Document Type : Scientific-Research
Authors
1 PhD in History of Islam, Faculty of Humanities, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
2 PhD in History of the Islamic Revolution, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran
Abstract
The Mongols, as one of the largest empires in history, played a significant role in the political, social, and cultural transformations of the Middle East and Asia Minor. This article examines and evaluates how the Mongols were portrayed and analyzed in Ottoman historiography. In the legends related to the founding of the Ottoman Empire and in the works of historians of Anatolian Seljuks and Ottomans, the Mongols were primarily depicted as enemies and destroyers. However, in global and multi-dynastic histories, Mongol rulers were regarded with more respect and sometimes even praised as renewers of religion and integrated into the Ottoman genealogy. This research seeks to answer why and how the attitude of Ottoman historians toward the Mongols changed over time. The present study also posits the hypothesis that this shift in perspective was driven by various factors, including the Ottomans' confrontation with the Safavids and the influence of Persian historiography, and was used as a tool to legitimize the Ottoman dynasty.
This research also explores the influential role of Persian historiography, especially concerning the Seljuks of Rum and the Mongol Ilkhanate, in shaping Ottoman intellectual and cultural transformations. It further investigates how Persian scholars and intellectuals injected their intellectual models into Ottoman historiography, significantly contributing to the formation of the Ottoman Empire. The findings of this study indicate that the Ottomans’ engagement with Mongol heritage and Persian historiography had a profound impact on the legitimacy and structure of the Ottoman government.
Keywords
Main Subjects
)