The Barlas were a Mongol tribe, which later became Turkified in Central Asia, forming a nomadic confederation. Originally Barlas were a sub-clan of the Borjigin, which emerged within the Khamag Mongol confederation in present-day Mongolia in the early to mid-12th century, and traced their military roots to Kheshig Guard, one of the elite regiments of the Mongol Empire. The Barlas produced two of the major imperial dynasties in Asia: the Timurid Empire in Central Asia and Persia; and the Mughal Empire in the Indian subcontinent.