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The Barlas (Template:Lang-mn; Chagatay/Template:Lang-fa Barlās; also Berlās) were a Mongol and later Turkicized nomadic confederation in Central Asia. With military roots in one of the regiments of the original Mongol army, the Barlas spawned two major imperial dynasties in Asia: the Timurid Empire in Central Asia and Persia; and its continuation, the Mughal Empire in South Asia.

Origins

According to the famous Turkish historian and researcher Yılmaz Öztuna, the Barlas were originally a Türkic tribe who, during Genghis khan's regin came under Mongol influence, but got reunited with their Turkic identity eventually. According to him, the important role Barlas tribe had played in one of Mongol Empire's divisions, the Chagatai khanate became the reason for them being wrongly associated with Mongol identity. His view also finds support among eminent Uzbek historians, such as Abullahad Muhammadcanov: Emir Timur XIV.  He appeared on the stage of history as the representative of the Barlas tribe from the Turkish people in the 1360-1370.  He laid the foundations of the new Turkish state in his time, such as his great ancestors Afrasiyab, Batır Tanrıkut, Oğuzhan, Attila, Bumin Kağan, Satuk Buğra Han, Sebüktegin, Tuğrul Bey, and Kutbuddin Muhammed.

Again, Uzbek historians M. Hudaikulov and F. Tilavatov draw attention to a wrong judgment in their works named "Emir Timur and His Place in World History".  According to them, the majority of Western historians and writers named Emir Timur as "Great Mongolian", although he was from the Turkish Barlas tribe.  These nomenclatures are contrary to historical truth and justice.  Emir Timur is from the Barlas tribe of the Turks.

The leading clan of the Barlas traced its origin to Qarachar Barlas, head of one of Chagatai's regiments. The internal structure of the Barlas' leading clan consisted of five major lineages– tracing back to the sons of Qarachar– who were important in matters of inheritance but did not constitute separate political or territorial entities.

The Barlas controlled the region of Kish (modern Shahrisabz, Uzbekistan) and all of its lineages seem to have been associated with this region. In contrast to most neighboring tribes who remained nomadic, the Barlas were a sedentary tribe. Due to extensive contacts with the native population of Central Asia, the tribe had adopted the religion of Islam, and the Chagatai language, a Turkic language of the Qarluq branch, which was heavily influenced by Arabic and Persian. Although the Barlas were not always exogamous, most marriages recorded were outside the tribe.

Timurids and Mughals

Its most famous representatives were the Timurids, a dynasty founded by the conqueror Timur (Tamerlane) in the 14th century, who ruled over modern-day Iran, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and almost the entire rest of the Caucasus, Afghanistan, much of Central Asia, as well as parts of contemporary Pakistan, Mesopotamia, and Anatolia. One of his descendants, Babur, later founded the Mughal Empire of Central Asia and South Asia.

See also

• Turco-Mongol tradition
• Mongol Empire
• Timurid dynasty
• Mughal Empire
• Muhammad Khwaja
• Hajji Beg

References

1. ^ Grupper, S. M. ‘A Barulas Family Narrative in the Yuan Shih: Some Neglected Prosopographical and Institutional Sources on Timurid Origins.’ Archivum Eurasiae Medii Aevi 8 (1992–94): 11–97
2. 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 Qarachar 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 ..."
3. ^ M.S. Asimov & C. E. Bosworth, History of Civilizations of Central Asia, UNESCO Regional Office, 1998, ISBN 92-3-103467-7, 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 ..."
4. Encyclopædia Britannica, "Timur", Online Academic Edition, 2007. Quotation: "Timur was a member of the 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." ...
5. G.R. Garthwaite, "The Persians", Malden, ISBN 978-1-55786-860-2, MA: Blackwell Pub., 2007. (p.148)
6. "Dr. Yılmaz Öztuna | D&R - Kültür, Sanat ve Eğlence Dünyası". www.dr.com.tr. Retrieved 2021-03-24.
7. B.F. Manz, The rise and rule of Tamerlan, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1989, p.157
8. B.F. Manz, The rise and rule of Tamerlan, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1989, p. 156–7
9. Gérard Chaliand, A Global History of War: From Assyria to the Twenty-First Century, University of California Press, California 2014, p. 151
10. G. Doerfer, "Chaghatay Archived November 18, 2007, at the Wayback Machine", in Encyclopædia Iranica, Online Edition 2007.
11. B.F. Manz, The rise and rule of Tamerlan, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1989, p. 157
12. René Grousset, The Empire of the Steppes: A History of Central Asia, Rutgers University Press, 1988. ISBN 0-8135-0627-1 (p.409)

• Barlas
• Former confederations
• Borjigin