Timur moves west. After the Christian Knights…

Timur moves west.

After the Christian Knights of Saint John, who are ruling Smyrna, refuse to convert to Islam or pay tribute, Timur has the entire population massacred.

His objective in Anatolia has been not conquest but rather a secure western flank that will enable him to make further conquests in India.

He thus follows his victory by retiring from Anatolia after restoring to power the Turkmen princes who have joined him; Timur evidently assumes that a divided Anatolia will constitute no threat to his ambitions.