A History of Muslim Historiography

334 Pages·1968·24.626 MB·334\334

by  Franz Rosenthal

BY
FRANZ ROSENTHAL
SECOND REVISED EDITION
LEIDEN
L, j, H KiLl
1968
FOREWORD TO THE SECOND EDITION
Muslim historiography, hke any other important subject, admits
of many and vastly different kinds of treatment. Instead of a new
edition, an entirely new work might have been written, and this
might have pleased critics, and the author himself, much better.
However, the present volume is merely a second edition. It shows
no really major changes. Minor additions and corrections are quite
numerous. There is only one addition of some size, that is, the
chapter dealing with al-lji’s methodology of historical writing.
The first edition was published in 1952. Work on it was begun
almost immediately after the end of the Second World War. In
retrospect, it is clear that the moment was unusually favorable to
the writing of a work of this kind. Scholarly activity had naturally
slackened considerably during the great upheaval. A satisfactory
up-to-date bibliography of both Western and Oriental publications
on Muslim historiography existed in Brockelmann’s GeschicMe der
arahischen Litteratur. Above all, two major developments of
tremendous importance for Oriental studies that had been long in
the making reached their final stage, which at the same time
signified a new beginning, only with the end of the War. One of
them has been the astounding perfection reached by the means of
communication of all kinds. No corner of the earth is now too
remote for the potential and, more often than not, actual partici­
pation in scholarly work, the publishing of research and the editing
of texts. The other development, concerning in particular the
Muslim world, is the undeniable fact that the gap which until recent
years did exist between Western Orientalism and the occupation
of Easterners with their own culture has been closed. Publications
by Near and Middle Eastern scholars on Islamic subjects may,
from the point of view of creative scholarship, be good, or bad, or
indifferent, but whatever it may be, they can no longer be disre­
garded as was largely possible up to the time of the Second World
Copyright 1968 by E. J. Brill, Leiden, Netherlands War.
While these developments are to be warmly welcomed and raise
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced
or translated in any form, by print, photoprint, microfilm or even greater hopes for the future, they will pose certain problems,
any other means without written permission from the publisher and they have already caused some difficulties in the preparation of
PRINTED IN THE NETHERLANDS this new edition. Heroic and quite successful attempts are being
VI FOREWORD FOREWORD VII
undertaken by individual scholars and scholarly organizations information requested in connection with the material contained in
in order to bring bibliographical order into what appears to be one of his works, because authors customarily consult all the
a growing chaos created by the publication explosion. However, relevant literature at the time of writing and then forget about it.
there is no single reference work that could take the place of GAL This could hardly be called the proper scholarly attitude. However,
for the purposes of the present work.i Bibliographical references with all the checking and re-checking I did, I have to admit that I
have, therefore, been added, and new editions have often been was not able to go over all the material I had used in the first place
mentioned. This was done somewhat haphazardly. Not too much and to re-examine it afresh.
should be read into my mentioning one edition while seemingly This second edition thus shares with the original work some
ignoring another. An element of mere chance, such as the availa­ shortcomings of which I am as fully aware now as I was then.
bility of a certain text publication, may be responsible. The fact of Perhaps, it will one day be replaced by something more perfect.
availability has also played some role in the utilization of research Until then, it is hoped that making the work available again in a
published in non-European languages. Here, we face a major slightly improved form will serve a useful purpose and help toward
problem, however. We may well ask of what use it is for the reader a better understanding of that great phenomenon of history that
who is not an Orientalist by profession to be referred to works in was Muslim historical thinking and writing.
languages not readily comprehensible to him. While it is not
FOREWORD
absolutely true, it comes quite close to the truth to say that, in
order to understand a work, say, on at-Tabari written in Arabic by (to the first edition)
a modern scholar, one must know as much Arabic as, or more than,
This book represents the very imperfect execution of what I feel
one needs for reading at-Tabari’s work itself. The number of
was a very good intention. It is no exhaustive history of Muslim
Westerners interested in historical studies who possess such knowl­
historiography, as its title says, but, at best, an attempt to promote
edge and would be able to make use of the research by modern
the understanding of the basic problems of Muslim historiography.
Eastern scholars seems as yet to be very small. I do not profess to
I hope that it will not be considered unworthy of the material
know any real solution to the universal dilemma posed by the
support I received in writing it. The John Simon Guggenheim
increasingly multilingual character of modern scholarship.
Foundation granted me a fellowship which enabled me to visit
This history of Muslim historiography was meant to be an attempt
England, France, and Egypt, and to use the great libraries in
to see Muslim historiography as a whole, as it presents itself to
Oxford, Paris, Cairo, and Alexandria, aided by the never failing
someone not content with admiring outstanding achievements
cooperation of the librarians in their charge. The Hebrew Union
selected arbitrarily or looking into particular niches and corners but
College in Cincinnati, to whose faculty I then belonged, granted
eager to gain a well-balanced appreciation of a large branch of
me a one-year paid leave of absence. Despite all this generous
learning with all its characteristic triumphs and failures. Such an
assistance, I have by no means been able to avail myself of the
approach does not lend itself very well to subsequent patching.
many aids to scholarly work which modern inventions make
I suspect that some of the material added here would have been
accessible but, alas!, so inaccessible to the “povre scoler.” I regret
discarded like so much else, if it had been available for scrutiny at
this; yet, knowing that scholarship did not in the past, and, I
the outset together with all the rest. I even suspect that some of
trust, never will in the future depend upon “complete” library
the added references to older publications were considered by me
collections, microfilms and airplanes, I venture to present here
before— and rejected. A certain scholar, we are told by as-Safadi
whatever— and however little— I have to say.
(as quoted by Ibn Tulun, Luma'-dt, 64, Damascus 1348, referring to
Badr-ad-din Ibn an-Nahwiyah) was unable to give additional
^ Entries for historians in the second edition of the Encyclopaedia of Islam, which began
While it is mainly the author who speaks in the first part, Muslim
to appear in 1954, are naturally brief and restricted in number.
VIII FOREWORD
students of historiography are given the word in the second part.
It contains a translation of
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1— al-Kafiyaji’s Short Work on Historiography,
2— as-Sahawi’s Ofen Denunciation of the Critics of the Historians; Foreword .............................................................................................. v
3— The sections on historiography from TaskopriizMeh’s Key to Bibliographical references ............................................................... xiv
Happiness.
PART ONE
These three works represent the two extant complete systematic I— Introductory remarks on history and historiography... 3
treatments of historiography by Muslims, and a late reflex of them 1. The objective of a work on Muslim historiography. . 3
from an encyclopedia. It might have been appropriate to include 2. The concept of history, Muslim and modern ............. 8
a translation of the old and invaluable bibliography of Arabic
II—Background and environment.............................................. 18
historical works, the section on historians in Ibn an-Nadim’s
1. Historical consciousness in pre-Islamic Arabia ......... 18
(tenth century) Fihrist, with its important data concerning the
2. The historical outlook of Muhammad............................ 24
early stages of the publication of historical works in Islam. Such a
3. The position of history in Muslim scholarship and
translation would have shown the contrast that exists between
education.............................................................................. 30
the Fihrist and the later theoretical discussions of historiography.
4. The Muslim historian......................................................... 54
It would have offered a good illustration of the development of
III— The basic forms of Muslim historiography ...................... 66
Muslim historical thinking. Such a translation was omitted here
1. Habar history ...................................................................... 66
because it is hoped that the new edition of the Fihrist by J. F uck
2. The annalistic form ........................................................... 71
which has been announced for such a long time will eventually
3. Lesser forms of historical periodization ...................... 87
appear and that then the whole work, including the section on the
a. Dynastic historiography.............................................. 87
historians, will be translated and annotated. ^
b. The tabaqdt division....................................................... 93
Since unpublished material is often referred to in the course of
c. The genealogical arrangement................................... 95
the work, it seemed advisable to publish the original text of at least
IV—The contents of historical works......................................... 99
some of that material. The third part serves that purpose. It contains
1. Genealogy ............................................................................ 99
only one complete text, that of al-KMiyaji’s Muhtasar. All the
2. Biography ............................................................................ 100
other works, I hope, will soon find their editors.
3. Geography and cosmography......................................... 106
^ B. Dodge has been working on a translation of the Fihrist for a number of years. 4. Astrology ............................................................................. no
The Arabic translator of the first edition of the present work, SAlih Ahmad al-'Ali,
has added the historical titles from the Fihrist to the translation, 273-316 (Bagdad 1963). 5. Philosophy............................................................................ 113
6. Political and social science .............................................. 115
* *
* 7. The use of documents, inscriptions, and coins........... 118
V—The mixed forms of historical writing .............................. 129
The manuscript of this second edition was submitted to the
1. The origins............................................................................ 129
Publisher in April, 1964. The vast number of important public­
2. World histories...................................................................... 133
ations that have appeared since that date could, if at all, be used
3. Local histories...................................................................... 150
only for additions in the proofs.
4. Contemporary history and memoirs ............................ 172
VI—Artistic forms of historical writing..................................... 176
1. The use of rhymed prose {saj^)....................................... 176
2. The use of verse .................................................................. 179
TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS XI
VII—The historical novel ............................................................. i86 XI—As-Sahawi’s IHdn [cont.)
VIII—An evaluation of Mushm historiography........................ 194 I. A linguistic definition of ta^'rih .............................271
II. A definition of ta^rih as a technical term .... 273
PART TWO III. The object of history ...............................................273
IV. The usefulness of history..........................................273
IX—Al-Iji’s Tuhfah....................................................................... 201
V. The goal of the occupation with history..............332
1. Introduction...................................................................... 201
VI. The legal classification of history.........................332
2. Translation ..................................................................... . 205
VII. The evidence in favor of history...........................338
Author’s introduction.................................................... 205
VIII. The blameworthiness of the critics of history . 338
First chapter...................................................................... 206
IX. The qualifications required of historians............358
Second chapter................................................................. 207
X. The introduction of the Muslim era.....................378
Third chapter................................................................... 208
XI. The works on history ...............................................388
Fourth chapter............................................................... . 208
A. Historical works according to ad-Dahabi’s
Fifth chapter ................................................................... 213
classification..........................................................388
Sixth chapter...................................................................... 213
1. Muhammad ...................................................393
Introduction................................................................. 214
2. Stories of the prophets...............................403
First section................................................................... 214
3. The men around Muhammad....................404
Second section ............................................................. 216
4. The caliphs.....................................................406
Third section ............................................................... 216
5. The kings of Islam........................................411
Fourth section ............................................................. 226
6. Wazirs..............................................................412
Fifth section................................................................. 232
7. Secretaries .....................................................414
Sixth section................................................................. 235
8. Amirs ..............................................................4^4
Seventh section ........................................................... 239
9. Jurists..............................................................414
Eighth section ............................................................. 239
10. Qur’an readers...............................................420
Ninth section .............................................................. 240
11. Hadit experts.................................................421
Tenth section................................................................. 242
12. Hadit scholars.................................................421
Eleventh section ......................................................... 242
13. Historians.......................................................422
Twelfth section............................................................. 242
14. Grammarians.................................................422
Seventh chapter............................................................... 244
15. Litterateurs.....................................................423
Eighth chapter................................................................. 244
16. Lexicographers ............................................423
Ninth chapter................................................................... 244
17. Poets................................................................423
X—Al-KMiyaji’s Short Work on Historiography................. 245 18. Servants of God and SM s.........................425
1. Introduction...................................................................... 245 19. Judges..............................................................427
2. Translation ............................................................... . . . . 249 20. Singers ............................................................428
First chapter...................................................................... 249 21. Asrdf................................................................429
Second chapter................................................................. 255 22. Noble persons ...............................................429
Third chapter................................................................... 261 23. Quick-witted persons....................................429
XI—As-Sahawi’s/7aw................................................................... 263 24. Intelligent persons ......................................429
1. Introduction...................................................................... 263 25. Physicians .....................................................4^9
2. Translation ........................................................................ 269 26. As‘arites..........................................................4^9
XII TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS XIII
XI—As-Sahawi’s IHdn [cont.) PART THREE
27. Innovators.................................................. 430
1— Ibn Farigun, Jaw ami' al-Hilum ................................................539
28. Si‘ah............................................................... 431
2—Fahr-ad-din ar-Razi, Hadd^ig al-anwdr...................................54®
29. Misers and spongers................................... 432
3— Ibn.al-‘Adim, Bugyat at-talah......................................................541
30. Courageous men ....................................... 432
4— Ibn Sina, Sifd^...................................................................................54^
31. The one-eyed, weak-sighted, Wind, and
5—Al-Maqrizi, al-Habar 'an al-basar..............................................543
hunchbacked................................................ 432
6— Qud^mah, Hardj............................................................................543
32. Monks........................................................... 432
7— Ibn.al-'Adim, Bugyat at-talab......................................................544
33. Those killed by the Qur’an .................... 432
8—Abu Zakariya’ al-Azdi, History of Mosul................................545
34. Lovers........................................................... 433
9—Al-Cumri, Dahirah ........................................................................54^
B. Historical works according to as-Sahawi’s 10—Al-Kafiyaji, al-Muhtasar fi Him at-ta^rih ..............................547
classification ...................................................... 433
11— Ad-Dahabi, Mu'jam and Tabaqdt al-qurrd^ ..........................580
1. Muhammad and the prophets............... 433
12— Ibn.Hajar, Inbd^............................................................................5^2
2. The men around Muhammad................. 433 13— Ibn al-Mulaqqin, 'Iqd...................................................................5^4
3. The ahdf .................................................... 433
14— Ibn Abi 1-Mansur, Risdlah..........................................................5^4
4. The Qurasites and other special famihes 434 15—As-Sahawi, al-Qawl al-munbi......................................................5^4
5. Clients........................................................... 435 16—As-Sahawi, al-Jawdhir wa-d-durar..............................................$86
6. Reliable and weak transmitters............. 435
17—As-Silafi,.Mu'jam............................................................................610
7. Men connected with the science of hadit 446
8. Mu'-jams and masyahahs ........................ 451 Index of proper names..........................................................................611
9. Works on men of a particular name... 454
10. Macrobiotics and young men ............... 454
11. Works on men of a particular period or
dynasty......................................................... 454
12. Biographies of particular individuals . . 455
13. Local histories............................................ 457
14. Geographical works ................................. 486
15. “Straight" historical works.................... 488
a. Histories of events............................... 488
b. Histories of events and dates of death 490
c. Biographical works ............................ 499
XII. An alphabetical list of historians...................... 501
d. Works on dates of death .................. 511
e. Miscellaneous works. Travels........... 515
XIII. The chief representatives of personality
criticism................................................................... 516
XII— TaskopriizMeh on historiography..................................... 530
1. Introduction........................................................................ 530
2. Translation.......................................................................... 531
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES XV
Barthold, W., Musulmanskiy Mir. Nauka i skola (Petersburg 1922), is said to contain
a chapter on historiography (cf. Islamica, IV, 138 f., 1930).
------, Turkestan down to the Mongol Invasion (London 1928, E. J. W. Gibb Mem. Series,
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES N.S. 5).
Becker, C. H., Beitrdge zur Geschichte Agyptens unter dem Islam, I, 1-31 (Strassburg 1902):
Some of the abbreviations used in the footnotes will be found listed below, p. 201, n. i. Zur Geschichtsschreibung unter den Fatimiden.
In general, it has been thought advisable to dispense with abbreviations in the references Cahen, C., La Syrie du Nord a I'epoque des Croisades, 33-93 (Paris 1940). Cf. also his
as far as possible. References to manuscripts, if preceded by “Bodleian,” are to the Bodleian Chroniqucs arabes concernant la Syrie, I’Egypte et la Mesopotamie, iix Revue des Etudes
Library in Oxford; if preceded by “Paris,” to the Bibliothfeque Nationale in Paris; if Islamiques, X, 333-62 (1936).
preceded by “Cairo,” to the Egyptian Library in Cairo, which also preserves the Taymur Caskel, W., Aijdm al-^Arab, in Islamica, IIP, 1-99 (i93i)-
collection; and if preceded by “Alexandria,” to the Municipal Library in Alexandria, Egypt. ad-Duri, 'Abd-al-'Aziz, Baht ft naPat Him at-ta^rih Hnd al-'-Arab (Beirut i960).
Those are the manuscripts most frequently quoted. The numbers are the ones according to Friedlaender, I., Muhammedanische Geschichtskonstruktionen, in Beitrdge zur Kenntnis
which the manuscripts can be ordered in the various libraries. Only in the case of Paris des Orients, IX, 17-34 (1910).
do these numbers correspond to those of the published catalogues. In the other cases, the Gabrieli,F., Storici arabi delle Crociate (Turin 1957)-
catalogue number can usually be found without much difficulty in GAL. It may be noted ------, L’Isldm nella scoria, 153 ff. (Bari 1966).
that 3. GAL reference to a particular work according to both the old and the new catalogue Gibb, H. A. R., TaMh, in Supplement to El, 233-45 (Leiden-London 1938), reprinted in his
of the Egyptian Library usually means only one and the same manuscript. Studies on the Civilization of Islam, 108-37 (Boston 1962).
It was also thought superfluous here to give a list of the works used. Such a list would Goitein, s. D. F., Introduction to V'ol. 5 of al-Baladuri, Kitdb al-Ansdb, pp. 14-24 (Jeru­
have been very long, but its length would, I am afraid, be almost equaled by that of a salem 1936).
list of those works which I was not able to consult since they are unpublished and no Goldziher, L, a tortenetirds az arab irodalomban (Budapest 1895) (not seen).
manuscripts of them were accessible; which I was able briefly to read in manuscript form Grunebaum, G. E. von. Medieval Islam, 275-87 (Chicago 1946), on literature and history.
while their editions were not at my disposal; which, including some common reference German trans., 329-75 (Ziirich-Stuttgart 1963).
works, I was able to study only sporadically through securing a copy of them through Guidi, I., L’historiographic chez les Semites, in Revue Biblique, III, 509-19 (1906).
uUerlibrary loan or traveling to one of the libraries which own them; and which, though Hameed ud-Din, Historians of Afghan Rule in India, in JAOS, LXXXII, 44-51 (1962).
published, did not exist in the libraries where I had hoped to find them. There was a strong Hardy, P., Historians of Medieval India (London i960).
temptation to stud the footnotes with continuous references to works which I would have Horovitz, J., The Earliest Biographies of the Prophet and their Authors, in Islamic Culture,
consulted if they had been available, but I dispensed with such remarks, trusting that missing I, 535-59 (1927); II, 22-50, 164-82, 495-526 (1928).
references to certain sources will not be ascribed to ignorance or carelessness on my part. Hurgronje, C. s., Mekka, II, 216-18 (The Hague 1889).
The main biographical information about the individuals mentioned is as a rule given IvANOW, W., Ismaili Tradition concerning the Rise of the Fatimids (London, etc., 1942,
in connection with their first occurrence in the translation of the IHdn, cf. the Index. Islamic Research Association Series, 10), introduction.
The general works on historiography, instructive though they are in connection with Khadduri, Majid, The Law of War and Peace in Islam, 121-24 (London 1940/41): A note
the special field of Muslim historiography, pay extremely scant attention to the latter. The on Arabic historiography.
sixteenth-century Frenchman Jean Bodin had a chapter on Arab historians in his Method Kramers, J. H., Over de geschiedsschrijving bij de osmaansche Turken (Leiden 1922). English
for the Easy Comprehension of History. But the leading Lehrhuch der historischen Methode translation in his Analecta Orientalia, I, 3-21 (Leiden 1954-56).
und der Geschichtsphilosophie by E. Bernheim, of which I had the third and fourth edition Levi-Provenqal, E., Les Historiens des Chorfa (Paris 1922).
at my disposal (Leipzig 1903), just had a footnote on Ibn ^aldun (p. 126, n. 2). R. Flint’s ------, L’historien de ITslam (1936, Univ. d’Alger, Seance . . . de rentree des Facultes, XIV,
History of the Philosophy of History (New York 1894) has a little more. Flint pays much 7-24. Not seen).
attention to Ibn Haldun, who has also found the attention of other students of the theory Lewis, B., and Holt, P. M. (eds.), Historians of the Middle East (Oxford University Press
of historiography, such as R. Altamira, Cuestiones modernas de historia (Madrid 1904). 1962).
H. A. Barnes, in his History of Historical Writing 93-97 (Norman, Okla., 1937), mentions Lichtenstadter, I., Arabic and Islamic Historiography, in The Moslem World, XXXV,
some of the important Muslim historians, and works on Spanish historiography, such as 126-32 (1945).
B. Sanchez Alonso’s Historia de la historiografia espanola (Madrid 1941-44), naturally Makki, Mahmud ‘■A., Egipto y los origenes de la historiografia arabigo-espafiola, in Revista
include sections on Spanish Muslim historians, but this is about all. It is safe to say that del Instituto de Estudios Islamicos, V, 157-248 (i957)-
none of the numerous and often excellent works of the historians of historiography says Margoliouth, D. s., Lectures on Arabic Historians (Calcutta 1930).
anything of importance about Muslim historical writing. Obermann, j., Early Islam, in Obermann (ed.). The Idea of History in the Ancient Near
The following very selective list contains a few works, articles, and opinions concerning East, 237-310 (New Haven i955)-
general problems of Muslim historiography. Comprehensive histories of Arabic literature Paret, R., Die Geschichte des Islams im Spiegel der arabischen Volksliteratur (Tiibingen 1927,
have not been included. It should also be kept in mind that all major works on Muslim Philosophic und Geschichte, 13).
history written in recent years by trained historians contain surveys of their sources which Petersen, E. L., Historieskrivning i Islams klassiske Periode, in Historisk 1 idsskrift, XI,
are valuable contributions to the understanding of Muslim historiography. For general V, 455-73 (Copenhagen 1958).
bibliographical surveys and for detailed studies of certain periods of Muslim historiography, ------, ^AM and Mu^dwiya in Early Arabic Tradition: Studies on the Genesis and Growth of
cf. also below, p. 5. Islamic Historical Writing (Copenhagen 1964).
Philips, C. H. (ed.). Historians of India, Pakistan andCeylon (Oxford University Press 1961).
Abbott, N., Studies in Arabic Literary Papyri I: Historical Texts (Chicago 1957). Pons Boigues, F., Ensayo bio-bibliogrdfico sobre los historiadores y gcografos ardbigo-
al-'Arini, as-Sayyid al-Baz, Mu^arrihu al-hurub as-salibtyah (Cairo 1962). espanoles (Madrid 1898), cf., especially, the Conclusion, 363-87, and Apcndice B,
Ashtor, K., Some Unpublished Sources for the Bahrt Period, in Scripta Hierosolymitana, IX, 397-402 (que hayan opinado los escritores musulmanes aeerca de la historia, su utilidad
11-30 (1961). y excelencia, su earaeter cientifico).
Avau, Kamil, Die Anfdnge der arabischen Geschichtsschreibung, in Geist und Gesellschaft, Richter, G., Das Geschichtsbild der arabischen Historiker des Mittelalters ('liibingen 1933,
K. Breysig Festschrift, 111, 35-48 (Breslau, n.y., 1928?). Philosophic und Geschichte, ^t,). English translation in Islamic Culture, XXXIII, 240-50
Babinger, F., Die Geschichtsschreiber der Osmanen und ihre Werke (Leipzig 1927). (1959)-
XVI BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES
Sachau, E., Introduction to Vol. Ill, i, of Ibn Sa‘d, at-Tabaqdt, p. 13 ff. (Leiden 1904).
——, Studien zur dltesten Geschichtsiiberlieferung der Araber, in Mitteilungen des Seminars
fiir or. Sprachen, Westasiatische Studien, VII, 154-96 (1904), in spite of the title,
contains nothing but some biographies of early transmitters in connection with Ibn Sa'd.
Salibi, K. s., Maronite Historians of Medieval Lebanon (Beirut 1959).
Sauvaget, J., and Cahen, C., Introduction d I’histoire de VOrient Musulman (Paris 1961),
English translation: Introduction to the History of the Muslim East (Berkeley and Los
Angeles 1965).
Semseddin, Muhammad, Islamda tarih we-miiwerrihler (Istanbul 1340-42).
SOMOGYI, J. DE, The “Kitdb al-muntazam” of Ibn al-Jauzi, in JRAS, 1932, 49-76, especially
p. 49-
------, The Development of Arabic Historiography, in Journal of Semitic Studies, III, 373-87
(1958)-
Spuler, B., Islamische und abendldndische Geschichtschreibung, in Saeculum. VI, 125-37
(1955)-
Storey, C. A., Persian Literature, a bio-bibliographical survey (London 1935 ff.), cf. below,
p. 4, n. 3.
Togan, a. Zeki Velidi, Tarihde usul (Istanbul 1950).
------, Kritische Geschichtsauffassung in der islamischen Welt des Mittelalters, in Proceedings
of the Twenty-Second Congress of Orientalists, I, 76-85 (Istanbul 1953).
WOSTENFELD, F., Die Geschichtschreiber der Araber und ihre Werke (Gottingen 1882, Aus
deni XXVIII. und XXIX. Bande der Abh. der k. Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu
PART ONE
Gottingen).
ZiYADAH, M. Mustafa, Al-Mu^arrihun fi Misr ft l-qarn al-hdmis '^aiar al-mtlddt (Cairo
1949, 2nd ed., Cairo 1954).
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS ON HISTORY
AND HISTORIOGRAPHY
I—THE OBJECTIVE OF A WORK ON MUSLIM
HISTORIOGRAPHY
Writing about the writing of history by any particular group or
in any particular period means only one thing: To show the develop­
ment which the concept of history underwent in the thinking and
in the scholarly approach of the historians of that particular group
or period, and to describe the origin, growth, or decline of the
forms of literary expression which were used for the presentation
of historical material.^
It is thus perfectly clear what this book will not be and cannot
be, but, in order to dispel any justified or unjustified expectations,
some of the things which will not be found here may be mentioned.
The science of Islam is a comparative newcomer in Western
scholarship. Even by a liberal count, one has to give it less than a
hundred years, beginning with such men as A. von Kremer, Th.
Noldeke, or I. Goldziher. This compares with the more than
four hundred years of classical philology and the two hundred
and fifty years of the science of history.^ The real objectives of
the science of Islam are, therefore, sometimes obscured by the (in
themselves very important) secondary requirements of a growing
and as yet not fully developed discipline.
This book is not a bibliography of Muslim historians. The
existence of full bio-bibliographical information about Muslim
historians is an indispensable condition for the task at hand. A
first attempt to dress a comprehensive list of Arabic historians
and their works was undertaken by F. Wustenfeld in 1882.^
^ One may compare B. Croce’s definition, of the history of historiography, in Teoria
e storia della storiografia, 156 f. (third ed., Bari 1927).
* Cf. Fr. Meinecke, Die Entstehung des Historismus (Munich-Berlin 1936).
® Die Geschichtschreiber der Araber und ihre Werke (Gottingen 1882. Aus dem XXVIII.
und XXIX. Banda der Abh. der k. Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Gottingen).
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS THE OBJECTIVE
His Geschichtschreiher der Amher was, in general, not of the same sufficient strength.^ It cannot be said, however, that the existence
high quahty as his other pubhcations. Yet, it was a highly respect­ of the GAL in its present form and of the other bibliographical
able achievement in its time. However, especially owing to our works would make the compilation of a special (bio-)bibliography
greatly increased knowledge of the manuscript resources of the of Muslim historians a superfluous enterprise. Such a work remains
libraries all over the world, it is now hopelessly antiquated. A an important desideratum. Using the GAL as a basis, it would be
pioneer work on the Spanish historians, which retains a certain use­ necessary to omit the non-historical material from B rockelmann’s
fulness, was published by F. Pons Boigues in 1898.^ In the same historical sections and to collect the historical titles which are
year, with the appearance of C. Brockelmann’s Geschichte der dispersed over the different sections of the GAL. The accuracy of
ayaUschen Littemtur [GAL), in 1898-1902, a safe foundation was each statement would have to be checked. The interpretation,
laid lor our knowledge of Muslim historiography.^ For Persian and especially of the biographical data, would have to be improved.
Turkish historiography, we also have quite exhaustive bibliograph­ Above all, it would be necessary to collect all the information about
ical surveys in the works of C. A. Storey and F. Babinger.^ historians and their works that have not come down to us and are
In its sections on the historians, the GAL provides excellent and known only through bibliographical reference and through quo­
in its time exhaustive information on those historians whose works tations. ^ A very rewarding task is waiting here for a future scholar,
have survived in manuscripts and printed books. The relevant preferably one who has constant access to a large library and to the
material which escaped Brockelmann’s attention is very httle. It manuscript collections of the Muslim countries.
may be doubted that, if it were possible to follow up all the
Valuable bibliographical studies on various segments of Muslim historiography are being
references of the GAL (as well as of Storey and Babinger), any published with increasing frequency in Muslim countries. Cf., for instance, the guide to
omission of real importance for the understanding of the history of Moroccan historical literature by 'Abd-as-Salam Ibn Sudah, DaVil mu'^arrih al-Magrib al-
Aqsd (Tetuan 1369/1950); the survey of Damascene historians by Salah-ad-din al-
Muslim historiography would be discovered. For the purpose of the Munajjid, Al-Mu^arrihun ad-DimasqtyUn, in Revue de I'Inst. des Manuscrits Ar., II, 63-145
(1375/1956) (also published separately, Cairo 1956), and idem, al-Mu^arrihUn ad-DimasqtyAn
present book, the GAL offers a bibliographical foundation of ft l-^ahd al-^Utmdm (Beirut 1964); the study on fifteenth-century Egyptian historians
by M. M. Ziyadah (above, p. XVI); the rather detailed discussion of 'Iraqi
historians (with the inclusion of many non-'Iraqis) by 'Abbas al-'Azzawi, at-Ta^rtf bi-l-
1 Ensayo bio-bibliogrdfico sobre los historiadores y geografos ardbigo-espanoles (Madrid mu^arriMn, I: Ft '■ahd al-Mugul wa-t-Turkumdn (Bagdad 1367/1957); as well as special
1898). Some time before, a check list of Spanish historical works had been prepared by catalogues of historical literature, such as the catalogue of microfilmed manuscripts in the
F. CoDERA which was published in print by him and in lithography by J. Ribera. It possession of the Arab League entitled Fihris al-mahtutdt al-musawwarah, II, i (by Lutfi
was mistakenly considered by G. Kampffmeyer as an old list (of the fourteenth century) ‘Abd-al-Badi') and n (by Fu’An Sayyid) (Cairo n. y. [1956-57]); Y. al-'Iss’s catalogue of
and treated by him under the title of Eine alte Liste arabischer Werke zur Geschichte Spaniens the historical manuscripts in the Zahiriyah (Damascus 1366/1947); K. 'Awwad on the
und Nordwestafrikas, in Mitteilungen des Seminars fiir or. Sprachen, Westas. Studien, IX, historical manuscripts in the 'Iraqi Museum, in Sumer, XIII, 40-82 (i937)- For Turkish
historiography, one may mention Istanbul KiitUphaneleri Tarih-Cografya Yazmalari
74-110 (1906). Kampffmeyer corrected his error himself, ibid., X, 296-98 (1907), and
OLZ, X, 38-41 (1907). Kataloglan, I: TUrkfe Tarih Yazmalari (Istanbul 1943)-
“ Vols. I-II, Weimar 1898-1902. Supplement, Vols. I-III, Leiden 1937-42. A new edition The scholarly study of historical works written by Muslim authors of the modern period
of the original two volumes (Zweite den Supplementbdnden angepasste Auflage) appeared in is, as we would expect, also growing rapidly. Cf., for instance, jAMAL-AD-niN as-Sayyal,
Leiden 1943-49- A supplement dealing with the works preserved in manuscripts in the at-TaMh wa-l-nm^arrihim ft Misr ft l-qarn at-tdsi'^ '■asar (Cairo 1958). There is a tendency
libraries of Turkey and some Arabic countries is in preparation by Fuat Sezgin. The to see these works as being somehow connected with the great tradition of medieval Muslim
catalogues of manuscript collections in the West frequently devote special sections to the historiography, cf., for instance, A. G. Ciiejne, The Use of History by Modern Arab Writers,
historical literature. A separate catalogue is that by A. I. Mikhaylova for the historical in The Middle East Journal, XIV, 382-96 (i960), and Autobiography and Memoirs in Modem
manuscripts in the Institut Narodov Asii (Moscow 1965). Arab Historiography, in The Muslim World, LII, 31-38 (1962); G. M. Haddad, Modern
Persian Literature, a bio-bibliographical survey. Vol. I, Section II, fasc. i, A: General Arab Historians and World History, in The Muslim World, LI, 37-43 (1961). For the work
history, B: The prophets and early Islam (London 1935); fasc. 2, C-L: Special histories of done by recent Turkish historians, cf. the references in K. K. Key, An Outline of Modern
Persia, Central Asia and the remaining parts of the world except India (London 1936); Turkish Historiography (Istanbul 1954)-
fasc. 3, M: History of India (London 1939), N: Biography (London 1953, including additions, Just as this book is not concerned with bibliography, it is also
corrections, and indexes). Although it was incorporated by Storey in his Persian
Literature, the work by F. Tauer, Les Manuscrits persans historiques des bibliotheques de not concerned with the reproduction or verbal interpretation of
Stambul, in Archiv Orientdlni, III, 87-118, 303-26, 462-91 (1931), and IV, 92-107, 193-207
(1932), may be mentioned here. ^ But cf. the foreword to this edition, above, p. VI.
* F. Babinger, Die Geschichtsschreiber der Osmanen und ihre Werke (Leipzig 1927). 2 Let it be said right now, however, that in the course of this investigation, I have
Cf. also L. Forrer, Handschriften osmanischer Historiker in Istanbul, in Der Islam, XXVI, made the experience that quotations as a rule are little illuminating as to possible peculiari­
173-220 (1942). ties in the form and contents of lost historical works.