An Examination of the English Translation of the Tārikh-i Jihāngushāy of Juwayni Based on the Translation of Court Terminology

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Department of History, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran

2 Master of Science Payam Noor University, Tehran, Iran

10.22034/jiiph.2026.67904.2585

Abstract

Beyond the intrinsic importance of Juvaynī’s Tārīkh-i Jahān-gushā for understanding the Mongol era and its formative influence on subsequent historiographical traditions, the English translation of this work has played a decisive role in the development of Iranian and Mongol studies. It has significantly shaped the knowledge of non-Iranian, English-speaking scholars regarding this period, and their research has often been influenced by the translator’s interpretive choices, with the translation itself frequently serving as a point of reference or scholarly standard for later investigations. A significant portion of the complexities inherent in this text, and, consequently, in its English rendering, concerns the translation of administrative terminology used under Mongol rule. The profound transformations that occurred within the administrative apparatus have consistently posed major challenges for scholars of bureaucratic history, challenges that are magnified for the translator tasked with conveying such terms with precision. Accordingly, the central question of this study is: What strategies did Boyle employ in translating the administrative vocabulary of the period? The findings of this research indicate that the translator adopted three principal strategies when confronted with difficult administrative terms: historical equivalence, descriptive translation, and transliteration. Although Boyle translated most of these terms by employing historically informed English equivalents, linguistic and conceptual constraints led him, in certain instances, to use descriptive, phrase-based renderings or to resort to transliteration accompanied by explanatory footnotes. Ultimately, the study demonstrates that, aside from a small number of exceptional cases, Boyle possessed a generally sound understanding of the administrative lexicon and produced a translation that is both effective and elucidatory.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Journal of Iranian Islamic Period History
Volume 16, Issue 45
January 2026
Pages 113-139

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History

  • Receive Date: 28 June 2025
  • Revise Date: 25 January 2026
  • Accept Date: 16 February 2026

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