IBN KHALDUN “THE FATHER OF ECONOMICS”

Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn Khaldun (1332-1406) was an Arab historian,
philosopher, and statesman whose treatise, the Muqaddima, in which he pioneered a general
sociological theory of history, shows him as one of the most original thinkers of the Middle
Ages. Ibn Khaldun was born on Ramadan 1, 732 H/May 7, 1332 M. in Tunis. His family, of
southern Arabian origin, settled in Seville after the Moslem conquest of Spain and
distinguished themselves in the political and intellectual life of the city. Shortly before the
Christian reconquest they left and eventually settled in Tunis. Ibn Khaldun always felt attached
to the cultural tradition of Moslem Spain. Growing up in Tunis, Ibn Khaldun studied the
traditional religious sciences including law according to the Maliki school as well as the
rational sciences. He also was trained in the arts necessary for a career in government. Among
his teachers, he was most impressed by al-Abili, who came to Tunis in 1347 and introduced
him to philosophy.

In 1352 the Hafsid ruler of Tunis gave Ibn Khaldun a minor position in the chancery,
but he left soon to join al-Abili, who had returned to Fez. During his stay in Fez (1354-1362)
Ibn Khaldun pursued his scholarly interests and was actively involved in the political life at the
Merinid court. Suspected of plotting against the ruler, he was imprisoned in 1357 for 22
months. Under a later ruler he again held high positions but became discouraged by court
intrigues.

Prevented by the Merinid court from joining the rival court at Tlemcen, Ibn Khaldun
turned to Granada, where he was accorded a royal welcome by the young ruler, Muhammad
V, and his vizier, Ibn al-Khatib, an outstanding man of letters, whose friendship he had gained
during Ibn al-Khatib's exile in Fez. In 1364 Muhammad V sent Ibn Khaldun to Seville on a
mission to Pedro I, King of Castile. Ibn Khaldun declined an offer of Pedro to have his
ancestors' possessions reinstated if he would enter royal service. Ibn Khaldun's intimacy with
Muhammad V, whom he tried to direct toward his ideal of philosopher king, aroused the
suspicion of Ibn al-Khatib, and Ibn Khaldun was forced to leave Granada, though with official
honors, in 1365.

Ibn Khaldun accepted an invitation from the Hafsid ruler of Bougie and became his
minister. When the ruler was defeated and killed by his cousin a year later, Ibn Khaldun entered
the service of the cousin but soon left as a result of court intrigue. The next 9 years were the
most turbulent of his life. Thoroughly disappointed with his court experiences, he tried to keep
away from politics and spent most of the time in research and teaching in Biskra, at the
sanctuary of the saint Abu Madyan near Tlemcen, and in Fez. He felt, however, repeatedly
obliged to assume political missions for various rulers among the Arab tribes in the area. In
1375 he briefly returned to Granada but was expelled.

Soon afterward Ibn Khaldun retreated to the castle of Ibn Salama in central Algeria,
where he spent over 3 years in complete seclusion under tribal protection. He intended writing
a history of the contemporary Maghreb and began the introduction (muqaddima) setting forth
his ideas about critical historiography. The Muqaddima rapidly grew into a general theory of
history, or science of civilization, as he termed it. He now widened his plans to include a
universal history based on his new science. In 1379 he returned to Tunis with the permission
of the new Hafsid ruler to avail himself of books and archives for his work. Under the ruler's
patronage he wrote the history of the Maghreb and sections of the history of the East. His
influence with the ruler and popularity among students again provoked court intrigues, and he
left in 1382 for Egypt under pretext of a pilgrimage to Mecca.

The last 2 decades of his life Ibn Khaldun lived in Cairo, the splendid capital of the
Mamluk empire, enjoying the patronage of the sultans Barquq and Faraj. He was granted
professorships in several colleges. Six times he was appointed Maliki chief judge, though only
for brief terms. Most of his time was devoted to teaching and research. He completed his history
and continued improving it. He made a pilgrimage to Mecca and two trips to Damascus, the
second one occasioned by the campaign of Faraj against Tamerlane in 1400. Tamerlane invited
Ibn Khaldun to visit his camp; his conversations with the world conqueror, reported in his
autobiography, turned mostly around the political conditions in Egypt and the Maghreb. Ibn
Khaldun died on March 17, 1406 in Cairo, Egypt.

Ibn Khaldun's fame rests on his Muqaddima, in which he set forth the earliest general
theory of the nature of civilization and the conditions for its development, intending it as a tool
for understanding and writing history. He considered the permanent conflict between primitive
Bedouin and highly developed urban society as a crucial factor in history. Civilization is for
him an urban phenomenon to be realized only by local concentration and cooperation of men
united under a strong dynastic rule. He saw group solidarity (as abiyya) as the driving force for
this cooperation and the establishment of dynastic rule. The group with the strongest feeling of
solidarity establishes its predominance and the rule of its leading family. The division of labor
resulting from cooperation makes possible the production of conveniences and luxuries beyond
the elementary necessities of life and the development of sciences. Indulgence in luxuries,
however, causes degeneration and loss of group solidarity and thus results in the disintegration
of the state and the group supporting the civilization. Another, less civilized group with an
unspoiled sense of solidarity takes over and becomes heir to the earlier civilization.
Choose one of the right answer between a, b, c, and d based on the text!

1. Ibn Khladun was born on…

a. Tunis
b. May 7, 1332
c. Cairo
d. March 17, 1406
2. Ibn Khaldun died on…
a. Tunis
b. May 7, 1332
c. Cairo
d. March 17, 1406
3. Ibn Khladun was…
a. An Arab Historian
b. A Philosopher
c. A Statesman
d. All true
4. Ibn Khaldun was born in…
a. Tunis
b. May 7, 1332
c. Cairo
d. March 17, 1406
5. Ibn Khaldun died in…
a. Tunis
b. May 7, 1332
c. Cairo
d. March 17, 1406

Fill the blank word with the right answer!

1. Ibn Khaldun’s family is (southern) Arabian origin, settled in Seville.

2. (Cairo) is the splendid capital of Mamluk Empire.
3. In Cairo, (Six) times Ibn Khaldun was appointed Maliki chief judge, though
only for brief terms.
 4. Accepted the invitation from Hafsid tuler of the Bougie and Ibn Khaldun
became (minister).
5. In 1375 Ibn Khaldun briefly returned to Granada but was (expelled).

Answer these questions based on the text!

1. Who gave Ibn Khaldun a minor position in the chancery?

Answer: The Hafsid ruler of Tunis gave Ibn Khaldun a minor position in
the chancery.
2. Why he imprisoned?
Answer: Suspected of plotting against the ruler, he was imprisoned in
1357 for 22 months.
3. What is Civilizations?
Answer: Civilization is for him an urban phenomenon to be realized only
by local concentration and cooperation of men united under a strong
dynastic rule.
4. Who Protected him in Cairo?
Answer: The last 2 decades of his life Ibn Khaldun lived in Cairo, the
splendid capital of the Mamluk empire, enjoying the patronage of the
sultans Barquq and Faraj.
5. Why he forced to leave Granada?
Answer: Ibn Khaldun's intimacy with Muhammad V, whom he tried to
direct toward his ideal of philosopher king, aroused the suspicion of Ibn
al-Khatib, and Ibn Khaldun was forced to leave Granada, though with
official honors, in 1365.