An introduction and review of the MSS of Valeh-e Isfahani’s Khold-e Barin and a look at his historiographical perspective

The Khold-e Barin, authored by Mohammad Yusef Qazvini-e Isfahani, better known as Valeh-e Isfahani, is one of the most important general histories written in the Safavid era. The author’s access to the state documents and his knowledge of political events and close acquaintance with the nobility and governors of the time and the fact that he himself was among the secretaries (munshis) and the high-ranking officials of the latter half of the Safavid epoch, all helped make his work the most important general history of the period from the death of Shah Abbas I to the end of the Safavid time.Even though the volume of this history related to the Timurids and Turkomans, as well as its main portions on the Eighth Rawzeh about the Safavid era have been published, no fully comprehensive presentation and study has been made of all its existing manuscripts, contents, and features.In the present article, while examining Valeh’s historiographical viewpoint, attempts have been made to introduce and survey the MSS of the Khold-e Barin accessible to this writer and investigate the codicological aspects and characteristics of each manuscript.