Jalaluddin Manguberdi: hero of the homeland

The most important source on Jalaluddin is the work of his personal secretary Shihabuddin an-Nasawi, “The Life of Sultan Jalaluddin Manguberdi”. Nasawi served Jalaluddin from 1224 to 1231, witnessed many events himself or relied on eyewitnesses, and began writing in 1241. He describes Jalaluddin as brave, polite, of few words and able to speak Turkic and Persian. Ibn al-Athir’s “al-Kamil fi’t-tarikh” covers events up to 1231, and Juvayni’s “Tarikh-i Jahangushay” is also important. The history of the Khwarazmshah state (the Anushteginids, 1097–1231) is reflected in these authors’ works. Maqsud Shaykhzoda wrote the historical drama “Jaloliddin Manguberdi” in 1944. In Uzbekistan the 800th anniversary of his birth was widely marked in 1999, and the Order “Jaloliddin Manguberdi” was established in 2000. When studying a historical figure it is important to compare several sources and to take into account which side their authors stood on.