Jami' al-tawarikh

Lore & Background

The son of an apothecary, he studied medicine and joined the court of the Ilkhan emperor, Abaqa Khan, in that capacity. The Jāmiʿ al-Tawārīkh was initially commissioned by Il-Khan Ghazan, who was anxious for the Mongols to retain a memory of their nomadic roots. To compile it, Rashid al-Din set up an entire precinct at the university of Rab'-e Rashidi in Tabriz, employing over 300 workers.

Reader's Guide

The Jāmiʿ al-Tawārīkh is significant as one of the grandest projects of the Ilkhanate period, serving not just as a lavishly illustrated book but as a vehicle to justify Mongol hegemony over Iran. The work describes cultures and major events from China to Europe, while spotlighting Mongol history with a view to securing the Mongol Empire's cultural legacy. The oldest known copy is an Arabic version, of which half has been lost; surviving folios are held in the Khalili Collection of Islamic Art (London) and Edinburgh University Library. Two Persian copies from the first generation survive in the Topkapı Palace Library in Istanbul. The work's illustrations are part of the artistic tradition of Persian miniatures, and the adopted standard style gave characters Mongol features.

Did You Know?

• The Jāmiʿ al-Tawārīkh is often called 'the first world history' due to its breadth of coverage from China to Europe.
• The work was initially commissioned by Il-Khan Ghazan to help the Mongols retain memory of their nomadic roots.