Homāyun-Nāma (Tārikh-e Manẓum-e Zojāji): A Codicological and Historical Study

Versified historiography as a style of historiographycame into being in 6th/12th century Iran through imitating Ferdowsi’sShāhnāma and reached its height in Mongol era. Consequently, in less than a century, more than ten versified histories were composed including one of the most famous one, Ẓafar-nāma ofḤamd-AllāhMostawfi. But it was ZojājiTabrizi who composed the first versified history, Homāyun-nāma, in early Ilkhanid period. These versified histories in general and Homāyun-nāma in particular have been ignored mostly in Ilkhanid historiography and scholarship. Besides remaining unknown, there are some misunderstandings in few observations which have been done about Homāyun-nāma, including its recent edition. This article begins with a brief introduction about the work and its composer, investigates some historical misunderstandings about it and throws light on its importance in Persian literature and historiography.