Wooden Stirrups and Christian Khans. Bar 'Ebroyo's Use of Juwayni's "History of the World Conqueror" as a Source for his "Chronography"

One of the sources used by Bar ‘Ebroyo in his Chronography was a “marvellous work” he consulted in the library of Maragha, in Azerbaijan, where “many volumes of the Syrians, Saracens, and Persians” where preserved. This book may be identified without any doubt as the History of the World Conqueror (Ta’rīkh-i jahān gušā), written in Persian by ‘Alā al-Dīn ‘Aṭā Malik Juwaynī between 1252/1253 and 1260. The paper aims at outlining Bar ‘Ebroyo’s approach to Juwaynī’s work as his main source about the Mongols, through a close comparison of the chapters devoted to the beginning of Mongol history rise and the of Genghis Khan, and desultory parallel readings of other episodes. It must be acknowledged that Bar ‘Ebroyo is essentially true to his source and draws from it what is most relevant to his aims as a chronographer. The two works are in fact different in terms of aims as well as language. A detailed comparison allows for promising developments, shedding considerable light on both.