Ideology of the World Domination in “The History of the World-Conqueror” by Ata-Melik Juvaini

Abstract

The subject of this article in the light of the Mongol imperial ideology is the work “History of the World-Conqueror” by the Persian historian and prominent statesman Ata-Melik Juvaini (1226–1283). Juvaini was in the Mongolian service and visited Karakorum, so he was able to capture many facts, as well as legends, reflecting the ideas of Genghis Khan and the Mongolian elite about their “world-building” role assigned to them by their supreme deity – the Eternal Blue Sky. Juvaini outlines some of the rulings of the Great Yasa, from which it becomes obvious that this is not a monument of the customary law of the Mongols, but imperial legislation. He succinctly tells about the life of Genghis Khan and the history of the Mongol Empire formation, and in more detail – about the deeds of his closest descendants: Ogedei, Guyuk, Mongke, Hulagu. Being a courtier, he justifies the military expansion of the Mongols, but ends his narrative on the defeat of the Ismailis and is silent about the fate of the Abbasid caliphate. His reports about the beginning of the conflict between Genghis Khan and Khorezm Shah Muhammad, about the circumstances of the laying out the Mongolian capital, and a number of other reports demonstrating the Mongols’ embodiment of their imperial ideas are extremely interesting. This work, reflecting the views of a representative of a settled civilization, is of interest as one of the first attempts at a systematic presentation of the history of the Mongol conquests, and is also important as a source of information for Abu’l Faraj (1226–1286) [Borbone, 2016] and Rashid al-Din (1247–1318), and the latter has get a detailed description for many points only outlined by Juvaini. Juvaini's work inspired Wassaf (1265–1329) to write its sequel. The author also influenced other historians: Ibn Bibi (?–1272) in Anatolia, Qadi Baidawi (?–1316?) in Fars.