Sources for the letters of a reader, Dr. Khorasani & Dr. Farrokh in MW II.5

In Medieval Warfare II.5, we have published a letter of one of our readers concerning the article of Dr. Manouchehr Khorasani & Dr. Kaveh Farrokh in MW II.3, titled ‘The Mongol invasion of the Khwarazmian Empire’, as well as the response of Dr. Khorasani and Dr. Farrokh. In order to make sure that our readers can check on the use of specific sources by both the reader and the authors (an important part of both arguments), we have decided to list the sources used in our blog. Here is the list:

Sources used by the reader

The near contemporary sources include:

  • Ibn al-Athir, The Chronicle of Ibn al-Athir for the Crusading Period from al-Kamil fi’il-ta’rikh, part 3, translated by D.S.Richards. Ashgate 2008.
  • Juvaini, History of the World Conquerer, translated and commented by John Andrew Boyle. Manchester 1958.
  • Juzjani, Tabakat-i-Nasiri, translated and commented by H.G. Raverty. Calcutta 1895.
  • Nesawi, Histoire du sultan Djelal ed-Din Mankobirti prince du Kharezm par Mohammed en-Nesawi, translated by O. Houdas. Paris 1895.
  • Rashid al-Din, Rashiduddin Fazlullah’s Jami?u?t-tawarikh [Compendium of Chronicles], translated by W.M. Thackston, 3 volumes. Harvard 1998-99.

In addition, some information can be found in the Yuan Shi and SWCCL, but I only know those as Chinese texts (there is no way around Chinese texts for anyone interested in the Mongols).

Good modern works:

  • V.V.Barthold, Turkestan down to the Mongol invasion, translated by H.A.R. Gibb. London 1968.
  • Peter Jackson, Studies on the Mongol Empire and Early Muslim India. Ashgate (Variorum Collected Studies Series) 2009
  • Desmond Martin, The Rise of Chingis Khan and his Conquest of North China. Baltimore 1950.
  • C.C. Walker, Jenghiz Khan. London 1939.

Sources used by the authors

Primary sources in Persian:

  • Rašid-e Din Fazoll?h Hamed?ni, Jame al Tav?rix, compiled and edited by Mohammad Rošan and Mostaf? Moussavi, four Volumes. Tehran 1994.
  • All?-e-din At? ol Molk bin Bah-e-din Mohammad bin Mohammad bin Joveyni, T?rix Jah?ngoš?ye Joveyni, threeVolumes. Tehr?n 1999.
  • Šah?b-e Din Mohammad Zeydari, Sirat-e Jal?l e din Mankoberny. Tehr?n 1999.

There is an excellent summary of the campaigns in Khorasan in ?štiy?ni:

  • Abb?s Eqb?l ?štiy?ni, T?rix-e Moqol [The History of the Mongols]. Tehr?n 1986.

There is also a vast compendium of secondary literature on military historiography in the Persian language. One such example is the two-volume compendium of Iranian military history by Asadoll?h Matufi:

  • A. Matufi, T?rix-e ??r Hez?r S?leye Arteš-e Ir?n: Jeld-e Dovvom [The Four Thousand Year History of the Iranian Army: Volume Two]. Tehr?n 1999.

Besides the historical sources that exist in the Persian language, there are also other Western sources not cited above or in MW II.5, especially with respect to Mankoberny. For example:

  • C. E. Bosworth, The New Islamic Dynasties, a Chronological and Genealogical Manual (Edinburgh 1996), see especially pages. 178-80, no. 89.

Two other secondary sources (in English and German) that provide an excellent overview of the Mongols are:

  • S. Turnbull, Genghis Khan & the Mongol Conquests 1190-1400. Oxford 2003.
  • B. Spüler, Die Mongolen in Iran: Politik, Verwalting und Kultur der Ilchanzeit 1220-1350. Leipzig 1939.

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