Rashid al-Din: The First Universal Historian J.J. Saunders describes how a Persian servant of the Mongol Khans wrote the first truly global history. J.J. Saunders | Published in History Today Volume 21 Issue 7 July 1971 To continue reading this article you need to purchase a subscription, available from only £5. Start my trial subscription now If you have already purchased access, or are a print & archive subscriber, please ensure you are logged in. Please email digital@historytoday.com if you have any problems. Middle EastIranHistoriography Popular articles The Rise and Fall of the US Army Camel Corps ‘The Queenship of Mathilda of Flanders’ by Laura L. Gathagan review