Barlas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Barlas (Persian: برلاس ) (also Berlas, Birlas) was a Turkicized[1][2] Mongolian[3][4] (Turko-Mongol) nomadic confederation which was in Central Asia and the chief tribe of the Timurid emperors who ruled much of Central Asia, Iran, and South Asia in the Middle Ages. Due to extensive contacts with the native population of Central Asia, the tribe adopted Chagatai-Turkic which was influenced by the Arabic and Persian[5] languages, and incorporated much of the Turkic languages.
According to The Secret History of the Mongols - a 13th century epic written during the reign of Ögedei Khan - the Barlas were descendants of the Mongol warlord Bodonchir (Bodon Achir; Bodon'ar Mungqaq) who was also considered the direct ancestor of Genghis Khan.[6] The Turko-Mongol conqueror Timur was from a noble family of the Barlas clan.[7]
The Mughal Empire of South Asia was founded by Zahir ud-din Muhammad Babur, a descendent of Timurid. Barlas family name is used by the descendents of Mughals in Pakistan.
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[edit] References
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica, "Timur", Online Academic Edition, 2007. Quotation: "Timur was a member of the Turkicized Barlas tribe, a Mongol subgroup that had settled in Transoxania (now roughly corresponding to Uzbekistan) after taking part in Genghis Khan's son Chagatai's campaigns in that region. Timur thus grew up in what was known as the Chagatai khanate." ...
- ^ G.R. Garthwaite, "The Persians", Malden, ISBN 9781557868602, MA: Blackwell Pub., 2007. (p.148)
- ^ B.F. Manz, The rise and rule of Tamerlan, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1989, p. 28: "… We know definitely that the leading clan of the Barlas tribe traced its origin to Qarchar Barlas, head of one of Chaghadai's regiments ... These then were the most prominent members of the Ulus Chaghadai: the old Mongolian tribes - Barlas, Arlat, Soldus and Jalayir …"
- ^ M.S. Asimov & C. E. Bosworth, History of Civilizations of Central Asia, UNESCO Regional Office, 1998, ISBN 9231034677, p. 320: "… One of his followers was […] Timur of the Barlas tribe. This Mongol tribe had settled […] in the valley of Kashka Darya, intermingling with the Turkish population, adopting their religion (Islam) and gradually giving up its own nomadic ways, like a number of other Mongol tribes in Transoxania …"
- ^ G. Doerfer, "Chaghatay", in Encyclopædia Iranica, Online Edition 2007.
- ^ The Secret History of the Mongols, transl. by I. De Rachewiltz, Chapter I.
- ^ René Grousset, The Empire of the Steppes: A History of Central Asia, Rutgers University Press, 1988. ISBN 0-8135-1304-9 (p.409)
