Political and Military Implications of the Celebrations of Amir Teymour Gurkhani

During the Timurid period, celebrations were held on various occasions. Some of these festivals took place during Timurid expeditions in areas such as the Nagorno-Karabakh, the Anatolian Peninsula, or in the meadows near Samarkand. Although celebrations were common among most rulers, Timur used the festivities for his own political and military purposes, thereby increasing the combat effectiveness of his troops. In addition to increasing the fighting power of the army, Timur pursued other goals; the festivities were in fact a display of the greatness and authority of the Timurid government to the audience, especially to the ambassadors and rulers who invited them to these festivals. The study of how Timur used the festivities to increase the fighting power of the troops in the wars is the subject of this research, and the question arises as to what military and political goals did Timur pursue in holding the festivities? This question has been examined and answered with reference to historical sources. It seems that Timur did not look at the festivals as just a social tradition.