Tamburlaine's Elephants by Geraldine McCaughrean

Rusti travels with the Mongol Horde as it sweeps over the land, crushing whole cities in a quest for power. 

"The tajiks of India did not stand a chance against Timur the Lame, Conqueror of the World. ... the Horde travelled by moonlight, storming towns and citadels by day, slaughtering thousands and taking prisoners by the tens of thousands."

Now they have arrived in Delhi. Rusti is only twelve but today he will ride out with the army.  What no one expects it that this city will be defended with elephants. Tamburlaine's army do win the battle and then they loot Delhi and murder most of the inhabitants. They took away some of the remaining elephants and this is the basis of this story. Britannica list this as 90 elephants.

In this retelling by Geraldine McCaughrean, Rusti is ordered by Tamburlaine to bring him an elephant. Rusti meets the mahout or elephant handler Kavi, Rusti spares his life and together they march with the army onto Samarkand. Kavi has to be disguised as a girl slave and renamed Kavita. There is one person, however, who knows the truth - Shidurghu, the Royal Chronicler, writer-down of History for the Lord of the Fortunate Conjunction. Rusti is summoned to Shidurghu's tent and he is told a shocking story of women and children locked in a makeshift tower, of a baby and a bracelet thrust through the bars by a desperate mother, and most shocking of all Rusti begins to realise everything he knows about his father and brother are untrue.

This story is based on a real man who set out to conqueror Persia, Northern India, the Ottomans and China. His name was Timur i Lang (1336-1404). Scholars estimate that his military campaigns caused the deaths of 17 million people, amounting to about 5% of the world population at the time. In a play by Christopher Marlow, which inspired Geraldine McGaughrean, he is known as Tamburlaine the Great and that is the name used in this book along with terms such as Great Emir, Gungal Emir, and The Lord of the Fortunate Conjunction. His goal was a restoration of Genghis Khan’s great Mongol Empire. Timur was injured by arrows while stealing sheep in his twenties, and this left him lame in the right leg and caused his right arm to be stiff for the rest of his life. Hence, his Persian name, Timur-i lang (Temur the Lame).

Once again this multi-award-winning author brings history to life by combining meticulous research with a focus on the individual and a very personal story. Set in the war-ravaged arena of fourteenth century India, this fascinating tale will give youngsters a real insight into a way of life which is so very different from our own. Book Trust

The truths Rusti learns are eternal: love, truth, peace; respect for others who are different, for animals, for life. On the surface, this is an epic tale of man’s inhumanity to man, but it is redeemed by the small acts of courage and kindness through which humanity shines. Historical Novel Society

From the cover you might think this is a book for an upper primary reader but there is so much dreadful (but necessary) violence I am going to say this book is for ages 12+ and also add a warning there are some very distressing scenes of battles and harm to animals. Tamburlaine's elephants was first published in 2007 and so sadly it is out of print but I found a copy at a charity book sale. 

Take a look at my review of The Kite Rider also by Geraldine McCaughrean.

On a completely different note, I was so excited to read, in the back notes, that Geraldine McCaughrean loves the junior novel Jeremiah in the dark woods by Allan Ahlberg. She says: I think (this book) ... is literally 'perfect' - not a word wrong, not a comma out of place."