Abstract
This report examines the illustration depicting the Imperial Palace in the capital city (Dadu 大都) of the Yuan dynasty found in a copy of the Jāmi‘ al-Tawārīkh (Compendium of Chronicles) by Rašīd al-dīn Faḍl Allāh Hamadānī, held by the Raza library in the Indian city of Rampur (manuscript number F1820). The illustration depicts a total of 10 persons, including 2 figures that appear to represent Qubilai Qa’an and his senior wife Chabui Qatun. The depiction of two other figures in the illustration – a man holding a ceremonial axe and a man holding a calling bird – when compared with the descriptions of ceremonies found in the Yuanshi 元史 (History of the Yuan dynasty), strongly suggest that the illustration depicts the opening moment of ceremonies conducted upon the enthronement of the Qa’an, at the beginning of each new year, and on the Qa’an’s birthday.
