The Science of History

Medieval History

Historians of Egypt
Islam entered Africa through Egypt. An early history of Egypt is the Futuh Misr wa'l Maghrib wa Akhbaruha (Conquest of Egypt and the Maghrib; Conquest of Egypt and the Accounts thereof) in seven books by Ibn Abd al-Hakam (c. 187/803 257/871). This work includes details of Muslim conquests crossed with local interest of a somewhat later period. Mss of this work exists in London, Paris, and Leyden, and has been published by the Yale University Press in the 1920s. This is the earliest printed work of an original text that recounts a Muslim account of the Muslim entry in Egypt and the West. Ibn Abd al-Hakam's book I deals with the excellencies of Egypt' (fadail Misr) and the ancient history of the country; book II with the Muslim conquest Figure 1. Cairo plan from Pr Reis under Amr Ibn al-As; book III with the b. Haci Muhammad's book Kitb-i khitat or settlements of the Muslims in al-Fustat and al-Jiza (Gizh), and the Bahriye, Suleymaniye Library, holdings in Alexandria and the district Ayasofya 2612. of Old Cairo called al-Qata'i, etc. book IV deals with various measures of Amr b. al-As in the Nile valley, the conquest of the oasis of al-Fayyum, Barqa and Tripoli, the temporary loss and subsequent retaking of Alexandria, the recall and death of Amr b. AlAs, the Muslim expansion into Ifrikiya (the Roman province of Africa), and the fighting with the Nubians in the South, etc. Subsequently, Book V deals with the conquest of North Africa and Spain; book VI with the qadis of Egypt down to 246/860-1, and book VII deals with various specifically Egyptian traditions. Ibn Al-Daya (died 340/951), is the author of the Sirat Ahmad b. Tulun wa'bnihi Khumarawayh (Biography of Ibn Tulun and his son Khumarawayh). This is a biography of the first Tulunid rulers of Egypt. There will be plenty more on later Egyptian historians such as al-Maqrizi and al-Djabarti dealing with various aspects of Egyptian history. Here is a group of historians dealing with the early Mamluk rule of Egypt. One of the historians of Mamluk Egypt is Muhyi al-Din Ibn Abd alZahir (1223-92) who wrote a contemporary biography of Baybars (ruled 1260-1277). He also wrote biographies of his successors, Qala'un (ruled 1279-90) and his son Al-Ashraf (1290-3). Al-Zahir received traditional Islamic education and rose to become the Chief Clerk of Baybar's chancery. An eminent Arabic stylist, which was an important qualification for the post, he was responsible for the drafting of state papers. The greater part of Al-Zahir's biography of Baybars (Al-Rawd al-Zahir fi sirat

al-Malik al-Zahir) was written during its subject's lifetime. Of the Mss there are two extant copies, one nearly complete, the other covering approximately the first third of the work. A great character, amongst the historians of the time, was the fighterhistorian, Abu'l-Fida, Baibars Rukn AlDin ad-Dawadar al-Mansuri (d. 725/1324-25). Due to the high administrative posts which he held in the Mamluk state under al-Malik anNasir, this historian must be considered as one of the most authoritative writers of the period. Even before the accession of al-Malik an-Nasir to the throne, Baibars alMansuri had served in military campaigns against both the Crusaders and the Mongols in Syria, Palestine, and Asia Minor under Sultans Qala'un (67889/ 1279-90) and al-Ashraf AlKhalil (689-93/1290-93) and as Figure 2. The cover page of Abu'l- Governor of the fortress al-Karak. Izz Ismail Razzaz Al-Jazar's When al-Malik an-Nasir was enthroned book al-Jamiu bayn al-ilm wa'l-amal in 693/1293-94, Baibars al-Mansuri, al-Nafi f sinaat al-hiyal, who had just returned from a military Suleymaniye Library, Ayasofya expedition to Hims, was given the 3606. highest feudal rank in the Mamluk army, Amir of a hundred and general of a thousand - and appointed Chief of Chancery, in which capacity he was in charge of the Sultan's correspondence but was employed for special missions as well. Around the beginning of 694/1294-95 for example, he was sent to Alexandria to put down acts of piracy by Frankish ships and stayed on to distribute famine taxes levied on the rich to feed the poor. When Lgin became Sultan in 696/1296-97 Baibars alMansuri lost his position but was reinstated in 698/129899 when alMalik an-Nasir was himself reinstated as Sultan. Later in that year he was left in charge of the Cairo citadel when the Sultan marched to Syria against the Mongols. Twice in 700/1300-01 he was sent at the head of military detachments to quell tribal uprisings, and in 702/1302-03 he fought in the Mamluk army against the Mongols in Syria, leaving us with an eyewitness account of the battle. Al-Malik an-Nasir sent him on still another mission to Alexandria late in 702/130203 in which he undertook the repair of the fortifications. Having lost his post as Chief of Chancery in 704/130405 Baibars al-Mansuri participated in the following year in an expedition against the Armenians of Sis as assistant to the commander of an advance detachment, in which capacity he could record a personal account of the campaign. When in subsequent years alMalik an-Nasir fell under the tutelage of two powerful Amirs, Baibars alMansuri, according to his own account at least, worked in the Sultan's behalf, continuing his efforts throughout the Sultan's exile in al-Karak until his restoration in 710/1310-11. Probably as a reward for loyalty, alMalik an-Nasir appointed him again to a high rank and in 711/1311-12 increased his fiefs and bestowed on him the second highest title in the Mamluk state, Viceroy of the Empire (na'ib as-saltana), which he held for less than a year. Deposed and imprisoned for five years, he no longer played a prominent role in state affairs and died an old man in 725/132425, leaving two important sources for events in which he had participated or which he had witnessed. One, Zubdat al-fikra fi tarrikh al-higra,( Cream of thought in the history of the Migration) is a general history of Islam up to 724/1323-24 whose extant parts end, however, with 709/1209-10. The other, at-Tuhfa al-mulikiya fi d-daula at-turkiya, is a compilation from the sections of Zubdat al-fikra that deal with the Turkish or Bahri dynasty, ending with annals for 711/1311-12. Comparison of these two works should yield insight into the author's methodology and, at the same time, establish a basis of comparison with other histories, many of which are indebted to Baibars al-Mansuri's works. Zubdat al-fikra includes headings and matters such as: An uprising of a group of Royal Mamluks; The accession of Zain a-Din Kitbuga to the Sultanate; A low

Nile resulting in famine and high prices; Mongol strife resulting in the accession of Gazan; etc. With Sihab Al-Din Ahmad ibn Abd al-Wahhab AlNuwairi (d. 732/1331-32) we come to the first historian who belonged exclusively to the bureaucratic, as opposed to military, institution. Son of a "katib of note," Al-Nuwairi served in various state offices during al-Malik an-Nasir's reigns, the first for which we have any record being the directorship of the sultan's properties in Syria in 701/1301-02, when he was in Figure 3. A sample page from Erzurumlu his early twenties. He stayed Ibrahim Hakki's book Marifetname, in Damascus in this post for Suleymaniye Library, Yazma bagislar, 2263. approximately four years until 705/1305-06 when he returned to Egypt as Director of the Bureau of Privy Funds (diwan alhass) and of the Qala'un complex of buildings (which consisted of Qala'un's mausoleum, madrasa-mosque, and hospital). In this capacity, he served on occasions in attendance on the Sultan. These positions he held for about two years-until 707/1307-08. In 710/1310-11 he was sent to Tripoli as intendant of the Diwan (sahib ad-diwan), and later in the same year he was appointed controller of the armies (Nazir al-Guyush) in the same province. There he served until 712/1312-13 when he was separated from this post and returned to Egypt. Sometime thereafter he became controller of Financial Bureaus (nazir ad-diwan) in the eastern provinces of ad-Daqahliya and al-Murtahawiva. Al-Nuwairi's role in the Mamluk administration is reflected in his work: Nihayat al-arab fifunun aladab, a vast encyclopedia designed to contain "all the knowledge that was indispensable for a first-class scribe." Nearly half the work is devoted to history, arranged however, not in the manner of a universal chronicle but in the form of regional or dynastic sections, the last of which recounts the history of Egypt beginning with the Tulunids and continuing through the reign of al-Malik an-Nasir. Like Baibars al-Mansuri, Al-Nuwairi would have had access to state documents by virtue of his positions and he was an intimate of high- ranking officials, many of whom he quotes as authorities in his work. Few written sources are cited other than the writings of al-Birzali and al-Gazari for events in Syria and in Mongol territory. Al-Nuwairi also devotes a separate section to the history of the Mongols. by: FSTC LImited, Tue 16 January, 2007

Related Articles: The Islamic Historical Literature: A General Review by: FSTC Research Team FSTC Research Team The narration of historical events and the reflexion upon their causes are old scholarly concerns since ancient times. In Islamic culture, a specific Arabic historiographical tradition emerged very early, since the late 7th century, to account for the history of Islam and the development of its civilisation. The following article presents a general outline on the Islamic historical literature, from the first biographies of the Prophet to the great endeavour of Ibn Khaldun who, in the Muqaddima, laid the foundation of a philosophy of history based on sociology and material factors for the explanation of human and social events.

Piri Reis and the Book of Sea Lore (Kitab-i Bahriye) by: FSTC Limited Kitab i-Bahriye's description of the coasts of Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia and France are well documented in his Book of Sea Lore (Kitab I-Bahriye). The Scholars of Cairo by: FSTC Ltd The scholarship within Cairo was one which flourished with great vibrancy. The schoalrs contributed to the fields of mathematics, science, astronomy, philosophy, medicine and numerous other areas which are notable and worthy of study. A Model of the Historians by: Caroline Stone In this short article we learn about Al-Mas'udi, a man regarded by Ibn Khaldun as the Imam of historians. Al-Mas'udi was responsible not only for a great deal of first hand reports but he was also instrumental in designing and establishing both a distinctive style of narrative and shaping the profession of the historian. Early Muslim Historians by: FSTC Limited History, and the study of it, has existed as a highly respected science for literally centuries, and has managed to grow with the efforts of its scholars to envelop a broader range of considerations. This short article details some of the lesser known Historians of the Early Muslim period and their contributions to the flow of knowledge. Historians in North Africa and Spain by: FSTC Limited This article recognises the efforts and achievements of Muslim North African and Spanish historians. Surviving writings have proven an insightful and an engagingly informative source of a time past.