JAHN, Karl Emil Oskar. Brünn (now Brno) 26.3.1906 — Utrecht 7.11.1985. Austrian/Czechoslovakian Persian Scholar in the Netherlands. Professor in Leiden. Born of an originally Silesian family, son of Oskar J., an Oberfinanzrat (a high revenue officer). Studies of chemistry at Brno, but after one year moved to Prague, where he took art history, history and archaeology, soon also Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Czech and Russian, 1929 also at Leipzig. Ph.D. 1931/32 Prague (under Winternitz and Grohmann), then further studies in Berlin and Istanbul. From 1935/36 Lecturer in Turkish and from 1938 PD at Prague German University, 1939 member of NSDAP. In 1942-45 assistant librarian in Halle, also Turkish interpreter for the army. War prisoner 1945 in the Netherlands, but soon released. From 1950 Hon. professor of Turkish and Slavic at Utrecht, 1953 eo. professor of Turkish and Persian at Leiden, continued also teaching at Utrecht. In 1965 and 1967 Visiting Professor in Istanbul, in 1969 visited Iran for the first time. Retired in 1972. In 1969/74-83 Visiting Professor at Vienna, then returned to the Netherlands.
Publications: Diss. Studien zur frühislamischen Epistolographie. Manuscript, Prague 1931/32.
– Edited and translated several parts of Rašīd al-Dīn’s great History, including the part dealing with India: Geschichte Ġāzān-Ḫān’s aus dem Ta’rīḫ-i-Mubārak-i-Ġāzānī des Rašīd al-Dīn Faḍlallāh b. ‘Imād al-daula Abūl-Ḫair. 44+12+387 p. Gibb Memorial Series N.S. 14. L. 1940 (ed only., his hab.diss.); Ta’rīḫ-i Mubārak-i-Ġāzānī des Rašīd al-Dīn Faḍl Allāḥ ‘Abī-l-Ḫair. Geschichte des Ilḫāne Abāġā’ bis Gaiḫātū (1265– 1295). 60+109 p. Abh. d. Dt. Ges. d. Wiss. und Künste in Prag 1. Prague 1941; Histoire universelle de R. Faḍl Allāh Abul-Khair. 1. Histoire des Francs. 56+76 p. Or.Rh.-Tr. 5. Ld. 1951 (with tr.); Rashid al-Din’s history of India. Collected essays with facsimiles and indices. 119 p. 153 facs.pl. Central Asian Studies 10. the Hague 1965; Geschichte der Oġuzen des Rašīd ad-Dīn. 78 p. 25 Miniatures, 26 facs. pl. DWA 100. Vienna 1969; Die China-Geschichte des R. 75 p. 57 facs. pl. DWA 105. Vienna 1971 (tr.); Die Geschichte der Kinder Israels des R. 114 p. 82 pl. DWA 114. Vienna 1973; Die Frankengeschichte des R. 109 p. 58 facs. pl. DWA 129. Vienna 1977; Die Indiengeschichte des Rašid ad-Dīn. Einleitung, vollständige Übersetzung, Kommentar. 119 p. 80 facs.pl. DWA 144. Vienna 1980.
– “The Yugas of the Indians in Islamic Historiography”, Der Islam 33, 1958, 127-134; “Indien in der islamischen Historiographie des Mittelalters”, AnzÖAW 115, 1978, 397-406.
– Articles, often in Anz. Ö.A.W.; Turkological publications.
– Editor of Central Asiatic Journal 1955-85.
Sources: J.T.P. de Bruin, Encyclop. Iranica 14:4, 2008, 391f. (online 2012); *W. Heissig, Der Islam 64, 1987, 4f.; *I. Laude-Cirtautas, CAJ 30, 1986, 1-6; *A. Tietze, Almanach d. Ö.A.W. 136, 1986, 421-425; D.G.K. 1980; Kdo Byl Kdo: Čeští a slovenští orientalisté, afrikanisté a iberoamerikanisté; German Wikipedia.
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