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Tamerlane's Captive Chess Masters: The Samarkand Shatranj Tournament
In this episode of Tamerlane: The Conqueror Who Tried to Rebuild the Mongol Legacy, we explore a lesser-known facet of Timur's empire-building: his obsession with chess. Lucas and Luna delve into the story of the captive shatranj masters from across the Islamic world and beyond, who were brought to Samarkand to compete in a grand tournament. We discuss the origins of shatranj, its evolution from the Indian chaturanga, and how Timur used the game as both a metaphor for military strategy and a tool for cultural consolidation. The episode covers specific figures like the Persian grandmaster…
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