The Persian Manuscripts under the Mongols of the Timurid Dynasty

Abstract

The Mongol rule in Persia began with Hülegü in 1256. This invasion was known throughout history as synonymous with barbarism and atrocity. However, in later centuries, under Tamerlane —whose march of terror "left pyramids of skulls as a sign of his victories"— and under his successors, Persian art achieved great splendor, especially with regard to the production of illustrated manuscripts. Among the manuscripts of the Timurid school, there exists an Anthology in the Bernard Berenson Collection at Villa I Tatti in Settignano, Florence, that contains 56 folios, many of them decorated with miniatures, some of these commissioned by the eminent bibliographer of Iran , Prince Baysunghur, grandson of Tamerlane. In these folios, the representation of royal characters in loving or relaxed attitudes —especially the one that shows Tamerlane on the throne— invites reflection on how art extends beyond the borders of historical facts and inserts itself into an ideal space and time, where the works of art are revealed as independent of any historical circumstances. Timurid Persian manuscripts, surprisingly, depict a lifestyle that offers no hint of the cruel reality of Mongol rule.