November 1387 · Persia Theater
November 1387
Isfahan, one of the great cities of Persia, initially surrendered peacefully and paid a heavy ransom. But when Timurid tax collectors pushed the population beyond endurance, the citizens rose in revolt and killed several thousand of Timur's soldiers. Timur's response was merciless: he ordered each of his soldiers to bring back a severed head. Contemporary accounts record that at least 70,000 skulls were piled into towers outside the city walls.
Commanders