# The death of Timur and the succession crisis

> Timur died of pneumonia at Otrar in February 1405, aged 68, while marching 200,000 troops toward Ming China. His death triggered a 40-year succession war among his descendants.

In December 1404 Timur assembled an army of 200,000 — the largest he ever commanded — at Otrar on the Syr Darya, intent on conquering Ming China. It was midwinter and the rivers were frozen solid; Timur pressed on despite his age (68) and existing injuries (lame right leg, immobile right arm from a 1362 battle wound).

He fell ill in January 1405 with what court physicians described as a fever and chest congestion — likely pneumonia aggravated by the extreme cold. He died on 18 February 1405.

His body was embalmed with musk and rosewater and rushed to Samarkand. The original plan was burial at Dorus-Saodat in Shakhrisabz (his hometown), but the mountain pass was blocked by snow, so he was interred at Gur-e-Amir in Samarkand — which had been built for his grandson Muhammad Sultan.

The succession:
- No clear heir: Timur's designated successor (Muhammad Sultan) had died in 1403.
- His son Shah Rukh (based in Herat) and grandson Khalil Sultan (in Samarkand) fought for control.
- Shah Rukh eventually won and ruled 1405–1447, moving the capital to Herat.
- The Samarkand branch continued under Ulugh Beg (r. 1447–1449) before being assassinated.

The Timurid dynasty survived in weakened form until 1507, when the Uzbek Shaybanids conquered Samarkand. A branch fled south and founded the Mughal Empire in India (1526).

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Keywords: Timur, death, Otrar, succession, Timurid, Shah Rukh
Updated: 2026-08-15
Category: history
URL: https://uzbguidedtours.com/kb/kb-history-timur-death-1405