[The Táríkh-i Jahán-Kushá, or Jahán-Kusháí, “the History of the Conquest of the World,” is the work of 'Aláu-d dín Malik, son of Baháu-d dín Muhammad Juwainí, but the author is better known to Europeans by the name of 'Atá Malik Juwainí. He was a native of Juwain, in Khurásán, near Naishápur. The date of his birth is unknown, but he was twenty-seven years of age when he began to write his history.
Baháu-d dín was one of the principal revenue officers of Persia under the Mongol governor Arghún; and his son 'Aláu-d dín, disregarding his father's advice to adopt literature as his profession, entered into public employ in his father's office before he had completed his twentieth year. When Mangú Khán was elected emperor, Arghún went to Tartary in 650, to pay his respects to the new sovereign, and Baháu-d dín with his son, our author, proceeded thither in his suite. Arghún was confirmed in his office, and he made Baháu-d dín chief superintendant of the revenues of his province. Shortly after his return in 651 (1253 A.D.), Baháu-d dín died at the age of sixty. When Hulákú Khán arrived in Persia, in 654 H., the viceroy Arghún was called to court; and on his departure he left 'Aláu-d dín at court of the Emperor as one of his representatives. While thus situated our author followed in the suite of Hulákú during his campaign against the Ismái'lians. His brother, Shamsu-d dín, became wazír of Hulákú in 662 (1263-4 A.D.), and 'Aláu-d dín was appointed governor of Baghdád.
'Aláu-d dín had made himself conspicuous by his zeal against the Ismái'lians, which incited three men of that sect to attempt his assassination. He escaped this danger, but only to endure great reverses and ignominy. Intrigues were formed against him, he was dismissed from office, fined heavily, tortured, and paraded naked all round Baghdád. He remained for some time afterwards in confinement at Hamadán, but his innocence being proved, the fine exacted from him was returned, and he was restored to his office, which he retained until his death in 681.
In character he was naturally mild and just, but he was so
blinded by the power and success of his masters that he could
see nothing but good in them and their doings. “Placed as he
was,” says M. D'Ohsson, “it is manifest that he could not write
freely; but he of his own accord made himself the panegyrist of
those barbarians who had utterly ruined his country, and who
continued to waste and oppress the dominions of the Muham-
His occupations he tells us left him little leisure for the acquisition of useful knowledge up to the age of twenty-seven, and he expresses his regret that he had not adopted the course of life advised by his father; but years had matured his reason, and he was resolved to make up for lost time. He had several times travelled over Transoxiana and Turkistán, as well as the more western regions. He had been a witness of many events, and he had besides obtained information from well-informed and trustworthy persons, so in the year 650, during his stay at the court of Mangú, at the request of his friends he began to write his history, the chief object of which was to perpetuate the memory of the great actions of the Emperor Mangú. The style of the work is much admired by Orientals, “but a European may be allowed to pronounce it inflated, and to wish that the author had used more truth in his colouring, and more method in his narrative.” The history stops at the year 655 (1257 A.D.), although the author lived up to the year 681 (1282 A.D.).
The MS. used by M. Quatremère and Baron D'Ohsson is an incomplete one belonging to the Imperial Library at Paris. “The Jahán Kusháí,” says Sir H. Elliot, “though not uncommon in Europe, is very rare in India. All my research has only procured for me one copy, and that belongs to Munshí 'Abdu-r Razzák, Sarrishtadár of the Civil Court of Farrukhábád. It is very clean, and well written in Nasta'lík, but contains many errors. Its extent is 275 folios of nineteen lines in each page.” There is no copy of the work in Sir H. Elliot's library.]
It is a custom amongst the Mughals that when any one has committed a crime worthy of death, should he not be sentenced to that penalty, they send him to the wars, remarking that if he was destined to be slain, he may as well be slain in fight; or they send him on a message or embassy to rebellious chiefs, from whom they think it most probable he will never be allowed to return; or they send him to some hot place where a pestilent wind blows; and it was for such a reason they sent Baláktigín* on an embassy to Egypt and Syria.
In the space of twelve years the Mughals conquered every country, and nowhere were rebellion and turbulence left unrepressed. Having reached a place where they saw men with the limbs of beasts, and knew that there could be no habitation beyond it, they returned to their own country, bringing the kings of various countries with them, who presented their offerings of allegiance. Búkú Khán honoured all of them according to their respective ranks, and sent them back to their own countries; but he would not allow the king of Hind to come on account of his filth and ugliness.
Next day, the Imáms and elders of the city of Bokhárá went
to do homage to Changíz Khán,*
and he came within in order
to see the town and fort. He entered the Jámi' Masjíd and
stood before the archways. His son, Túlí Khán, was on foot,
and ascended the pulpit. Changíz Khán enquired, “Is this the
palace of the Sultán?” They replied, “It is the house of God.”
He then dismounted, and ascended two or three steps of the
pulpit, and exclaimed, “The country is denuded of forage, fill my
horses' bellies.” They opened the granaries which were in the
city, and brought the corn. They brought forth the chests
which contained the Kuráns into the area of the mosque, and
scattered the books about, converting the chests into horse-
One of the inhabitants fled to Khurásán after these transactions. They enquired of him the state of Bokhárá. He replied “The Mughals came, dug, burnt, slaughtered, plundered, and departed.” A knot of learned men who heard him unanimously declared that it would be impossible to express any sentence more concisely in Pársí. The cream and essence of whatever is written in this volume might be represented in these few words.