Sultanate of Samarkand

Starting Resource: 38 -- From Land: 30 -- From Trade: 8 Capital Territory: Samarkand Nation Class: Large Total Starting Military Infantry: 6 Cavalry: 6 Knights: 0 Artillery: 0 Generals: 2 Merchantmen: 0 Frigates: 0 Ships of the Line: 0

Click on the map to view your nation's position and starting troops

Samarkand (Greek: Marakanda) is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world, prospering from its location on the (Silk Road) trade route between China and Europe. At times Samarkand has been the greatest city of Central Asia, and for much of its history it has been under Persian rule. Founded circa 700 BCE it was already the capital of the Sogdian satrapy under the Achaemenid dynasty of Persia when Alexander the Great conquered it in 329 BCE. Under Sassanid Empire of Persia, Samarkand flourished and became one of the most important cities of the Persian empire. From the 6th to 13th centuries it grew larger and more populous than modern Samarkand and was controlled by the Western Turks, Arabs, Persian Samanids, Karakhan Turks, Seljuk Turks, Karakitay, and Khorezmshah before being sacked by the Mongols in 1220. A small part of the population survived, but Samarkand suffered at least another Mongol sack by Khan Baraq to get treasure he needed to pay an army with. The town took many decades to recover from these disasters. In 1370, Timur the Lame (Tamerlane) decided to make Samarkand the capital of his projected world empire, which extended from India to Turkey. For the next 35 years, he built a new city, populating it with artisans and craftsmen from all of the places he had captured. Timur gained a reputation for wisdom and generosity, and Samarkand grew to become the center of the region of Transoxiana. His grandson Ulugh Beg ruled the country for 40 years. In Samarkand, Ulugh Beg created a scientific school that united outstanding astronomers and mathematicians. He also ordered the construction of an observatory; it contained a gigantic but precision-made marble sextant with an arc length of 63 meters. By 1483 Samarkand stands as the largest successor state to Tamerlane's Empire and is well positioned for expansion. Only the state of Dehli to the south is a direct challenge to their size and power, but you must be weary of an alliance between Herat and the Uzbeck Khanate. Visit the 1483 Discussion Forums to chat about the Sultanate of Samarkand.