, ▁English - language ▁versions ▁contain ▁less ▁than ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁original ▁material . ▁ ▁Early ▁readers ▁comm ended ▁Ch ardin ' s ▁work ▁for ▁its ▁full ness ▁and ▁f idel ity , ▁and ▁he ▁received ▁pra ise ▁from ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁En light en ment ▁think ers , ▁among ▁them ▁Mont es qu ieu , ▁R ous seau , ▁Vol taire ▁and ▁Gib bon . ▁L atter - day ▁sch ol ars ▁of ▁Pers ia ▁also ▁v ouch ▁for ▁his ▁importance ; ▁according ▁to ▁John ▁Em erson , ▁" his ▁information ▁on ▁Saf avid ▁Pers ia ▁out ran ks ▁that ▁of ▁all ▁other ▁Western ▁writers ▁in ▁range , ▁depth , ▁accuracy , ▁and ▁jud icious ness ." ▁Ch ardin ▁travel led ▁far ▁and ▁wide , ▁had ▁a ▁good ▁command ▁of ▁the ▁Pers ian ▁language , ▁and ▁left ▁detailed ▁accounts ▁of ▁the ▁places ▁and ▁people ▁he ▁encountered . ▁He ▁also ▁had ▁direct ▁access ▁to ▁the ▁Saf avid ▁court , ▁and ▁his ▁descri ptions ▁of ▁contemporary ▁politics ▁and ▁administration ▁are ▁highly ▁regarded . ▁Although ▁there ▁are ▁occas ional ▁la ps es ▁in ▁his ▁books , ▁he ▁is ▁generally ▁trust ed ▁as ▁a ▁reliable ▁witness , ▁and ▁his ▁work ▁has ▁been ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁source ▁for ▁diverse ▁studies ▁on ▁Saf avid ▁history , ▁government , ▁econom ics , ▁anth rop ology , ▁religion , ▁art ▁and ▁culture . ▁ ▁French - language ▁bi ograph ies ▁of ▁Ch ardin ▁Jean ▁Ch ardin ' s ▁life ▁story ▁forms ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁D irk ▁Van ▁der ▁Cru ys