Origins & Early Life

Rashīd al-Dīn Ṭabīb (Persian: رشیدالدین طبیب;‎ 1247–1318; also known as Rašīd al-Dīn Fażl-Allāh Hamadānī or Rashīd al-Dīn Faḍlullāh Hamadānī, i.e. "of Hamadan", Persian: رشیدالدین فضل‌الله همدانی) was a statesman, historian, and physician in Ilkhanate Iran. Having converted to Islam from Judaism by the age of 30 in 1277, Rashid al-Din became the powerful vizier of Ilkhan Ghazan. He was commissioned by Ghazan to write the Jāmiʿ al-Tawārīkh, now considered the most important single source for the history of the Ilkhanate period and the Mongol Empire.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He retained his position as a vizier until 1316. After being charged with poisoning the Ilkhanid king Öljaitü, he was executed in 1318. Historian Morris Rossabi calls Rashid al-Din "arguably the most distinguished figure in Persia during Mongolian rule". He was a prolific author and established the Rab'-e Rashidi academic foundation in Tabriz. Rashid al-Din was born in 1247 into a Persian Jewish family from Hamadan province.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

His grandfather had been a courtier to the founder of the Ilkhanate, Hulagu Khan, and Rashid al-Din's father was an apothecary at the court. He converted to Islam around the age of thirty. Rashid was...

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