Why did Herat become a major center of art and learning under the Timurids?

Herat became a major center of art and learning under the Timurid dynasty primarily due to the deliberate patronage of its rulers, who transformed the city into a hub for intellectual and creative activity.12

After Shāh Rokh transferred the Timurid capital from Samarkand to Herat, he and his successors actively brought trading and artistic communities into the city. This environment fostered several key developments:12

• Institutional Support: The rulers founded libraries and workshops, such as the Baysunqur workshops, which specialized in calligraphy, bookbinding, and various crafts.1
• Artistic Flourishing: The Herāt school of miniature painting became renowned, attracting master artists like Behzād, whose work defined the era's intense and dramatic style.13
• Literary and Scholarly Growth: The court supported prominent poets, historians, and scholars, including Jāmī and Mīrkhwānd, while the vizier Mīr ʿAlī Shīr fostered a significant revival in both Persian and Chagatai Turkish literature.1
• Architectural Legacy: Royal patronage, notably from Gawhar Shād, led to the construction of grand religious complexes, including mosques and madrasahs, which served as centers for learning.2