Juwaini
Also called: Ata-Malik Juvaini · Topic: Nomadic Empires: The Mongols · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 2 "An Empire Across Three Continents"
Meaning
Juwaini was a 13th-century Persian chronicler who wrote about the Mongol conquests. His family served the Mongol rulers of Iran and helped to limit their harsh treatment of conquered subjects. His writing is a key source, but it has to be read with care. Its huge death tolls show how writers from settled societies exaggerated Mongol destruction.
Example
Juwaini says that when Bukhara was captured in 1220, Genghis Khan told its rich men, "I am the punishment of God." Juwaini also claims that 1,300,000 people died at Merv. He says the dead took thirteen days to count, at 100,000 bodies a day.
Don't confuse with
- Rashiduddin: Rashiduddin was the wazir (chief minister) of the Il-Khanid ruler Ghazan Khan at the end of the 13th century. He is remembered for drafting Ghazan's speech protecting peasants, not for the Bukhara and Merv accounts.