End of Empire: The Rise And Fall of Dynasties

In the fourteenth century a minor local clan leader begins a career of conquest that will forge one of the largest empires the world has ever seen. During his rise and rule Timur (known in the West as Tamerlane the Great) builds awe-inspiring mosques and palaces, betrays and executes allies and is responsible for the deaths of over 17 million people – roughly 5% of the world’s population. We join Presenter David Adams as he follows in the footsteps of the man proclaimed as the Sword of Islam from ancient villages in the mountains of Uzbekistan to the shores of the Black Sea and the walls of Delhi. David explores the wondrous buildings Timur creates – and reveals the hopes, mistakes and tragedies of a father seeking to establish a legitimate, royal dynasty. And a family who manage to lose it all as a result of civil war, betrayal, debauchery and murder.