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Ahmad ibn Husayn Ali Katib: Tarikh-I Jadid-I Yazd,

(The New History of Yazd)(about 1455)

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The Tarikh-I Jadid-I Yazd, is written around 1455 by Ahmad ibn Husayn Ali Katib. It is in 12 chapters covering the same substances as the Tarikh I Yazd. It explains the nature of the place and its people, and continues with the history of Yazd starting with Alexander the Great and ending in 1458. With the most details given of the last period. Here he is mentioned for the wars of Alexander the Great with the people of Zanj.

 

Taken from: Memory on the Boundaries of Empire: Narrating Place in the Early Modern Local Historiography of Yazd  by Derek J. Mancini-Lander

تاريخ جديد يزد - کاتب، احمد بن حسين بن على

 

He gives a full account of Iskandar’s conquests in Africa against the king of Zangbar (land of Blacks) and his subsequent construction of the city of Iskandariyah (Alexandria).  Only part of the text is given.


 

Blankar, who was the ruler of Zanzibar, gathered a large army with government officials from Zanzibar, Abyssinia, Mueadashuh (Mogadishu), Dakato(?) and Zange, as many as desert sand and tree leaves; He left to conquer Egypt and Rome. And when Iskander found out about this incident, he consulted with the minister. Aristotle (1) incites him to war.  Alexander gathered the armies of Rome, Greece, Antioch, and Constantinople.

Tutbanush, who was from among his leaders, was sent on a mission and bring (Alexanders) threat to the king of Zanzibar, and after fulfilling the mission, the king of Zanzibar had him killed and publicly drunk his blood, (khun-i u ra biyashamidand), and when this news reached Alexander and the Roman army, they were deluded. Aristoteles (1) said to Alexander that it is better for his champions (bahaduran) to bring back a group of Zangians as captives. With [the appearance of] reckless abandon and rage (sar-i tahavvar va ghaza̤b), command that they cut off some of their heads in your presence. You should then give [those heads] to the kitchens so they can cook them for a feast; the kitchens, having [in reality] cooked several heads of a black sheep should then bring these out to the feast [instead of the human heads]. Then tear a piece from that sheep with relish and eat several morsels [publicly]. Once the captive Zangiyan behold the significance of this, they will take flight. The effect will be that when this news reaches the king of Zangbar and his army, they will fear us so that their swords will go soft (kih ahan bih ahan-i narm shavad). Alexander used this strategy and continued to do so, and those Zangians reported the news to Shah Zang's army.

This demon in the guise of a man, he is a crocodile who has brought ruin upon us. He eats the Zangi raw the way the Zangi eats almonds.

Zang's army was afraid of this news, and when the war continued for several days, Alexander was victorious and Shah Zang was killed, his army was disbanded, and most of the Zangians who survived the murder were captured and imprisoned. And he said to the Abyssinians that they suffered and the Abyssinians are grieving and Alexander forgive them and he built a city on the edge of the Maghrib Sea from the spoils of the conquest and called it Alexandria and he came to the royal palace of Rome with victory and turquoise and sent letters of conquest and gifts around.

(1) Aristotle: was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece.