Rashid al-Din Research Articles

SOME REMARKS ON THE ULUS (PEOPLE) OF JOCHI AS SEEN BY THEIR CONTEMPORIES

Jochi Ulus is the largest of the Mongolian states. If we take the history of the Jochi Ulus, its people, information about their domestic and foreign policy from the memoirs of a traveler, historian, scientist, sage who lived in those days, then we can say that their data are written on the basis of truth. In this article, data were obtained from the moment of the founding of the Jochi Ulus to the XVI century. In the sources in the Turkic-Mongolian states of Ilkhanid, Timurid, Shibanid -the Uzbek, Tatar, Ottoman and Kazakh peoples have brief but extensive information. His attitude towards the Jochi ulus is well reflected in the book "Jami al-Tawarih", written by Rashid Al-Din (b. 1318) in Persian at the beginning of the XIV century. In addition, modern Kazakhs have left their data on Maiki (Baikyu), which they consider to be their ancestor, as one of the four generals (emirs) handed over by Jami al-Tawarih to Genghis Khan Johu. In addition, Sharaf al-Din Ali Yazdi in his work "Afar-nama" also talked about the ulus. In the 1550s, Chagatai in Khorezm wrote the works "Tarikh-i Dust Sultan" or "Genghis-nama" in the Turkic language, "the history of the Zhokhid ulus", Utemish Hadji called Zhokhid ulus Uzbekistan. Interestingly, the history of the Jochi Ulus and the criminal khanate, compiled by Sayyid Muhammad Reza in 1737, in the book "Es-Cebu-Seyar fi Akhbar-i Muluk-u Tatars" calls the Jochi people "Tatars". Based on such data, information is provided about the way of life, the social status of the main population of the Jochi Ulus, and how they are mentioned in the data.

An Evaluation on the Pictures of Jâmiʿ Al-Tevârîkḫ 's Tashkent Copy, Numbered 1620

This research is an evaluation of the Tashkent copy of the illustrated work Jâmiʿ al-tevârîkḫ, which was prepared by the vizier Rashid al-Din (d. 1318) and collective writers in the early 14th century, near Tabriz, the capital of the Ilkhanid dynasty. The copy, which was preserved in N. 1620 at the Institute of Oriental Studies, named Abu Rayhan Beruni, of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, is one of the copies prepared in the first quarter of the 14th century, which has the least painting program among the Jâmiʿ al-tevârîkḫ copies that have survived to the present day. The illustrated Tashkent copy does not show any resemblance to the usual compositions of other Jâmiʿ al-tevârîkḫ copies that have survived to the present day. The fact that only the throne scenes are included in the completed painting program of the work, that a few paintings have the quality of sketches, and that crowded compositions are avoided, indicate that the work was prepared in a workshop outside the centers where the other copies were produced. In the study, a comparison will be made on the Paris copy of Jâmiʿ al-tevârîkḫ compiled in Tashkent and Timurid palace and a few pictures in the Diez Album. The subject chosen to be depicted, the figure in the composition and the similar and different aspects of the clothing features will be evaluated. In our study, the codicological features of the copy will be examined. It is thought that the work was prepared by other local artists who were influenced by Tabriz-based workshops under the rule of the Ilkhanids.

«Нужная смерть» великого князя: к вопросу о причинах и обстоятельствах кончины Ярослава Всеволодовича осенью 1246 г.

Research objectives: The objective of this study is to determine the causes and circumstances surrounding the death of Grand Duke Yaroslav Vsevolodovich. His demise occurred during his presence at the headquarters of Turakina and in the presence of the Great Khan Guyuk. Research materials: The research draws from a complex of Russian chronicle sources, monuments of ”hagiographic” literature from Ancient Rus’, Plano Carpini’s “The History of the Mongols,” Rashid al-Din’s “The Collection of Chronicles,” Juvayni Ata-Malik’s “The History of the Conqueror of the World,” and acts of diplomatic correspondence. Results and novelty of the study: Through a critical and comparative analysis of written sources, examined in the context of the political landscape within the Mongolian Empire leading up to and during the Kurultai of 1246, the authors of this article conclude that Plano Carpini’s account of the poisoning of Russian Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich by Turakina khatun is unreliable. Utilizing a methodology akin to the natural sciences, the study ultimately attributes Yaroslav Vsevolodovich’s death to natural causes, specifically complications arising from an acute toxicoinfective disease. This conclusion is drawn considering the absence of qualified medical care, weakened immunity, and the advanced age of the ruler of Northeastern Russia.

Matteo Ricci as an Islamicate informant. Two moments of connection in the Persian afterlives of a Latin account of China

AbstractThree centuries after the Mongol-era historian Rashid al-Din (1247–1318) wrote his influential account of China, an émigré Christian convert from Islam translated Matteo Ricci's book on China into Persian in Mughal Delhi. In doing so, he provided a remarkably detailed depiction of the rulers, religions, and regulations of the Ming empire that greatly updated, and superseded, Rashid al-Din's celebrated account. Nonetheless, by the very virtue of its triangulated origins—between China, Europe, and India; between Chinese, Latin, and Persian—this was a fraught endeavour. For Chinese cultural traditions had to be rendered into Islamicate Persian terms that were approximate equivalents for Latin Christian terms which themselves inevitably misrepresented Confucian terms that in turn provided biased depictions of Buddhist and Daoist beliefs. By looking at two moments of the transmission of Ricci into Persian—in the early modern era of manuscripts and amid the colonial ascent of Indian print—this article uses translation as a lens through which to observe both the reach and limits of the cross-cultural connections that have captivated global historians in recent decades.

Сочинение Кадыр Али-бека: к вопросу о некоторых дискуссионных аспектах

Research objectives: Examination of the controversial and unresolved linguistic and textual issues in Kadyr Ali-bek’s work “Jami al-tawarikh”. Research materials: For the study, “original” dastans related to the Turkic-Tatar history were utilized. In general, the work consists of three parts: the madhya (eulogy) of Boris Fedorovich Godunov, the translation of part of the work of Rashid al-Din and the dastans about the khans and their protégée Idegei. Results and novelty of the research: In this work, grammatical forms and vocabulary from various dialects of the Turkic-Tatar language are combined. The language used in the original daastans is more formal than colloquial, but it cannot be considered an example of literary style. Regarding the classification of the language of the dastans, it is concluded that the composition is written in Old Tatar language, as indicated by the Tatar vocabulary. When comparing Tatar and Chagatai languages, it is necessary to consider that different traditions were encompassed in the Chagatai classification. Old Tatar language can be attributed to the Chagatai tradition.

Улуг битикчи — тюрко-монгольский институт, интегрированный в систему мусульманской администрации чингизидских государств XIII–XIV вв. (по материалам «Дастур ал-катиб»)

Introduction. The article examines a yarliq from the medieval Persian treatise Dastur al-Katib to characterize the institution of ulug bitigchi that used to be widespread in the Mongol Empire and states of Genghis Khan’s descendants. Goals. The study attempts an interdisciplinary analysis of the historical monument — one yarliq appointing an ulug bitigchi (head of scribes) and contained in Dastur al-Katib fi Tayin al-Maratib (A Scribe’s Guide to Determining Ranks) compiled in the mid-14th century by Persian official Muhammad ibn Hindushah Nakhchivani. Materials and methods. The paper focuses on Dastur al-Katib and the mentioned yarliq proper, involves related medieval sources on Mongol Iran and other Chinggisid states, including works by Juvayni, Rashid al-Din, Fasih Khwafi, etc., official documents of the Chinggisid chancelleries. The work employs a series of historical and legal research methods, such as those of source criticism, diplomatics analysis, comparative historical research, formal legal approach, historical legal and comparative legal analyses. Results. The paper introduces the yarliq appointing an ulug bitigchi from the medieval Persian treatise Dastur al-Katib into Russian-language scientific discourse and supplements it with a detailed interdisciplinary analysis. The work clarifies specific features of an ulug bitigchi’s legal status — including his functions, rights, requirements for candidates in Chinggisid chance­lleries — and traces its evolution. It also shows reasons for the survival of the institution in those states even after the official conversion to Islam and shaping of a corresponding government system in accordance with traditions that had existed across the Volga Region, Iran and Central Asia long before the Mongol conquest. Conclusions. The fact that the institution of ulug bitigchi did survive the subsequent Islamization was to primarily position of Ilkhans as heirs of the Mongol Empire where it had first been established as well as to seek a compromised approach in governing their various subjects — nomadic and sedentary peoples, Turko-Mongols and those who spoke Iranian languages, Moslems and adherents of other religions.

Процесс по делу об отравлении каана Угедея в контексте противоречий разных групп источников

Research objectives: The article provides an analysis of conflicting reports in the sources on the trial for the poisoning of Khan Ögedei, who died at the end of 1241. Research materials: Although the sources of the imperial circle (Juvaini, Rashid al-Din) describe in detail the trials of individual representatives of the nobility after the son of Ögedei, Guyuk, came to power in 1246, they do not report anything about the trial regarding the violent death of the former ruler. Nonetheless, direct information about the arrest of a certain daughter of Chingis Khan on charges of murdering Ögedei, which occurred immediately after the enthronement of Guyuk, is contained in the report of Plano Carpini, present at the kurultai. Rashid al-Din’s report, which is an example of imperial historiography, does not contain direct references to this but provides indirect reports about the murder of Chingis Khan’s daughter by the Ögedeids. Simultaneously, the official imperial texts date the most high-profile trial of Chingis Khan’s brother Temuge-Otchigin and his execution to the time after enthronement, but Plano Carpini refers to this event as happening before that. Results and novelty of the research: The author concludes that the report of the papal legate reflects real events to a greater extent, while the versions of Juvaini and Rashid al-Din are the result of imperial censorship, which purposefully concealed events that were contrary to Chingisid intra-family ethics.

Ideology of the Mongol World Domination in “The Collection of Chronicles” by Rashid al-Din

The article presents the results obtained in the course of work on identifying plots in medieval written sources that demonstrate manifestations of the Mongol imperial ideology and allow not only to clearly identify its contours and content, but also to establish with the greatest possible accuracy the moment of transition of the Mongols from predatory and punitive expeditions to systematic subordination of the whole known world space. To achieve this goal, materials contained in the collective work “Collection of Chronicles” (“Jami al-tawarikh”) were analyzed, the compiler and, apparently, the main author of which was a Persian doctor and a major administrator of Jewish origin, Fazlallah Rashid al-Din Hamadani (1247–1318), who served at the court of Ilkhans Gazan (1295–1304) and Oldjeitu (1304–1316). This work is rightfully considered one of the most important sources on the Mongol Empire. In terms of amount of information about its prehistory and early history, it has no equal. The “Collection of Chronicles” contains unique information about spiritual climate of the steppes in XII – early XIII centuries and the personality of Temujin/Genghis Khan (1162?–1227), shedding light on his ideas about the world space and possible plans regarding its subjugation, about conquering plans of his descendants and their implementations. It is difficult to name an aspect of the Mongol imperial ideology that would not be reflected on its pages. Rashid al-Din, as a person who held high positions in the Ilkhanate, had wide access to information, which is why his words, in general, deserve trust and in many cases are confirmed by other sources. Despite the fact that by the time his work was compiled, the Mongol Empire as a whole had not existed for a long time, the “Collection of Chronicles” is permeated with the idea of unity of the Mongol world.

Sources and studies on the historical geography of ancient and medieval settlements in the Syr Darya, Talas, and Semirechye areas

The article reveals information from Chinese, Arabic and Persian sources on the historical geography of ancient and medieval settlements in Syr Darya, Talas and Semirechye areas. It also reports on the introduction of this information into academic circulation, as well as on the scientists’ judgments regarding these sources. Thus, the article covers the official written sources included in The Twenty-four Histories, travel notes of such travellers as Xuánzàng, Jiǎ Dān, Dù Huán, works by medieval Arab authors Ibn Khordadbeh, Ibn al-Faqih, Qudama ibn Ja'far, al-Balkhi, Ibn Hawqal, Al-Maqdisi, al-Idrisi and Yaqut al-Hamaawi, and later works in Persian by Ala ad-Din Atâ-Malek Juvayni, Rashid al-Din, Jamal Karshi, Muhammad Haydar Dulati and Sharafeddin Ali Yazdi all related to ancient cities and settlements in the Syr Darya, Talas, Chu, Semirechye areas, and Eastern Tian-Shan. Accentuating these works, the authors analyze their potential and reliability, the complementarity of the data given and their unique features. Furthermore, the article presents source data about Kazakhstan and adjacent territories, namely about Eastern Tian-Shan and Kashgaria, and ancient cities along Syr Darya , collected by world’s academics, and shows the advantages and disadvantages of historical and geographical research based on this data. Such analysis contributes to further development of source study and historiography, which has originated in domestic science relatively recently and is now actively developing. The article analyses works by Michael Yang de Gu, Song Xian, V.Minorsky, H.Yule, Zhang Xingliang, Feng Chengjun, Cen Zhongmian, Zhou Liankuan, Th.Watters, V.V.Barthold, A.G.Malyavkin, P.Pelliot, A.M.Belenitsky, E.Chavannes, S.L.Volin, Matsuda Hisau, B.E.Komekov, R.B.Komekova, et alia.

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

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.

«Шуаб-и панджгана» как исторический источник по генеалогиям Чингизидов

Research objectives: To analyze “Shu’ab-i Panjganah” as a historical source for the genealogies of the Chingisids. Research materials: Medieval manuscript in the Persian language “Shu’ab-i Panjganah”. The manuscript author is Fazlullah ibn Abulkhair Ali Hamadani Rashid al-Din. The article presents the author’s opinion of all the advantages and disadvantages of the translation of “Shu’ab-i Panjganah”. Results and novelty of the research: “Shu’ab-i Panjganah” is a work of Rashid al-Din, published in 2019. At the beginning of the sixteenth century, this manuscript was in the library of Sultan Qasim of Astrakhan (grandson of Akhmat). There are two versions how this manuscript appeared in Astrakhan. According to the first version (by A. Z. V. Togan), the manuscript was a gift from Muhammad Sheybani to another Astrakhan sultan Qasim (Akhmat’s nephew). According to the second version (by Ch.I. Khamidova) the manuscript appeared in the Golden Horde in the fourteenth century during the campaign of Janibek Khan in Iran. According to the third version (by Zh.M. Sabitov), proposed in this article, the manuscript came to Astrakhan from Herat in the last two decades of the fifteenth century. The children of Akhmat, khan of the Golden Horde, were nephews of Timurid Hussein Baykara (he was the brother of their mother) and for some time they lived in Herat, where they could get a copy of this manuscript. When copying, the scribe made a certain number of minor errors, which is clearly seen when comparing the names of the ancestors, relatives and descendants of Chingis Khan, as well as the Chinghisid emirs with similar names from Jami al-tawarikh and Muizz al Ansab. It is also noted that, without entering into scientific circulation the critical list of Muizz al Ansab on the basis of all five lists, it is not possible to analyze all errors and unique information from “Shu’ab-i Panjganah”.

Рязанский гамбит Бату: о новых трактовках сообщений «Повести о разорении Рязани Батыем» в современных исследованиях

Research objective: A critical analysis of several positions and theses presented in the article by A.V. Mayorov “Woman, diplomacy and war: Russian princes in negotiations with Batu on the eve of the Mongol invasion”. Research materials: Russian chronicles, “The Tale of the Destruction of Ryazan by Batu”, “Praise to the Ryazan Princes”, materials of the Discharge department, “Letter about the Image of the life of Tartars” by friar Julian, “Collection of Chronicles” by Rashid al-Din, “History of the Conqueror of the World” by Ata-Melik Juveini, “The Secret History of the Mongols”, “Yuan Shi” (History of the Yuan Dynasty), “History” by George Pachymeres, The Bible. The books of Holy Scripture of the Old and New Testaments. Results and novelty of the research: On the basis of the analysis of the written sources and information presented in a number of scientific studies, the author concludes that the thesis of A.V. Mayorov on the compliance with historical realities of the information presented in the “Tale of the Destruction of Ryazan by Batu” is insufficiently argumented. The researcher’s hypotheses about the purposeful policy of Batu aimed at the peaceful inclusion of the principalities of Northeastern Russia into the state system of the Mongol Empire, and the simultaneous provocation of the ruling elites of the Ryazan Principality to a military conflict through the murder of prince Fyodor Yuryevich, contain a number of logical contradictions and are not confirmed by information from both Russian chronicles and foreign sources on the Mongol Western Campaign.

Urbanism Under Turco-Mongol Rule: Excavations at Otrar, Kazakhstan

The city of Otrar in southern Kazakhstan (42°51'8.64"N/ 68°18'9.26"E; (Figure 1) was occupied from around the 4th-5th century AD and abandoned in the 18th century (Akishev, Baipakov, and Erzakovich 1972:81, 1981, 1987; Baipakov 1990). Exploiting the waters of the nearby Syr Darya river to create a fertile hinterland which supported the urban population (Clarke, Sala, and Meseth 2005; Toonen et al. 2020), written sources indicate it was the location of major historical events from the Mongol Conquest to the death of Timur (Bregel 2003:36, 42; Juvaini (trans. J. Boyle) 1997:82–85; Rashid al-Din (trans a. W.M. Thackston) 2012:170–71; f488-90; Zimin’ 1914). Today, the site consists of a raised mound or shahristan known as Otrartobe, an 18m tall mound of decayed mudbrick architecture and occupation deposits within a larger urban zone covering around 170 hectares (Akishev et al. 1972:43–50; Fodde, Sala, and Deom 2013). The site has been extensively excavated (Akishev et al. 1972, 1981, 1987; Akylbek 2013; Baipakov 2013; Baipakov and Erzakovich 1991; Campbell 2020, 2021) with ample information about various neighbourhoods, and broad chronological understanding of the character of occupation. Abandonment deposits have been found and equated to the Mongol Conquest but the stratification of the coin hoard used to date this phase was somewhat unclear (Akishev et al. 1987:18) and so the precise chronology of occupation at Otrar and the extent to which it was continuously inhabited remains obscure. The work described here presents an initial attempt to further investigate the complex sequence of occupation at the site between the 12th and 14th centuries.

К вопросу о монгольском делопроизводстве в Иране XIII–XIV вв. (на примере ярлыка о назначении бахши из «Дастур ал-катиб»)

Introduction. The article examines a yarliq from Dastur al-Katib (14th c. CE) and attempts to an insight into the principles of using the Mongol language in the 13th–14th century Persian records management system. Goals. The study provides an interdisciplinary analysis of the historical monument — a yarliq appointing a bakhshi (senior scribe) included in Dastur al-Katib fi Tayin al-Maratib (A Scribe’s Guide to Determining Ranks) compiled in the mid-14th century by Muhammad ibn Hindushah Nakhchivani, a financial statesman under the late Hulaguids and early Jalairids. To facilitate this, the paper shall: 1) translate the examined document into Russian, 2) characterize the latter as a valuable source on history of state, law and chancellery culture of Mongol Iran, 3) analyze the yarliq as an official act and a source of law, 4) identify the legal status of the Mongolian language in 13th–14th century Iran. Materials and methods. The study explores the yarliq proper and other materials of Dastur al-Katib, additional medieval sources on Mongol Iran and Genghisid states, including works by Rashid al-Din, Wassaf, etc., official documents of Genghisid chancelleries. The work employs a series of historical and legal research methods, such as those of source criticism, diplomatics analysis, comparative historical research, formal legal approach, historical legal and comparative legal analyses. Results. The paper introduces the yarliq appointing a secretary (bakhshi) from the medieval Persian treatise titled Dastur al-Katib into Russian-language scientific discourse and supplements it with a detailed interdisciplinary analysis. The work clarifies specific features of a bakhshi’s legal status as a senior scribe responsible for translating official edicts from Persian into Mongolian, his functions, rights, requirements for candidates. An attempt to identify the person to have been appointed scribe therein was made. Conclusions. The works concludes Mongolian had a status of the official language in records management system of Iran throughout the late 13th and 14th centuries, the former having been extensively used by nomadizing subjects of Hulaguid and Jalairid Ilkhans, including top-rank executives of Mongolian descent. This was reflected in the appointment of a special official responsible for articulating legal and other documents into Mongolian for nomadic elites and warlords. However, to extrapolate this conclusion onto other Genghisid states it is necessary to compare the researched document and additional information on Mongol Iran with similar sources from other heirs of the Mongol Empire, such as the Golden Horde, Chagatai Ulus, etc.

The Alan capital *Magas: A preliminary identification of its location

AbstractThis article proposes that *Magas, capital city of the North Caucasian Kingdom of Alania, can be identified with the gorodishche (hillfort) of Il'ichevsk, in Krasnodar Krai in the modern Russian Federation. The Kingdom of Alania was the most powerful polity in the North Caucasus in the tenth and eleventh centuries; however, the location of its capital has never been satisfactorily established. This article reviews the evidence of written sources on *Magas – notably Masʿūdī, Juvayni, Rashid al-Din, and the Yuan-Shi – and identifies four criteria which can be used to identify the site of *Magas. These are its occupation between the tenth and thirteenth centuries; the influence of the Alan kings over it; its massive fortifications; and its capture by the Mongols in 1239–40. All of these features can be identified at Il'ichevsk, in contrast to previously proposed sites of *Magas.

Chinggisid and Persian Office Culture in the Work of Muhammad Nakhchivani “Dastur al-katib”

Based on analysis of samples of yarliqs from the Persian medieval treatise “Dastur al-Katib” by Muhammad Nahchivani, the article reveals the peculiarities of the interaction of Persian and Chinggisid chancellery traditions preserved in the state of Jalairids. The aim of the study is to consider the correlation of local Persian, Muslim traditions of office work and office culture of the Chinggisid and post-Chinggisid states in the process of documenting power decisions. The objectives of the study are to determine the structure of the yarliq samples presented in “Dastur al-katib”, compare them with the forms of Chinggisid act materials, as well as to determine the degree of influence of Chinggisid chancellery rules on the Persian chancellery traditions. The source base consists primarily of samples of yarliqs, as well as other materials from “Dastur al-Katib”, other medieval sources about Mongol Iran and other Chinggisid states, including the writings of Rashid al-Din etc., the materials of medieval Chinggisid chancelleries. In the study, the authors use source studies, diplomatic and comparative historical methods. The analysis of these materials indicates that the Hulaguids, thanks to their military and political power, managed to introduce the Chinggisid canons proper into the chancellery practice of Iran, which turned out to be very stable and persisted even after the fall of the Ilkhans’ power. Muhammad Hindushakh organically connects the Jalayirs with the Hulaguids and builds this connection to Genghis Khan, which allows us to consider his work as one of the most recent monuments of Mongol imperial ideology. The authors conclude that in Iran in 13–14 cc. the old Persian chancellery tradition and Chinggisid chancellery norms coexisted, and the latter symbolized the dominance of the ruling dynasty and adherence to political traditions laid down by Chinggis Khan.

«Ордынский плен» рязанского князя Олега Ингваревича Красного (1238–1258 гг.): от историографического мифа к историческим реалиям

Research objective: To both study the mechanisms of the formation of the historiographical myth about the so-called “Horde captivity” of the Ryazan Prince Oleg Ingvarevich Krasny and to reconstruct the political history of the Ryazan Principality in the 1240–50s. Research materials: The collection of Russian chronicle sources, the “Tale of the Destruction of Ryazan by Batu”, the “Armenian History” by Kirakos Gandzaketsi, the anonymous Georgian “Chronograph” of the fourteenth century, “History of World Conqueror” by Juvaini, “Compendium of Chronicles” by Rashid al-Din, as well as the “History of the Mongols” by John of Plano Carpini, and the “Itinerarium” by William of Rubruck. Results and novelty of the research: Based on a comprehensive study of narrative sources, the author reconstructs the political contacts of the ruling elites of the Ryazan Principality with the authorities of the Mongol Empire and the Jochid Ulus in 1242–1252. In particular, the author substantiates the thesis that Oleg Krasny received a yarliq to rule as a result of his trip to Töregene Khatun’s headquarters in 1242–1243. Also, a number of additional arguments are made to confirm the mythological nature of the thesis established in the scholarly literature about the long-term “Horde (Mongolian) captivity” of the Ryazan prince, Oleg Ingvarevich Krasny. In addition, the thesis about the existence of an anti-Horde union of Russian princes Daniil Romanovich of Halych, Andrey Yaroslavovich of Vladimir, and Yaroslav Yaroslavovich of Tver’ at the turn of the 1240–50s is argumentatively refuted along with the participation in this union of Oleg Ingvarevich of Ryazan, which allegedly caused his two-year (1250–1252) imprisonment in Batu’s headquarters.

Еще раз о времени прихода асов на монгольскую служб

Research objectives: To ascertain the time and circumstances of the As people’s incorporation into the service of the Great Mongol Qa’ans. Research materials: Biographies of the As military commanders presented in the official History of the Yüan dynasty (the main source), the narratives of John of Plano Carpini and William of Rubruck, the chronicles of Vardan Areveltsi, Kirakos Gandzaketsi, and Grigor Aknertsi, Rashid al-Din’s Compendium of Chronicles, the Hypatian Codex, notes of Chinese officials Peng Da-ya and Xu Ting on the Mongols. Results and novelty of the research: The paper clarifies one aspect of the author’s previous research of the problem under consideration. It partially refutes a prior conclusion that the As entried into the Mongols’ military service only during the Western campaign. On the contrary, this paper substantiates the traditional assertion that the As joined Mongol service during the reign of Möngke Qa’an. Besides, it indicates that this argument finds its substantiation in the information found in the As military commanders’ biographies in the History of Yuan which are usually overlooked on this issue. The assumption is also put forward and argued that the enthronement of the rulers of Alania took place in the Caucasus, and they did not need to go to the capital of the Mongol Empire for this purpose. In addition, it is noted that in the related sources, analyzed by the author in both papers on this topic, there is no information that would allow for asserting or suggesting the possibility of the arrival of the As to serve in Mongolia and China after the beginning of the process of the actual division of the Empire into independent uluses following the death of Möngke Qa’an in 1259.

Confronting the Foreigner: Common Policies of Rashid al-Din and Liu Bingzhong on Mongol Rule in Iran and China

AbstractThis article discusses the career of three historical figures who had a position of authority in the courts of the Ilkhans and the Great Khans of the Mongol Empire in China: Rashid al-Din Tabib (d. 1318), the Persian statesman and historian; Liu Bingzhong (d. 1274), Qubilai Khan's (r. 1260-94) Chinese counsellor; and Bolad Aqa (d. 1313), the famed Mongol tribesman. This study raises the question of whether Rashid al-Din's policies, when he was in office as the vizier of Ghazan Khan (r. 1295-1304), were modelled in some respects on the approach of the Chinese nobles—Liu in particular—to the Mongols during the early stages of the Mongol rule over China. In addition, taking into account Bolad's noticeable presence in the courts of the Mongols in Ilkhanid Iran and Yuan China, it seeks to shed light on his role as an intermediary and a possible conduit for Chinese political thoughts to reach Rashid al-Din.

Genghis Khan: the unknown about the known

This article provides brief information from the medieval books of Rashid al-Din Fazullah Hamadani “Jami' al-Tawarikh” (1318), Sharaf al-Din Ali Yazdi “Zafar nama” (1425), which can give the reader a general idea of the history of Turkic tribes, including Kazakh clans. In addition, the article provides a brief analysis of the role of key historic persons – Shyngys khan and Amir Temir. The article will be interesting for students and specialists in history and Orientalism.