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Timur was exceptionally cruel. Even by the standards of the time the atrocities committed by the Timurid army were shocking. The Turkic-Mongol warlord deliberately used terror as a weapon of war to secure his victories. He destroyed cities and ordered his men to destroy everything in their path. This had a disastrous impact on the areas that he covered. It has been estimated that some 17 million people died because of his invasions and wars and this accounted for almost one in twenty of the global population .<ref> White, Matthew, Atrocitology: Humanity's 100 Deadliest Achievements (London, Canongate Books, 2011), p. 115</ref>. Many ancient cities were destroyed by the armies of the conqueror and trade ground to a halt in many areas. His impact on his Empire was a ‘mixed one’ one.’ <ref> Darwin, p. 314</ref>.  Central Asia flourished because of his patronage and his policies. However, areas such as Iraq, Syria and the Caucasus were devastated. It has been estimated that it took Delhi and the surrounding hinterland a hundred years to recover. Timur undoubtedly damaged civilization across a large swathe of Asia, from the Mediterranean to India. Yet as noted above he helped to start a great cultural and economic flourishing in Central Asia. His impact on civilization was a contradictory and a mixed one .<ref>Forbes Manz, p. 115</ref>.