Consequences of Military Campaigns and Forced Migration in the Central and Northern Cities of Iran during the Timurid Era

Abstract

The economic and military policies of the Timurids led to decisions involving the forced migration of scholars and notables, merchants, and craftsmen to cities supported by the Timurid rulers. Following these policies, commercial routes were also redirected. Consequently, some cities such as Samarqand, Herat, and neighboring urban centers experienced significant prosperity, whereas others that were no longer located along the newly established trade routes fell into decline. Therefore, it can be argued that Timurid forced-migration policies, alongside factors such as natural disasters and internal rebellions in certain cities, played a decisive role in the stagnation and deterioration of many cities in Iran. The purpose of this article is to examine the policies of forced relocation of notables, merchants, and craftsmen from the beginning to the end of Shāhrukh’s reign and to identify the factors contributing to the development and decline of central and northern Iranian cities during this period. It seeks to answer the question of how Timurid population-relocation policies affected urban life and urbanization during this era. Accordingly, the hypothesis proposed in this article is that the Timurid policy of relocating prominent urban figures, merchants, and craftsmen to governmental centers such as Samarqand and Herat promoted the development of these cities and altered their demographic composition in social and cultural terms, while conversely causing the decline, stagnation, and marginalization of central and northern Iranian cities.