Ms Or 20 f.115v Mahmud ibn Sebuktegin, ruler of the Turkish Ghaznavid Dynasty from 998 to 1030CE, astride a battle elephant, miniature from the Jamiʿ al-Tawarikh of Rashid al-Din
Il-Khanid Tabriz
Opaque watercolour, ink, gold and silver on paper

Shelfmark: Or.Ms.20
Holding Institution: University of Edinburgh
Title: Jami' al-Tawarikh (World History)
Alternate Title: Compendium of Chronicles
Subset Index: f.115v detail
Creator: Rashid al-Din Ṭabib
Creator Nationality: Iranian
Creator Role: Author
Date: c.1306CE or c.1314/15CE

Detail of miniature from the Compendium of Chronicles by Rashid al-Din. Shows Mahmud ibn Sebuktegin, ruler of the Turkish Ghaznavid Dynasty from 998 to 1030CE, astride a battle elephant, with three cavalry soldiers ranged behind him, to the right of the image. On the left of the image, a further three figures on horseback can be seen facing him, as if about to engage in combat. This miniature is said represent the defeat of Abu Ali ibn Simjuri by Sebuktegin at Tus, in modern day Iran, in 995CE. Simjuri, an ambitious general, had rebelled against Sebuktegin's father, who was then king. Arguably the greatest treasure in the library, the Jami' al-Tawarikh, or Compendium of Chronicles, is a world history which encompasses a range of cultures, from China in the East, to Ireland in the West, from the time of Adam. It is written in the Naskh script and contains 70 illustrated folios. Written by the scholar and courtier Rashid al-Din (d.1318), there is some debate as to the exact date of this manuscript, but it was almost certainly completed within the author's lifetime, making it one of the earliest copies in existence. It is one of the three main sources for the life of Genghis Khan and is considered to be one of the most important medieval documents in the world.
Sources: Hukk, M (1925), A descriptive catalogue of the Arabic and Persian manuscripts in Edinburgh University Library, Hertford. Talbot Rice, D. (1976), The Illustrations to the World History of Rashid al-Din, Edinburgh.

Source: Edinburgh University Library