My Father Teragay related to me the following circumstance relative to my name, “soon after your birth, I took your virtuous mother to pay our respects “to the celebrated Saint Shaikh Shems Addeen, when we entered his apartment, “he was reading aloud the 67th Chapter of the Korān, and was repeating this “verse; ‘Are you sure that he who dwelleth in heaven, will not cause the earth “to swallow you up, and behold it shall shake,” (Tamurū). The Shaikh then stopt and said, “we have named your son, Timūr.”*
I was much delighted by this anecdote, and returned thanks to God that my name was taken from the sacred volume; it was also a great inducement for me to learn that chapter by heart.
When I had attained my seventh year, my father took me by the hand, and led me to the school, where he placed me under charge of Mullā Aly Beg, the Mullā having written the Arabic alphabet on a plank, placed it before me, I was much delighted with it, and considered the copying of it as an amusement.
When I reached my ninth year, they taught me the daily service of the Mosque, during which I always read the 91st Chapter, denominated the Sun.
While seated in the school-room, I always took the chief seat, and often fancied myself the commander of all the other boys. One day a subject of conversation was started, on which was the best mode of sitting, each boy gave some answer to the question, when it came to my turn, I said, the best mode of sitting is on the knees, for Muhammed has commanded, “whilst in prayer sit on your knees;” on which all the spectators praised me exceedingly. When we came out from school, we began to play as children, but I assuming the command, stood upon a high mound, and having divided them into two armies, caused them to fight a sham battle, and when I saw one of the parties worsted, I sent them assistance.
At twelve years of age, I fancied that I perceived in myself all the signs of greatness and wisdom, and whoever came to visit me, I received with great hauteur and dignity.
At this time I selected four amiable companions, with whom I constantly associated, and when I attained the sovereignty, I remembered their claims, as well as those of my other play-fellows and acquaintances, and promoted each of them according to his deserts.
By the Divine grace, from the time of being nine years old, till I had reached seventy-one years, I never dined alone, and never walked out without a friend, and whenever I put on new clothes, on taking them off,* I gave them to my companions; and whatever they asked from me, I never refused, but gave it without humiliating intreaty.
At fourteen, I had formed an intimacy with a very handsome youth, and passed great part of my time with his tribe; he was sensible of my partiality, and also shewed great affection for me, at length a blackguard of Maveralnaher, who was called Mullāchē, and who under the semblance of a student, had been admitted into the circle of our acquaintance, took a liking to the youth; but as this fellow was an entertaining companion, I was pleased with him; this circumstance made him very vain, and he used to talk in a familiar and obscene way: one day having given him admission into our society, I overheard the boy say to him in a familiar manner, “I dont want your kisses;” I was quite nettled at these words, and resolved never to allow such impropriety of conduct, either in myself or others.
At sixteen, my father took me by the hand, and brought me to his own Monastery, he there addressed me; “my boy, our ancestors from generation to generation, have been commanders of the armies of the Jagtay and Berlas family. The dignity of (Sepah Salar) Commander in Chief, has now descended to me, but as I am tired of this world, and consider it no better than a golden vase filled with serpents and scorpions, I mean, therefore, to resign my public office, and retire from it, in order to enjoy the delights of tranquillity and repose; but as I have founded this village, and erected this monastery in my own name, to perpetuate my fame, and that of our family, I must particularly request that you will not diminish ought of its revenues or privileges.”
My father then related to me the genealogy of our family, extending to Tumuneh Khān, whose genealogy is carried back in history to Japhet, the son of Noah,* he added;
“The first of our family who had the honour of conversion to the faith of Islām, was Kerachār Nuyan, who was the Gurgān (son-in-law) of Jagtay Khān, as he was a sensible man, he of his own accord adopted the faith of Muhammed, and said to his family and people, ‘when I look around me in the universe, I see ‘but one world, yet I am of opinion that there are other worlds besides this;* ‘but I am also convinced, that there is one only God who hath created all these ‘worlds, and who is all sufficient to rule, and direct all these worlds; but as ‘he has chosen this world as his special dominion, he has deemed it requisite ‘to have ministers (to instruct mankind): he hath therefore chosen Muhammed ‘to be his Vizier in this world, and as it was requisite that Muhammed should ‘have ministers (to extend his religion), he hath appointed the holy race of ‘Khalifs to this dignity.”
“Now my son, as this speech of our ancestor is quite conformable to my judgment, I also have become a sincere Musselmān; I request, O Timūr,
1stly. That you will imitate the example of your illustrious progenitor in conforming to the sacred religion of Muhammed, (on whom, and on his posterity and companions, be the peace of God), I intreat you never to deviate from his law, but ever to respect and honour his descendants and followers in the persons of the Syeds, the learned, and the prelates of his religion; associate with them, and constantly ask the blessings of the dervishes, the hermits, and the righteous upon all your undertakings; obey the commands of God, and have compassion upon his creatures.
2dly. That you will encourage and give currency and support to the religion of the Prophet.
3rdly. That you will believe that we are all the servants of God, and appointed by his decree to inhabit this terrestial globe; that our destinies are predicted. and that whatever is written on our foreheads, must come to pass; as it is decreed that we shall all do so and so, and have not the power of quitting this world, we must be content with whatever fate determines, and be satisfied with whatever God shall give us; we should also assist our poor brethren, and constantly, by every means in our power, befriend all the creatures of God; let us always acknowledge the unity of God, and by our practice, strengthen the four pillars of the law; viz. prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, and alms.
4thly. Be affectionate to your relations and connections, injure no person, nor keep any one in bonds, unless the bonds of kindness; deprive no man of his rights by fraud or tyranny; clothe yourself in the robe of justice; avoid the society of the bad and wicked; keep no man in prison more than three days, and distribute provision to the poor and hungry; and plant yourself in the hearts of your subjects by beneficence, otherwise you will fall from your power and prosperity.”
When my father had finished his discourse, I promised faithfully to follow his counsel, and to comply with his advice.
When I attained the age of seventeen, my father being indifferent about worldly affairs, and in delicate health, I took upon me the charge of his private affairs, and made the following arrangements; I formed every hundred sheep into a separate flock, and appointed a shepherd to each flock, whose profits were to be one fourth of the milk, the butter, and the wool; I did the same with the goats, separating the wethers from the females; I likewise denominated every twenty horses a stable, separating the horses from the mares; also the camels in the same manner.
Of the various omens which predicted my future greatness, one which most tended to raise my hopes was this; one day I went to pay my respects to the famous Saint Amyr Kelāl, and when I entered the assembly, I seated myself at the very lowest end of the room, (literally where the shoes are taken off); the Saint looked at me and said, “although this boy is in appearance so little and young, he is in fact, a great personage;” he then made room for me near himself, and after looking at and conversing with me for some time, he fell into a slumber; after he awoke, one of his servants presented to him a tray of bread and sweetmèats, he stretched out his hand, and having taken seven cakes and sweetmeats, gave them to me, saying, “eat a mouthful of each of these, in consequence of which, the seven regions of the world shall become subject to you;”* I was astonished at these words, and the people of the assembly looked first at each other, and then on me, but through awe of the Saint, no one ventured to speak; I therefore folded up the cakes, and carried them to my father, who said to me, “Kelāl is a great personage, a descendant of the Prophet, a seeer of visions, and a worker of miracles, whatever he has told you of his visions, will certainly come to pass; take care of these cakes, and do not give of them to any body, but regard them as the greatest blessing from the blessings of that holy personage.”
Some time after this event, my father went with me to pay his respects to the Saint, who said to him, O Prince;
at this time there was a basket of nuts before him, he ordered my father to count them; after he had done so, he informed him that there were three hundred and seventy nuts, the Saint said, “each of these three hundred nuts signifies a year, the remainder are the number of Timūr’s posterity, which shall reign for three hundred years;” he then presented the basket to my father, which I took, and placed the nuts with the cakes; when I mentioned these circumstances to my mother, she took my head between her hands and blessed me: the cakes and the nuts remained in my possession for many years, during all which time my prosperity encreased.
Some time after the affair of the nuts, my mother went also to pay her respects to the Saint, and was most graciously received, at length he said to her,
“Seventy of Timūr’s sons, grandsons, and descendants, shall reign for the “term of three hundred years, provided that they make no change of (the “Muhammedan) religion, but give currency to the faith of Islām; neither shall “they vex nor injure the descendants of the Prophet, but do every thing in their “power to give him satisfaction for the blessing he conferred on mankind; “bounty shall be heaped upon bounty, and prosperity added to prosperity, as “long as they continue to shew kindness to the relatives and descendants of his “Holiness.”
When my mother reported to me the conversation of the Saint, although then only seventeen years of age, I made a solemn vow to the all merciful God, that I would never neglect the descendants of the Prophet, but do every thing in my power for their honour.