Rumi entry, Encyclopaedia Britannica 1911

What it is

This is an entry on Rumi written by Karl Hermann Ethe for the 1911 edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. It covers Rumi's birth in 1207 at Balkh, his family's migration to Asia Minor, his marriage, and his life up to and after his father's death in 1231.

Why it matters

Written over six centuries after Rumi's death, this article shows how Western scholarship summarized and interpreted his biography for readers in the early 20th century, reflecting the historical sources available at the time.

• What kinds of details does the article include—family lineage, dates, places—and what does that tell you about what encyclopedia writers thought was important?
• How might an encyclopedia entry differ from a biography written by someone who knew Rumi personally?
• What questions about Rumi's life does this entry leave unanswered?