JOVEYNI, 'ATA MALEK

more complete name 'ala' Od-din 'ata Malek Joveyni, also spelled 'ala Ad-din 'ata Malek Juwayni born 1226, Joveyn, Khorasan died 1283, Azerbaijan Persian historian. Joveyni was the first of several brilliant representatives of Persian historiography who flourished during the period of Mongol domination in Iran (12201336). Born into a well-known and highly respected family of governors and civil servants, Joveyn i gained knowledge of the workings of Mongol administrative machinery from his father and visited the Mongol Great Khan's court in Central Asia on two occasions, in 124951 and in 125153. Early in 1256 he entered the service of Hleg, the grandson of Genghis Khan. After the fall of Baghdad in 1258, Joveyni was appointed governor of Iraq and Khuzistan, a position he held for more than two decades. On the death of Hleg, in 1265, he fell from favour and lost much of his former influence. Joveyni's magnum opus, the Tarikh-i jehan-gusha (A History of the World Conqueror, 2 vol., 1958), is one of the most important works of Persian historiography. Begun in 125253, the history includes sections on the Mongols' two principal Muslim enemies, the Khwarezm-Shahs (9951231) and the Isma'ilis of Alamut (10901256), as well as material on Genghis Khan and his successors up to the year 1256. In the compilation of this work, Joveyni drew upon his personal experiences in addition to written sources, many of which have since been lost. Written in an ornate and learned style, the Tarikh-i jehan-gusha became a model of style and was emulated by later historians, thus gaining a position in Persian literary history as well.