Rashid al-Din begins Jami al-Tawarikh

1298

The Jewish-born Persian vizier of the Ilkhanate began compiling his Compendium of Chronicles, the first attempt at a genuinely universal history covering China, India, the Franks, and the Mongols in a single work. Illustrated with Chinese-influenced miniatures, it remains the most ambitious historical project of the medieval world. Rashid al-Din employed scholars from across Eurasia, including a Chinese physician who provided information on the history and customs of the Far East.