Fernando Londono 11/14/11 00093974 HIS 389 Critical Review Assignment History can be defined as past events, peoples or times recorded in connection with the human race. These recordings allow us to look back in to time in order to obtain a better understanding of the past. Since we were not present to witness these events, one must turn to experts on specific subjects to acquire the desired knowledge. However one may find that different historians may have different points of views on specific historical figures or events.Genghis Khan also spelled Chinggis Khan is one if not the most well known conqueror of all time and has had countless biographies written about his life.
It only makes sense that I would conduct a critical review comparing and contrasting different biographies based on this historical figure. These biographies include Genghis Khan, The History of the World Conqueror by Ata-Malik Juvaini, Chinggis Khan, World Conqueror by Ruth W. Dunnel, Ghenghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford.Although all these authors are discussing the same topic it is clear that because of the fact that these authors come from different backgrounds they will have different ways of relaying the information to the reader. Each Author has his or her own personal experiences which have helped influence the way they retain information that they later present the reader with. Whether it be discussing personal backgrounds, writing styles, or points of views on specific events.
In this critical review we shall be exploring the ways in which each of these authors differs from the next.Before being able to make an accurate critical analysis on these authors writing, we must first look at the experiences that may have influenced their writing. One of the most obvious differences between the authors Ata-Malik Juvaini, Ruth W. Dunnell, and Jack Weatherford are the cultural backgrounds and upbringings. Ata-Malik Juvaina ironically shares name with his birthplace of Juvain, a city in northeastern Iran. Although he was born in Iran in 1226, Ata-Malik was actually of Persian descent.
He is the only author who is not alive. The fact that he lived almost 700 hundred years before the other two authors is very interesting.Living in a different time period in a foreign nation while speaking another language will definitely alter ones writing style. Furthermore Ata-Malik was the only one of these authors who was alive to see the Mongol empire during its golden years. Both his father and grandfather worked as minister of Finance for Muhammad Jalal and Ogedei Khan. He too became an official for the empire and visited the Mongol capital of Karakorum twice.
Ata-Malik Juvaini research is arguably more accurate then both of the other authors because he so incredibly close to the Mongol culture and to the time of the Great Khan.This explains why his novel Genghis Khan, The History of the World Conqueror is so in depth compared to the other novels as well why it had to be translated. It is clear why this novel is so well respected amongst other historians. Jack Weatherford, author of Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World was born in Columbia, South Carolina. Although he moved around a great deal in his childhood Weatherford attended the University of South Carolina in 1967 with a B. A.
in Political Science.
