Iskandar Beg Munshi
Iranian historian (c.1560–c.1632)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Iskandar Beg Munshi (Persian: اسکندر بیگ منشی; 1561/62 – 1633/34) was an Iranian[1] court scribe and chronicler, who is principally known for his historical book Tarikh-e Alam-ara-ye Abbasi ("The world-adorning history of Abbas"),[2] which focuses on early Safavid history, especially the reign of Shah Abbas I (r. 1588–1629).[3][4]
Iskandar Beg Munshi | |
|---|---|
اسکندر بیگ منشی | |
Manuscript of the Tarikh-e Alam-ara-ye Abbasi by Iskandar Beg Munshi. Created in Qajar Iran, dated July 1812 | |
| Born | 1561/62 |
| Died | 1633/34 (aged 71–73) |
| Occupations | Court scribe, chronicler |
| Relatives | Faraj Beg (brother) |
| Writing career | |
| Notable work | Tarikh-e Alam-ara-ye Abbasi |
Life
Iskandar Beg was born in 1561 or 1562.[3] He belonged to a Turkoman clan which was part of the Qizilbash, a militant Shia group that had helped the Safavids establish their rule. Even though Iskandar Beg came from a Qizilbash family and was affiliated with the military elite of the Safavids, both he and his elder brother Faraj (Farrukh?) Beg joined the bureaucracy instead. Iskandar Beg served as Mirza Ata-Allah Isfahani's pupil scribe during the later rule of Shah Tahmasp I (r. 1524–1576).[3]
Iskandar Beg died in 1633 or 1634.[3]
