Ghazan Khan (1295-1304) was the first Il-Khanid ruler to convert to Islam.

Question

Read the following passage and answer the questions:

Ghazan Khan’s Speech:

Ghazan Khan (1295-1304) was the first Il-Khanid ruler to convert to Islam. He gave the following speech to the Mongol-Turkish nomad commanders, a speech that was probably drafted by his Persian wazir Rashiduddin and included in the minister’s letters :

‘I am not on the side of the Persian peasantry. If there is a purpose in pillaging them all, there is no one with more power to do this than I. Let us rob them together. But if you wish to be certain of collecting grain and food for your tables in the future, I must be harsh with you. You must be taught reason. If you insult the peasantry, take their oxen and seed and trample their crops into the ground, what will you do in the future ? … The obedient peasantry must be distinguished from the peasantry who are rebels.

Questions:

(i) Who drafted this speech?

(ii) What do you know about Ghazan Khan?

(iii) What was the tenure of Ghazan Khan?

(iv) What did Ghazan Khan’s speech depict?

Answer 1

(i) This speech was drafted by Ghazan Khan’s wazir Rashiduddin.

(ii) Ghazan Khan was the first II-Khanid ruler to convert to Islam. Genghis Khan, the great Mongol empire was his grandfather.

(iii) Ghazan Khan ruled from 1295-1304. His tenure was expanded over just nine years.

(iv) Ghazan Khan’s speech depicted two things:

• He was against those peasantry class who was in favour of rebellion.
• He was in favour of those peasantry class, who was against the rebellion and was hard working.