I am Rashid al-Din Fadhl'allah Tabib. I was born in the year 645 after the Hegira, in the beautiful persian city of Hamadan. By grace of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful, I am the vizier and physician of the great Ilkhan Mahmud Ghazan. In his infinite wisdom, he has instructed me to write the history of the mongol people. May Allah bless my quill and enlighten my spirit. It is the year 703 AH. Jami al-Tawarikh, the Compendium of Chronicles, starts here.