost the equal of Samarkand: Herat, in modern-day Afghanistan, the first city of Tamerlane’s son and successor, Shahrukh.   Shahrukh (1377-1447) was Herat’s governor before eventually succeeding his father to the imperial throne in 1411, after a six-year succession war with his nephew Kalil Sultan. As governor, he bestowed his patronage upon Herat just as his father did on Samarkand. After taking control of the empire, he made Herat the new imperial capital, leading to an explosion of Timurid cultural development.   Shahrukh, Herat, and New Cultural Directions The Musalla Complex in Herat, where Shahrukh and his wife Gawharshâd had many of their great monuments built. Now, only Gawharshâd’s mausoleum and five minarets still remain. Source: Wikimedia Commons   Though Tamerlane had not had much of an education, he was determined that his descendants would receive one befitting their new status. The education of the Timurid royalty became a particularly noteworthy part of their legacy, but among the educated Timurid princes, Shahrukh stands out. Cultured and with a passion for poetry and writing, Shahrukh patronized scholars and writers and made Herat a haven for learning as well as monument building.   Shahrukh’s wife, Gawharshâd, who commissioned some of the city’s most spectacular buildings, became the most renowned of the Timurid builders after Tamerlane himself. Her most noteworthy building projects were a Madrasah and a Friday Mosque, both built at the center of Herat. Nor was Herat the only city to benefit from her architectural ambition, as she famously designed and commissioned a mosque in Mashhad, still renowned today for its architectural beauty.   While noble women at the time often commissioned religious buildings, they almost never commissioned mosques, demonstrating Gawharshâd’s true status and power. However, Shahrukh was just as prominent a patron of great works as his wife, nor were their accomplishments solely limited to architecture.   Shahrukh and Gawharshâd slowly shifted the traditionally Turco-Mongolic Timurid court culture towards embracing more Persian and Islamic elements. In particular, they patronized works of Persian literature and calligraphy, creating specialized writing workshops in Herat dedicated to calligraphy and manuscript production.   The most acclaimed of these belonged to their son, Baysunghur (1397-1433), a particular patron of calligraphy. His workshops helped popularize the brand-new Nastaliq writing script under masters such as Jafar Tabrizi. Timurid calligraphy also combined with architecture to create magnificent inscriptions on the walls of Madrasahs and mosques. Famously, Baysunghur himself wrote the inscriptions for his mother’s mosque in Mashhad.   Herat and Timurid Literature Illustration from a Timurid Collection of Persian Poetry, 1405-29. Source: The Met, New York   Under royal patronage, Persian poetry boomed. Timurid nobles, such as Shahrukh’s nephew, Iskandar Mirza, often composed many works of poetry. Shahrukh also patronized the Persian poet and Sufi scholar Mawlanā Jami, who swiftly became a favorite at the Timurid court in Herat. This celebration of poetry was not just restricted to Persian writers, as schools of Chagatai and Arabic poets also flourished in Herat and across the empire.   The literary surge also extended to works of history. Many of these were, in fairness, works that promoted Tamerlane’s life and Timurid genealogy as a way of boosting Timurid legitimacy. Despite this, many are still interesting and useful sources from the time written by important historians such as Hafiz-i Abru.   The blossoming of Timurid literature also helped spur the evolution of Timurid artwork. Persian manuscripts and folios were traditionally decorated with imagery known as “Arts of the Book,” and with the increase in manuscript production, this art also flourished. The “Herat school” of manuscript production and decoration became the most prominent of the period. Additionally, cultural contact with Ming Dynasty China led to Timurid artists combining Persian and Chinese wall painting techniques, creating beautiful landscapes throughout the palaces and pavilions of the royal family.   Yet, of all the disciplines that blossomed during this period, mathematics and science arguably had their most profound heyday. However, much of this progress came not in Herat but back in Samarkand, under the patronage of Shahrukh’s eldest son, Mīrzā Muhammad Tarāghāy, more commonly known as Ulugh Beg.   Ulugh Beg, the Astronomer Prince A statue of Ulugh Beg in Samarkand. Source: Wikimedia Commons   Born in 1394, Ulugh Beg was appointed governor of Samarkand by his father at the tender age of 16. From the very beginning of his tenure, he transformed his grandfather’s capital into an even greater paradise of science and learning. He complemented Tamerlane’s great monuments with his own scholastic institutions: the famous Registan complex of Madrasahs and schools, which became arguably the finest centers of learning in the Islamic world.   Yet, his greatest achievement by far was his magnificent observatory, completed in the 1420s, the largest in the world at the time. The building was split into two, with a massive sextant in the middle, through which Ulugh and his associates tracked the stars and greatly advanced the science of astronomy.   While the Timurids were all well-educated, Ulugh Beg was by far the most academically accomplished, being an acclaimed scientist in his own right and publishing many notable academic works. Perhaps his best-known work is the Zij-i Sultani, the most accurate astronomical catalog at the time. He also worked with and supported many of the great minds that were by now flocking to Samarkand.   Samarkand’s ornate architecture in Registan Square, photo by Ozodbek Erkinov. Source: Unsplash   The great mathematician Jamshid al-Kashi studied in Ulugh Beg’s Samarkand, making groundbreaking advances in the calculation of Pi. In fact, Ulugh Beg made the city such a pre-eminent center of learning that even his father’s trusted confidant and poet laureate, Mawlanā Jami, moved to study with the prince.   The 1420s-1440s were arguably the apogee of the Timurid Renaissance. Samarkand under Ulugh Beg and Herat under his parents became centers of learning, scholarship, and culture to rival even the great Italian cities in their heyday. The rest of the empire also intellectually flourished. Fars province, for example, saw its own literary bloom under Shahrukh’s other son, Ibrahim Sultan, and grandson, Abdulah Mirza. The most famous of these works was the Zafarnama, a biography of Tamerlane by Sharaf al-Din Ali Yazdi.   Decline A depiction of a battle between Timurid forces and the Qara Qoyunlu confederation, one of several neighbors who encroached on Timurid territory during the succession crises, 1430. Source: Wikimedia Commons   Tragically, however, these good times would not last long. When Shahrukh died in 1447, a succession crisis flared up across the empire. Ulugh Beg was theoretically his father’s successor, but other family members were eager to challenge his authority. Though Ulugh Beg surpassed his father and grandfather in learning and intellect, he had not inherited their aptitude for politics and warfare. Just two years later, he was ousted from the throne and assassinated by his own son. However, this patricidal ruler was swiftly deposed himself, and as the crisis continued, the empire began to wither away.   For most of the 1450s, Timurid rule was split between Shahrukh’s great-nephew, Abu Sa’id Mirza, in Samarkand, and his grandson, Abul-Qasim Babur Mirza, in Herat. Abul-Qasim’s death in 1457 saw another two-year-long succession crisis before his cousin seized control of the whole empire, or rather what was left of it. The chaos of repeated succession crises and civil wars had seen much of the empire either break away or fall to opportunistic conquering neighbors. Meanwhile, the empire’s intellectual institutions were also suffering badly. Ulugh Beg’s magnificent observatory was destroyed shortly after his death, and Herat had been weakened by repeated sieges.   Despite these waning fortunes, Abu Sa’id Mirza was a decent enough ruler. He was not the military or intellectual powerhouse of his forebears, but he kept things steady for a decade. However, when he died in 1469, the Timurid Empire functionally collapsed. Most of it had been conquered by neighboring nations, and what was left was divided among several competing Timurid princes. Yet it was at this moment that the last truly great Timurid prince emerged, Husayn Bayqara Mirza, a descendant of another son of Tamerlane.   Swan Song A portrait of Husayn Bayqara as Iskander (Alexander the Great) with the Seven Sages of Wisdom. Equating Husayn with Alexander, considered the “ideal monarch” by Timurid scholars, shows how Husayn was held in high regard, 1494-5. Source: British Library   In the chaos following Abu Sa’id Mirza’s death, Husayn seized control of Herat and most of the province of Khorasan. He swiftly stabilized his kingdom, repelled further invasions, and resurrected the cultural and intellectual majesty of his new capital. Contemporaries and later chroniclers consider his reign the last great Timurid triumph. Indeed, some scholars attribute the term “Timurid Renaissance” solely to his reign as he effectively rebirthed Timurid cultural progress after decades of instability and imperial collapse. His grandson, Babur, said of his reign:   “His was a wonderful age! In it, Khorasan and above all Herat were full of learned and matchless men. Whatever task a man took up, he aimed and aspired at bringing that work to perfection.”   In his 35 years of rule, Husayn and his trusted vizier Ali-Shir Nava’i reinvigorated the artistic and literary heart of Herat. Under their guidance, Persian poetry reached even greater heights. The venerable Mawlanā Jami even returned to Herat and composed some of his greatest works under Husayn’s patronage before his death in 1493.   Chagatai poetry also saw a boom as Ali-Shir, himself an accomplished poet, kickstarted a new linguistic evolution as impactful as the one Persian poetry had enjoyed under Shahrukh and Jami many years past. Once again, Art of the Book artistry took off in Herat, with new techniques and styles growing under Husayn’s patronage.   Husayn was also a prolific architect, restoring many great monuments in Herat and adding major buildings of his own to a degree that rivalled even Gawharshâd. Most notably, he renovated the Great Mosque of Herat, a grand monument that predated the Timurids but was restored by Husayn to a previously unreached level of magnificence. He also added to the Musalla complex begun by Gawharshâd, adding his own Madrasah and minarets to the imposing network of great buildings.   The Timurid Renaissance: In Conclusion The Gūr-i Amīr Mausoleum in Samarkand, the final resting place of Tamerlane and many of his descendants. Source: Wikimedia Commons   Despite his many great accomplishments and the flourishing of Herat, Husayn spent many of his last years battling Uzbek nomads, internal revolts, and his own ailing health. When he died in 1506, the last remnants of Tamerlane’s great empire fell shortly after. The many great monuments in Herat and Samarkand began to decline as the geopolitical centers of Central Asia shifted once again. Yet, for over a century, the Timurids dominated the heart of the Eurasian continent and fundamentally advanced science and culture.   The offspring of an illiterate steppe warrior had become poets, authors, architects, and scientists, all while controlling a vast empire. Nor would the end of the empire be the end of the Timurid legacy, for Babur, grandson of the last Timurid ruler, would go on to found his own mighty empire, the Mughal Empire of India. The Mughals drew heavy inspiration from their Timurid forebears in the fields of art and science, as did the Timurids’ successors in Iran, the Safavid Empire.   There is a strong case to be made that the Timurid era can be considered a true “renaissance.” They were not the first great dynasty to bless the region, but they greatly restored much of its glory after the devastation of Mongol invasions and infighting. The Mongol Khanates were not ignorant savages, but even so, they had taken power and prestige away from Central Asia, power and prestige that was restored and surpassed by Tamerlane and his descendants.   The Timurids rejuvenated ancient cities that had gone into decline—Samarkand and Herat, but many others also. Moreover, the intellectual pursuits of the Timurids and the melting pots of learning and culture they created saw huge advancements in many fields. The light of the Timurid Renaissance burned briefly in the grand scheme of things, but it burned no less brightly for it.

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The Seahawks and Patriots don’t even know who Bad Bunny is. Allegedly, he’s world-renowned or something. He raps, screams, and does this fast chattering, guttural salsa thing with dancers jumping around illogcially. He hates the USA, hates ICE, and won’t sing in English. I like Puerto Rican people, but this guy needs to stay home. […] The post The Players Don’t Even Know Who Bad Bunny Is appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Just when you thought Virginia ran out of insane laws to pass, they come up with another.  A newly introduced law, SB624, states that if you have hatred or bias toward Islamists, you will go under a new hate crime classification. You really can’t make up the horrors that Gov. Spanberger and her Bolshevik legislature […] The post New Law Coming to Virginia: You Can’t Be Biased Against Islamists appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL On a chilly, damp evening in south London, a group of runners is doing something a little different. There are no weight racks, treadmills, or gym mirrors in sight. Instead, on a rooftop garden tucked above a concrete car park, they’re shoveling compost, clearing weeds, and smiling through the mud. Their warm-up was a one-mile jog through the city to get there. This is GoodGym in action. It’s a growing movement that’s redefining what it means to work out. The organization invites people to “get fit by doing good,” blending physical activity with hands-on community service. Members run, walk, or cycle to local projects that could range from sorting cans at a food bank, planting fruit trees, visiting an older adult, or moving furniture for someone in need. “I go to the normal gym usually and I do other sorts of exercise,” said Jason Kurtis, 42, a regular volunteer. “But this is my mandatory once-a-week run with the GoodGym group. It’s really fun, and it forces me to get out, especially on a Monday night when it’s cold and in the middle of winter.” For thousands across England and Wales, GoodGym offers more than just an alternative to the gym. It’s become a community powered by kindness, sweat, and a shared commitment to making a difference. Building a better kind of workout The idea began back in 2007 when founder Ivo Gormley started running to deliver a newspaper to an older neighbor. At the time, he was feeling out of shape and missed the camaraderie of his old basketball team. “I just didn’t like that idea of going to a gym, going into a sweaty basement and lifting things that don’t really need lifting,” Gormley said. “I thought I could do something more useful in my exercise.” He started organizing runs to places in need of helping hands; no project was too big or too small. The very first group tore down outdated posters in his east London neighborhood. Since then, GoodGym has grown into a registered charity with over 26,000 members in 67 locations. Now it’s aiming to expand into Scotland and Northern Ireland. The pandemic temporarily halted group runs, but also revealed just how vital the organization had become. Volunteers pivoted to delivering food and prescriptions to isolated older adults, many of whom had no other support. Today, GoodGym continues those one-on-one visits while also bringing back its signature group workouts. Some tasks are solitary like mowing lawns or helping someone move, but participants are encouraged to run, walk, or bike to each mission. “You can just sign up today and have a go tonight,” said Gormley. “We try to reduce the barriers as much as possible. You don’t have to come back if you don’t like it. It’s a really easy way to get involved.” Community, movement, and meaning In Battersea, southwest London, local leader Anastasia Hancock begins a typical Monday night session with lunges and stretches, prepping her group for the run to Doddington and Rollo’s rooftop garden, a green oasis surrounded by 1970s-era high-rises. One of their past workouts involved hauling hundreds of compost bags up a narrow stairway to the rooftop. “That was an amazing workout,” she said, smiling. Hancock rarely cancels, even during London’s cold, rainy winters. The group keeps showing up. For many, especially women, the runs offer a safer way to stay active after dark on top of a little dose of midweek motivation. “I really love coming,” said Sophie Humphrey, 33. “I think it’s just a boost of positivity in the week. It’s amazing to get together a group of people who just want to help somebody they don’t know.” And after the digging and lifting? Sometimes there’s a post-run pint at the local pub. The science of doing good GoodGym’s warm spirit is matched by real evidence. Dr. Christian Krekel, assistant professor at the London School of Economics, led a two-year study to examine whether combining volunteering with exercise produced extra mental health benefits. Surveying over 3,600 participants, the team found improvements across all six measures of wellbeing, including less loneliness, higher life satisfaction, and a stronger sense of belonging. “Because of this unique combination of volunteering or pro-social activity and physical activity, we do find stronger well-being impacts than what the literature suggests for volunteering and for physical activity alone,” Krekel said. “It’s actually quite powerful.” A simple but transformative idea Though few other organizations blend exercise and volunteering in quite the same way, Gormley believes the concept taps into something timeless. “It’s what people have always done, right?” he said. “You grow some food and literally through the action of planting and digging, that’s where your exercise comes from.” Today, in a world where screen time is high and community connection can feel out of reach, GoodGym offers something refreshingly grounded: movement with purpose, kindness in motion, and a reminder that fitness can feel good and do good at the same time.     Did this solution stand out? Share it with a friend or support our mission by becoming an Emissary.The post Where fitness meets kindness: GoodGym is getting people moving and giving back first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM It’s not just you; winter really can bring a certain mood. The shorter days, chilly weather, and long, dark evenings can leave anyone feeling a bit off or down. But have you ever looked at your dog curled up, snoozing more than usual, and wondered are they feeling it too? Turns out, your four-legged friend might also be dealing with their own version of the winter blues. Dr. Gary Richter, D.V.M., the founder of Ultimate Pet Nutrition and a holistic veterinarian with nearly three decades of experience, says that seasonal changes can definitely influence your pet’s behavior. Signs your dog might be feeling the winter slump Let’s get the big question out of the way first. Can dogs actually get seasonal depression? “From a medical perspective, there is no clinical diagnosis of seasonal depression in animals,” says Dr. Richter. But that doesn’t mean your dog (or cat) is immune to the emotional effects of winter. “It is without question that animals can suffer from emotional and mental distress,” he explains, “and there can be clear changes in pet behavior based on time of year.” Just like people, pets may become sleepier, more withdrawn, or even a little grumpy during the darker, colder months. You might notice your pup is less eager for walks or playtime, or that they seem more anxious, vocal, or destructive than usual, especially if they’re spending more time indoors. “Problem behaviors like excessive barking, chewing, or general restlessness may come from boredom,” Richter adds. While these changes may not seem like obvious indicators of winter blues, they can still signal that your pet could use a little extra attention. Why winter affects your pet’s mood So what’s behind these behavioral changes? Much of it comes down to routine disruption and environmental shifts. “When it’s cold or icy, pets may not get as much outdoor exercise, which leads to frustration and boredom,” says Richter. Plus, the reduced sunlight during winter can throw off their natural rhythms. “Dogs are diurnal, so it may be that when it’s dark out, they’re going to be less active,” he explains. “Cats are more active at night, so they might be running around more in winter because there are more nighttime hours.” The lack of mental and physical stimulation can affect a pet’s emotional state, just like it does in humans. How to keep your dog or cat happy all season long The good news is that there are simple, practical ways to help your pet stay upbeat, even when the weather outside is frightful. “Maintaining a regular routine is key,” says Richter. That means sticking to consistent meal times, play sessions, and bedtimes, even if your own schedule feels a little off. If daily walks aren’t always doable, look for creative ways to help your pet burn off energy. Try taking them to a pet-friendly indoor space, like a garden center or hardware store, for a change of scenery. You can also bring the fun indoors with puzzle feeders, treat-dispensing toys, or new training games. And don’t underestimate the power of simple affection. Cuddling on the couch, playing a gentle game of tug, or just chatting to your pet while making dinner can offer comfort and engagement. “Spending quality time together can help both you and your pet cope with the winter blues,” Richter notes. A little love (and routine) goes a long way While your pet might not have a formal case of seasonal affective disorder, they’re still creatures of habit and creatures that thrive on connection. Paying attention to subtle shifts in their behavior, keeping their daily routine consistent, and finding ways to play and bond can make a real difference. After all, winter is easier to face when you’ve got a warm, furry friend by your side. Likewise for them, your companionship is the best mood booster of all.     Did this solution stand out? Share it with a friend or support our mission by becoming an Emissary.The post Can dogs get the winter blues? What to know about seasonal depression in pets first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.