TIMUR'S RELATIONS WITH SUFIS

The founder of the Timurid State, Emir Timur, conquered Balkh on April 9, 1370 at the age of 34 and sat on the throne in Samarkand. In a short time, with the support of the scholars, arifs and sayyid's he gathered around his throne managed to cross the Maveraunnehir and Khorasan region, he expanded his field of dominance to Baghdad, Anatolia and Moscow. With the scholars, arif, poets, physicians, astronomers and artists he brought from the conquered regions, he made Samarkand the center of culture and civilization as well as a symbol of political unity. Timur laid the foundations of the State with the prayer of the famous sufi Sheikh Shamsuddin Fakhuri, whom he met in his hometown Kesh. He improved the state structuring with the support and patronage of Sheikh Zaynaddin Khavafi, whom he found in Khorasan. With the help of Sayyid Barakah from Mecca, he carried his power to the summit. When he went to Khorasan and Baghdad expeditions, he visited the graves of scholars, arifs and sayyid's such as Imam-i Azam, Ahmad Rifai, Imam Huseyin and conquered the hearts of all Muslims with his love for Ahl-i Bayt. He praised the religion and morality of the society with the sufism in its state. He tried to dominate the Sufi tradition in line with the line of Ahl al-Sunnah, which appealed to the hearts of people who were far from conflict and violence.