Ms Or 20 f.117v Samanid statesman Abu'l-Husain killed by Buyids at Bukhara, 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.117v detail
Creator: Rashid al-Din Ṭabib
Creator Nationality: Iranian
Creator Role: Author
Date: c.1306CE or c.1314/15CE

Detail of page from the Compendium of Chronicles by Rashid al-Din. Shows text with central image depicting Abu'l-Husain, a tenth century statesman, being condemned by his enemies and put to death at Bukhara. A supporter of the Persian Samanid dynasty, he was sentenced to death after being defeated by Shia forces from the Buyid dynasty. He can be seen in the centre of the image, with another figure holding him down and cutting his throat. Nine other individuals look on from either side. 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