پژوهش های تاریخی (Mar 2020)
The Role of the Qara'unas Group in Political and Military Interactions with the Timurid Government
Abstract
Abstract One of the groups present in the Timurid era was the Qara'unas. Before the Timurids, they played a major role in the political life of Chagatai Ulus, because of their courage and bravery. But, the important thing was that despite the group's inherent importance as a force in the military sphere and militarism, they were less appreciated in other areas. This study, using the primary and research sources and relying on the descriptive-analytical method and looking again at the events related to this group in the Timurid period, attempted to explain the role of Qara'unas in the political and military equations of Chagatai Ulus and examine the reason behind Timurid's special treatment towards this group. The main question of this research is: why did the political and military prestige of Qara'unas gradually decrease in the Timurid era? The findings showed that Timurids, taking into account the historical experience of the Mongols, the opposition and conflict of Qara'unas at the beginning of the government with the Timurids and the intentional or unintentional negligence of this group in some missions assigned to them by the Timurids, had considered an insignificant role for Qara'unas in the political life of Chagatai Ulus. Introduction By examining the historical sources of the Timurid period, in addition to getting acquainted with the political system that governs Chaghatai Ulus, one can also understand the role of the forces present in this ulus. The role played by the groups in Chaghatai Ulus is unpredictable. The Qarau'nas group was one of the groups that made a name for themselves at important historical moments in the region. Due to its proximity to other groups present in the territory of the Chaghatai’s, this group became acquainted with the political system of this land and used it. Chaghatai Ulus' political system has always been based on unstable alliances. With a more competitive rival than the current government claims, tribal leaders easily violated the pact and turned to someone who felt more powerful. According to historical sources, the Qarau'nas were warriors, brave and ruthless, whose characteristics made government claimants constantly strive to unite with such forces. Alliance with such a militant group was a haven for any claimant to the government. All of these factors also contributed to the fact that Qarau'nas played an important and prominent role in the political life of the Chaghatai and deserved independent research. The main subject of this research was the analysis of the role of this tribe in the political developments of the Timurid period. Material & Methods This article was a library and citation study. There has been no independent and comprehensive research done on the role of the Qara'unas tribe in the developments of this period of Iran’s history. No research has been done specifically on the political and military efforts of this tribe in the military and political conflicts of the period. The present study aimed to analyze this role by examining the main sources and new research, especially the use of various documents, including orders, deeds, and historical correspondence. Discussion of Results & Conclusions The Qara'unas, a tribe mixed with Hindus and Mongols, had their roots in the Tamma. At that time, the Mongols played the role of border guards in the border areas and the garrisons. Due to the courage and bravery of the Qara'unas, the Mongols used them in their campaigns but never allowed themselves to be led. The main reason for not giving up on Qara'unas and the Mongols' special treatment was to prevent the growth and development of a sense of independence, desirability, and tribalism. Given his insight and historical experience, Timur not only continued the Mongol rule over Qara'unas but because Qara'unas was one of the most important groups opposed to Timur in the series of disputes over the rule of Chaghatai Ulus, he had good reasons to be afraid of Qara'unas. In delegating his powers and positions, Timur had made an important element such as loyalty the top priority of his government. With this in mind, it can be said that if the Qara'unas had shown more loyalty to Timur. Timur would have given them various positions, as well as giving the Apardis, who were considered a group of rulers, appropriate government positions. However, with their deliberate and inadvertent negligence, they caused a great deal of fear in the hearts of the Timurids to delegate important positions. Considering the role played by Qara'unas, the most important role that Qara'unas played during the Timurid period was the military role. Shahrukh and the rulers of the last Timurid period, thanks to Timur, also pursued the same political strategy of the past in dealing with Qara'unas, and they also used this group more in their campaigns.
Keywords
