Publisher Description

This book tells the history of Herat, from its desolation under Chingiz Khan in 1222, to its capitulation to Tamerlane in 1381. Unlike the other three quarters of Khurasan (Balkh, Marw, Nishapur), which were ravaged by the Mongols, Herat became an important political, cultural and economic centre of the eastern Islamic world. The post-Mongol age in which an autochthonous Tajik dynasty, the Kartids, ruled the region set the foundations for Herat's Timurid-era splendors. Divided into two parts (a political-military history and a social-economic history), the book explains why the Mongol Empire rebuilt Herat: its rationales and approaches; and Chinggisid internecine conflicts that impacted on Herat's people. It analyses the roles of Iranians, Turks and Mongols in regional politics; in devising fortifications; in restoring commercial and cultural edifices; and in resuscitating economic and cultural activities in the Herat Quarter.

Author Biography

Shivan Mahendrarajah, Research Fellow in the School of History, University of St Andrews.

Table of Contents

Dedication; Abbreviations; Note on Transliteration; List of Maps; List of Tables; List of Figures; Introduction; Part 1: Imperial and Local Histories: Mongols and Karts; Prolegomenon: The Early Period: 615-76/1218-78; Chapter 1. Mongol Invasions of Khurasan; Chapter 2. Mongol Imperial Policies and Herat; Prolegomenon: The Middle Period: 677-729/1278-1329; Chapter 3. Turmoil in Herat and Khurasan; Chapter 4. Stability in Herat and Khurasan; Prolegomenon: The Late Period: 729-83/1329-81; Chapter 5. From Ilkhanate to Independent Kingdom; Chapter 6. From Kartid Sultanate to Tamerlane; Part 1: Reflections and Conclusions; Part 2: Social, Economic, and Cultural Renewal in Herat; Chapter 7. Early Efforts to Revive Agriculture and Commerce; Chapter 8. Later Efforts to Revive Agriculture and Commerce; Chapter 9. Urban Renewal and Cultural Renaissance; Chapter 10. Fortified Landscape of Herat and its Environs; Part 2: Reflections and Conclusions; Glossary; Appendix 1: Genealogical and Dynastic Charts; Appendix 1.1. The Mongols; Appendix 1.2. The Il-Khans of Persia; Appendix 1.3. The Kart Dynasty of Herat; Appendix 1.4. Kart-Jami marriages; Appendix 2: Land and Water Use; Table Appendix 2.1: Cultivation and Land Use in Herat Quarter; Appendix 3: Urban Development in the Kartid Period; Table Appendix 3.1: Edifices Built/Re-Built in Herat; Appendix 4: Settlements and Population; Bibliography; Index.

Review Quote

It is well conceived, well researched, and well written. More importantly, it advances the field not only in knowledge, but the author's innovative approach. This is a significant body of exceptional scholarship and Mahendrarajah lucidly narrates a very complex and often confusing series of events.

Promotional "Headline"

Shows how and why an ancient city destroyed and then rebuilt by Mongols became the 'Pearl' of the Iranian east

Description for Reader

Shows how and why an ancient city destroyed and then rebuilt by Mongols became again the 'Pearl' of the Iranian east Establishes a sequence and chronology for the Mongol attacks in eastern Iran Includes a political-military history of the Kart dynasty, from their founding in 649/1251 by M

Feature

Establishes a sequence and chronology for the Mongol attacks in eastern Iran Includes a political-military history of the Kart dynasty, from their founding in 649/1251 by M

Description for Sales People

Shows how and why an ancient city destroyed and then rebuilt by Mongols became again the 'Pearl' of the Iranian east Establishes a sequence and chronology for the Mongol attacks in eastern Iran Includes a political-military history of the Kart dynasty, from their founding in 649/1251 by M

Description for Teachers/Educators

Islamic History; History of Iran; History of Afghanistan; the Mongol Empire; the Timurids; Medieval Military Architecture/ Medieval Siege Technologies and Techniques; Medieval cities of the Islamic World.

Details