Decoding Quranic and Hadīth References in Jahāngushā's History Mongol Invasion of Iran and its Effects on Iranian's Self-Esteem

After the Mongol invasion, several historians began to chronicle the event. One of the important works of this period is the History of Jahāngushā Juveinī. This work has been especially in the limelight because of its widespread references to the Quran and Hadiths in order to justify the invasion of the Mongols as if the author has tried to use all his Quranic awareness to regard the bitter consequences of Mongol invasion as natural consequences of people's acts. He has used Quranic references to God's wisdom and mercy as his evidences and concluded that Mongol invasion was a divinely determined fate which could not be evaded. In this study, we will try to give a psychological outline for Juveinī's attempt to justify the invasion. We will also attempt to answer this question why Juveinī and other Iranian historians of this era, used their religious knowledge as a relieving factor in face with such a tragic catastrophe. For this purpose, we will resort to the Attribution Theory developed by F. Heider and Cognitive Dissonance Theory suggested by L. Festinger. Accordingly, we will look into the historical event through social, psychological approach on the one hand, and will point out the effect of the exegete's mentality and social events on his understanding of the religious texts on the other hand. As it will be concluded, the application of religious teachings for the purpose of psychological adjustment led to the stabilization of Mongol's authority.