Through his father, Timur claimed to be a descendant of Tumanay Khan, a male-line ancestor he shared with Genghis Khan.
Tumanay's great-great grandson Qarachar Noyan was a minister for the emperor who later assisted the latter's son Chagatai in the governorship of Transoxiana.

Though there are not many mentions of Qarachar in 13th and 14th century records, later Timurid sources greatly emphasised his role in the early history of the Mongol Empire.
These histories also state that Genghis Khan later established the "bond of fatherhood and sonship" by marrying Chagatai's daughter to Qarachar.
Through his alleged descent from this marriage, Timur claimed kinship with the Chagatai Khans.

The origins of Timur's mother, Tekina Khatun, are less clear.
The Zafarnama merely states her name without giving any information regarding her background.
Writing in 1403, Jean, Archbishop of Sultaniyya claimed that she was of lowly origins.
The Mu'izz al-Ansab, written decades later, say that she was related to the Yasa'uri tribe, whose lands bordered that of the Barlas.
Ibn Khaldun recounted that Timur himself described to him his mother's descent from the legendary Persian hero Manuchehr.
Ibn Arabshah suggested that she was a descendant of Genghis Khan.
The 18th century Books of Timur identify her as the daughter of 'Sadr al-Sharia', which is believed to be referring to the Hanafi scholar Ubayd Allah al-Mahbubi of Bukhara.
Through his father, Timur claimed to be a descendant of Tumanay Khan, a male-line ancestor he shared with Genghis Khan. Tumanay's great-great grandson Qarachar Noyan was a minister for the emperor who later assisted the latter's son Chagatai in the governorship of Transoxiana. 
Though there are not many mentions of Qarachar in 13th and 14th century records, later Timurid sources greatly emphasised his role in the early history of the Mongol Empire. These histories also state that Genghis Khan later established the "bond of fatherhood and sonship" by marrying Chagatai's daughter to Qarachar. Through his alleged descent from this marriage, Timur claimed kinship with the Chagatai Khans.
The origins of Timur's mother, Tekina Khatun, are less clear. The Zafarnama merely states her name without giving any information regarding her background. Writing in 1403, Jean, Archbishop of Sultaniyya claimed that she was of lowly origins. The Mu'izz al-Ansab, written decades later, say that she was related to the Yasa'uri tribe, whose lands bordered that of the Barlas. Ibn Khaldun recounted that Timur himself described to him his mother's descent from the legendary Persian hero Manuchehr. Ibn Arabshah suggested that she was a descendant of Genghis Khan. The 18th century Books of Timur identify her as the daughter of 'Sadr al-Sharia', which is believed to be referring to the Hanafi scholar Ubayd Allah al-Mahbubi of Bukhara.
Timur