This book explores the administration of Iran under Mongol rule through taxation and monetary policy. A consistent development is evident only from abundant numismatic material, from the conquest of Samarqand by Chingiz Khan to the reign of the penultimate ruler, Uljaytu. In many cases, the individuals responsible for initiating and conducting the policies can be identified from the histories or remarks of the mint master. The structure of the empire is clearly demarcated by mint production, coin styles and type of metal. This illuminates many controversial historical points such as the meaning and function of an Il-khan and the establishment of the Toluid dynasty under Hulagu. The Mongols broke the crust of an inflexible and archaic Islamic monetary tradition that had hampered economic development by encouraging extensive trade and the sciences (especially astronomy and higher mathematics) through determined and always pragmatic programmes.
Biography
Judith Kolbas
'The Mongols in Iran... will remain for a long time the standard reference for anyone interested in Mongol monetary history and in the production and circulation of coins in Iran and Central Asia in the thirteenth century.' - Nicola Di Cosmo, Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, Volume 17 Issue 1, 2007
"The Mongols in Iran is one of the few lengthy and detailed economic studies of the Mongol Empire. Although it focuses on Mongol activities in the Middle East, many of the lessons from Kolbas's work may be useful in other regions. The book has numerous photos of coins from the era, as well as an impressive number of tables and charts that will delight economic historians. Without a doubt, The Mongols in Iran will remain a useful source for scholars not only of the Mongols, but of Middle Eastern economic history as well, for a very long time." - Timothy May, Journal of Asian Studies
