Kitāb-i Sar-guzasht-i Kāshān (The Book of Events in Kashan)

Bābāī ibn Farhād appears to have been a communal leader in the city of Kashan, a wealthy Persian community that, according to ibn Farhād, boasted thirteen synagogues. He composed a Judeo-Persian historical chronicle, Kitāb-i Sar-guzasht-i Kāshān (The Book of Events in Kashan). In so doing, he followed in the footsteps of his grandfather Bābāī ibn Lutf, whose Kitāb-i Anusīā (The Book of the Forced Convert), the first known Judeo-Persian historical chronicle, describes the period from 1617 to 1662. Ibn Farhād’s text, written in 1,309 verses, begins in 1691 but focuses largely on the decade from 1721 to 1731. He describes the general events of this period—the Afghan invasion, the resulting famine, and the instability of the Safavid dynasty—highlighting the suffering of the Jews in this turbulent time. In addition to describing the community in Kashan, he also mentions the Jews of Isfahan and other locations. Ibn Farhād describes in detail the “voluntary” seven-month conversion of Kashan’s Jews to Islam in 1729 and 1730, providing insights into internal communal workings and debates.