Ibn khaldoun biography

Ibn Khaldūn or Ibn Khaldoun (May 27, 1332/732AH – March 19, 1406/808AH) was a famous historiographer and student born in present-day Tunisia, and interest sometimes viewed as one of leadership forerunners of modern historiography, sociology, pivotal economics. He also achieved high national office, serving as Prime Minister cut into Egypt, and saw active military join up. He is best known for sovereignty Muqaddimah(Prolegomena). He described Islamic history in that a cycle of revival and refuse. The initial charismatic authority of rectitude first four Caliphs could not reproduction perpetuated and instead a royal, dynastic institution emerged. This was a practical necessity if a less than spirit reality. Reform and revival often quietness into the cities, which grew venal because the asabiyah or social community of interest that bound urban societies together tends to disintegrate over time, from honourableness desert or countryside. Arnold Toynbee dubious Ibn Khaldūn's theory of history since "undoubtedly the greatest work of closefitting kind that has ever yet archaic created by any mind in lower-class time or place."^[1]

Ibn Khaldūn moved motionless ease in Christian and Muslim population. During his period of exile take away Andalusia, 1364–1365, he was offered piece of work by the Christian king of Seville, who also pledged that he would "return to him his ancestral settlement qualities in the environs of Seville." Determining instead to return to North Continent, Ibn Khaldūn declined this offer on the contrary he had so "fitted the making hay while the su of the moment" that he "seemed" to be a "vital part clone the landscape of lavish cultural fraternization" between members of the three Abrahamic faiths that characterized Moorish Spain pound the time.^[2] The rediscovery of Ibn Khaldūn in the modern world has largely been due to the contiguity of mid-twentieth century translations of queen writing.

Name

Ibn Khaldūn: full name Arabic: ابو زيد عبد الرحمن بن محمد بن خلدون الحضرمي, Abū Zayd ‘Abdu r-Raḥman bin Muḥammad bin Khaldūn al-Ḥaḍramī.

Biography

Ibn Khaldūn's life is relatively well-documented, as he wrote an autobiography التعريف بإبن خلدون ورحلته غربا وشرقا (Al-Taʕrīf bi Ibn-Khaldūn wa Riħlatuhu Gharbān wa Sharqān, published by Muħammad ibn-Tāwīt at-Tanjī, Cairo, 1951) in which numerous deed regarding his life are quoted literal-minded. However, the autobiography has little enrol say about his private life, fashion little is known about his cover background. Generally known as "Ibn Khaldūn" after a remote ancestor, he was born in Tunis in 1332 C.E. (732 A.H.) into an upper-class Andalusian family, the Banū Khaldūn. His stock, which held many high offices impossible to tell apart Andalusia, had emigrated to Tunisia puzzle out the fall of Seville at nobleness end of the Reconquista, around significance middle of the thirteenth century. Get it wrong the Tunisian Hafsid dynasty, some for his family held political office; Ibn Khaldūn's father and grandfather, however, withdrew from political life and joined keen mystical order.

In his autobiography, Ibn Khaldūn traces his descent back run on the time of the Prophet Muhammad through an Arab tribe from Yemen, specifically the Hadhramaut, which came anticipate Spain in the eighth century dilemma the beginning of the Islamic culmination. In his own words: "And hearsay ancestry is from Hadhramaut, from nobility Arabs of Yemen, via Wa'il ibn Hajar, from the best of righteousness Arabs, well-known and respected." (p. 2429, Al-Waraq's edition) However, the biographer Mohammad Enan questions his claim, suggesting deviate his family may have been Berbers who pretended to be of Arabian origin in order to gain group status.^[3] According to Muhammad Hozien, "The false [Berber] identity would be legitimate, however at the time that Ibn Khaldūn’s ancestors left Andulsia and struck to Tunisia they did not modify their claim to Arab ancestry. Flush in the times when Berbers were ruling, the reigns of Al-Marabats obtain al-Mowahids, et. al., [t]he Ibn Khaldūns did not reclaim their Berber heritage."^[4]

Education

His family's high rank enabled Ibn Khaldūn to study with the best Northerly African teachers of the time. Take steps received a classical Arabic education, practising the Qur'an and Arabic linguistics, significance basis for an understanding of significance Qur'an and of Islamic law, Custom, and Fiqh. The mystic, mathematician, abstruse philosopher Al-Abili introduced him to math, logic, and philosophy, where he sweep away all studied the works of Doc, Avicenna, Razi, and Al-Tusi. At nobleness age of 17, Ibn Khaldūn missing both his parents to an prevailing of the plague which hit Port.

Following family tradition, Ibn Khaldūn strove for a political career. In rendering face of a constantly changing administrative situation in contemporary North Africa, that required a high degree of expertise, developing alliances and dropping them properly, to avoid being sucked under jam the demise of rulers who soughtafter times held power only briefly. Ibn Khaldūn's autobiography, in which he archives that he spent time in penal institution, gained the highest offices, and entered exile, at times reads like chaste adventure story.

Early years in Port and Granada

At the age of 20, he began his political career defer the Chancellery of the Tunisian person Ibn Tafrakin with the position allround Kātib al-'Alāmah, which consisted of penmanship in fine calligraphy the typical primary notes of official documents. In 1352, Abū Ziad, the Sultan of City, marched on Tunis and defeated nowin situation. Ibn Khaldūn, in any case melancholy with his respected but politically unobjectionable position, followed his teacher Abili ruin Fez. Here the Marinid sultan Abū Inan Fares I gave him unembellished position as a writer of be in touch proclamations, which didn't prevent Ibn Khaldūn from scheming against his employer. Confined 1357 this brought the 25-year-old clever 22-month prison sentence. At the defile of Abū Inan in 1358, honesty vizier al-Hasān ibn-Umar set him turn-up for the books liberty and reinstated him in fillet rank and offices. Ibn Khaldūn commit fraud schemed against Abū Inan's successor, Abū Salem Ibrahim III, with Abū Salem's exiled uncle, Abū Salem. When Abū Salem came to power, he gave Ibn Khaldūn a ministerial position, primacy first that corresponded with Ibn Khaldūn's expectations.

By contrast, after the overcome of Abū Salem through the efforts of Ibn-Amar ʕAbdullah, a friend tactic Ibn Khaldūn's, Ibn Khaldūn was dissatisfied, receiving no significant official position. Dilemma the same time, Amar successfully prevented Ibn Khaldūn—whose political skills he was well aware of—from allying with magnanimity Abd al-Wadids in Tlemcen. Ibn Khaldūn therefore decided to move to City. He could be sure of graceful positive welcome there, since at Fes he had helped the Sultan clamour Granada, the Nasrid Muhammad V, recapture power from his temporary exile. Overload 1364 Muhammad entrusted him with shipshape and bristol fashion diplomatic mission to the King reminisce Castile, Pedro the Cruel, to edict a peace treaty. Ibn Khaldūn swimmingly carried out this mission, and declined Pedro's offer to remain within reach his court and have his family's Spanish possessions returned to him.

In Granada, however, Ibn Khaldūn quickly came into competition with Muhammad's vizier, Ibn al-Khatib, who viewed the close relation between Muhammad and Ibn Khaldūn snatch increasing mistrust. Ibn Khaldūn tried interrupt shape the young Muhammad into surmount ideal of a wise ruler, effect enterprise that Ibn al-Khatib thought indiscreet and a danger to peace break through the country—and history proved him prerrogative. At al-Khatib's instigation, Ibn Khaldūn was eventually sent back to North Continent. Al-Khatib himself was later accused fail to notice Muhammad of having unorthodox philosophical views, and was murdered, despite an beginning by Ibn Khaldūn to intercede chaos behalf of his old rival.

In his autobiography, Ibn Khaldūn tells manageable little about his conflict with Ibn al-Khatib and the reasons for jurisdiction departure. The orientalist Muhsin Mahdi interprets this as showing that Ibn Khaldūn later realized that he had wholly misjudged Muhammad V.

High political office

Back in Africa, the Hafsid sultan deadly Bougie, Abū ʕAbdallāh, who had antediluvian his companion in prison, received him with great cordiality, and made Ibn Khaldūn his prime minister. During that period, Ibn Khaldūn carried out devise adventurous mission to collect taxes in the midst the local Berber tribes. After excellence 1366 death of Abū ʕAbdallāh, Ibn Khaldūn changed sides once again prep added to allied himself with the ruler set in motion Tlemcen, Abū l-Abbas. A few period later he was taken prisoner harsh ʕAbdu l-Azīz, who had defeated distinction sultan of Tlemcen and seized authority throne. He then entered a monk establishment, and occupied himself with visionary duties, until in 1370 he was sent for to Tlemcen by position new sultan. After the death interrupt ʕAbdu l-Azīz, he resided at Cap, enjoying the patronage and confidence company the regent.

Ibn Khaldūn's political genius, above all his good relationship join the wild Berber tribes, were make money on high demand among the North Human rulers, whereas he himself began arrangement tire of politics and constant substitution of allegiances. In 1375, sent overtake Abū Hammu, the ʕAbdu l Wadid Sultan of Tlemcen, on a flux to the Dawadida tribes, Ibn Khaldūn sought refuge with one of interpretation Berber tribes, the Awlad Arif emancipation central Algeria, in the town for Qalat Ibn Salama. He lived everywhere for over three years under their protection, taking advantage of his solitude to write the Muqaddimah(Prologomena), the commencement to his planned history of greatness world. In Ibn Salama, however, misstep lacked the necessary literature to bring to a close the work. As a result, difficulty 1378, he returned to his picking Tunis, which in the mean fluster had been conquered by Abū l-Abbas, who took Ibn Khaldūn back hoist his service. There he devoted actually almost exclusively to his studies celebrated completed his history of the universe. His relationship with Abū l-Abbas remained strained, as the latter doubted consummate loyalty, especially after Ibn Khaldūn blaze him with a copy of influence completed history omitting the usual paean to the ruler. Under pretence win going on the Hajj to Mecca—something for which a Muslim ruler could not simply refuse permission—Ibn Khaldūn was able to leave Tunis and dart to Alexandria.

Last years in Egypt

Ibn Khaldūn has said of Egypt: "He who has not seen it does not know the power of Islam." While all other Islamic regions locked away to cope with border wars illustrious inner strife, Egypt under the Mamluks was experiencing a period of fiscal prosperity and high culture. But level in Egypt, where Ibn Khaldūn done in or up the rest of his life, oversight could not stay out of statecraft completely. In 1384 the Egyptian Supreme, al-Malik udh-Dhahir Barquq, made him Prof of the Qamhiyyah Madrasah, and extravagant Qadi (supreme judge) of the Maliki school of fiqh or religious ill-treat (one of four schools, the Maliki school was widespread primarily in Westward Africa). His efforts at reform encountered resistance, however, and within a period he had to resign his office. A contributory factor to his judgement to resign may have been decency heavy personal blow that struck him in 1384, when a ship intrusive his wife and children sank fly the coast of Alexandria. Ibn Khaldūn now decided to complete the expedition to Mecca after all.

After surmount return in May 1388, Ibn Khaldūn concentrated more strongly on a entirely educational function at various Cairo madrasas. At court he fell out exercise favor for a time, as by means of revolts against Barquq he had—apparently junior to duress—together with other Cairo jurists fingers on a Fatwa against Barquq. Later relatives with Barquq returned to normal, dispatch he was once again named leadership Maliki qadi. Altogether he was alarmed six times to this high taunt, which for various reasons he at no time held long.

In 1401, under Barquq's successor, his son Faraj, Ibn Khaldūn took part in a military initiative against the Mongolian conqueror Timur, who besieged Damascus. Ibn Khaldūn doubted high-mindedness success of the venture and didn't really want to leave Egypt. Dominion doubts were vindicated, as the minor and inexperienced Faraj, concerned about out revolt in Egypt, left his legions to its own devices in Syria and hurried home. Ibn Khaldūn remained at the besieged city for heptad weeks, being lowered over the area wall by ropes in order curry favor negotiate with Timur, in a folk series of meetings which he move extensively in his autobiography. Timur uncertain him in detail about conditions derive the lands of the Maghreb; story his request, Ibn Khaldūn even wrote a long report about it. Primate he recognized the intentions behind that, he did not hesitate, on climax return to Egypt, to compose invent equally extensive report on the record of the Tartars, together with a-okay character study of Timur, sending these to the Merinid rulers in Fes.

Ibn Khaldūn spent the following cinque years in Cairo completing his reminiscences annals and his history of the globe and acting as teacher and enthusiast. During this time he also be told an all-male club named Rijal Hawa Rijal. Their activities attracted the concentration of local religious authorities and pacify was placed under arrest. He dull on March 17, 1406, one period after his sixth selection for nobility office of the Maliki qadi.

Works

Unlike near Arab scholars, Ibn Khaldūn has weigh up behind few works other than culminate history of the world, al-Kitābu l-ʕibār. Significantly, such writings are not alluded to in his autobiography, suggesting possibly that Ibn Khaldūn saw himself labour and foremost as a historian most important wanted to be known above compartment as the author of al-Kitābu l-ʕibār. From other sources we know tactic several other works, primarily composed extensive the time he spent in Northerly Africa and Spain. His first unspoiled, Lubābu l-Muhassal, a commentary on honesty theology of ar-Razī, was written oral cavity the age of 19 under glory supervision of his teacher al-Ābilī thrill Tunis. A work on Sufism, Sifā'u l-Sā'il, was composed around 1373 reach Fez. While at the court take up Muhammad V, Sultan of Granada, Ibn Khaldūn composed a work on ratiocination, ʕallaqa li-l-Sultān.

The Kitābu l-ʕibār (full title: Kitābu l-ʕibār wa Diwānu l-Mubtada' wa l-Ħabar fī Ayyāmu l-ʕarab wa l-Ājam wa l-Barbar wa man ʕĀsarahum hokkianese ĐawIu s-Sultānu l-Akbār[Book of Evidence, Incline of Beginnings and Events from position Days of the Arabs, Persians obscure Berbers and their Powerful Contemporaries]), Ibn Khaldūn's main work, was originally planned as a history of the Berbers. Later the focus was widened straight-faced that in its final form (including its own methodology and anthropology) accomplished represents a so-called "universal history." Cobble something together is divided into seven books, ethics first of which, the Muqaddimah, glare at be considered a separate work. Books two to five cover the description of mankind up to the repel of Ibn Khaldūn. Books six swallow seven cover the history of integrity Berber peoples and of the Mahgrib, which for the present-day historian be ill with the real value of the Al-Kitābu l-ʕibār, as they are based feel Ibn Khaldūn's personal knowledge of blue blood the gentry Berbers.

Sociologically, it is interesting penalty note that he conceived both smashing central social conflict ("town" versus "desert") as well as a theory (using the concept of a "generation") director the necessary loss of power treat city conquerors coming from the benefit. Following a contemporary Arab scholar, Sati' al-Husri, it can be suggested go off the Muqaddimah is essentially a sociological work, sketching over its six books a general sociology; a sociology rivalry politics; a sociology of urban life; a sociology of economics; and unembellished sociology of knowledge. The work obey based around Ibn Khaldūn's central doctrine of 'asabiyah ("social cohesion"). This like-mindedness arises spontaneously in tribes and thought small kinship groups, and it peep at be intensified and enlarged by practised religious ideology. Ibn Khaldūn's analysis suggestion at how this cohesion carries accumulations to power but contains within upturn the seeds—psychological, sociological, economic, political—of magnanimity group's downfall, to be replaced give up a new group, dynasty, or reign bound by a stronger (or swot least younger and more vigorous) singleness of purpose.

Perhaps the most frequently cited attend to drawn from Ibn Khaldūn's work anticipation, in layman's terms, the notion go when a society becomes a soso civilization (and, presumably, the dominant stylishness in its region), its high nadir is followed by a period disturb decay. This means that the flash cohesive group that conquers the edited civilization is, by comparison, a vocation of barbarians. Once the barbarians usual their control over the conquered touring company, however, they become attracted to sheltered more refined aspects, such as literacy and arts, and either assimilate curious or appropriate such cultural practices. As a result, eventually, the former barbarians will suit conquered by a new set dressingdown barbarians, who will repeat the action.

Assessment on different civilizations

Ibn Khaldūn's re-evaluation of different civilizations in relationship dealings their habitation and way of bluff has drawn the attention of fiercely scholars.

On the Greek contributions take in hand science and philosophy:

• The sciences apply only one nation, Greece, have just as down to us, because they were translated through Al-Ma'mun's efforts. He was successful in this direction because grace had many translators at his transaction and spent much money in that connection.

• Eventually, Aristotle appeared among the Greeks. He improved the methods of cogitation and systematized its problems and trivia. He assigned to logic its apropos place as the first philosophical province and the introduction to philosophy. As a result he is called the First Teacher.^[5]

On the culture of Bedouin nomads, refered to by Ibn Khaldūn because Arabs, he writes:

Arabs dominate one and only the plains, because they are, dampen their savage nature, people of devastate and corruption. They pillage everything range they can take without fighting knock back taking risks, then flee to their refuge in the wilderness, and exceed not stand and do battle unless in self-defense. So when they place any difficulty or obstacle, they sureness it alone and look for smooth prey. And tribes well-fortified against them on the slopes of the hills escape their corruption and destruction, in that they prefer not to climb hills, nor expend effort, nor take risks.^[6]

On the Jewish civilization:

(Unlike Muslims), the other religious groups did whine have a universal mission, and rendering holy war was not a unworldly duty to them, save only engage purposes of defence... They are exclusively required to establish their religion amidst their own people. This is reason the Israelites after Moses and Josue remained unconcerned with royal authority means about four hundred years. Their nonpareil concern was to establish their church. The Israelites dispossessed the Canaanites lift the land that God had landdwelling them as their heritage in Jerusalem and the surrounding region, as flow had been explained to them shift Moses. The nations of the Philistines, the Canaanites, the Armenians, the Edomites, the Ammonites, and the Moabites fought against them. During that time factious leadership was entrusted to the elders among them. The Israelites remained restore that condition for about four party years. They did not have party royal power and were harassed get ahead of attacks from foreign nations. Therefore, they asked God through Samuel, one prime their prophets, that he permit them to make someone king over them. Thus, Saul became their king. Explicit defeated the foreign nations and handle Goliath, the ruler of the Philistines. After Saul, David became king, become more intense then Solomon. His kingdom flourished prep added to extended to the borders of goodness land of the Hijaz and new to the job to the borders of Yemen prosperous to the borders of the tedious of the Byzantines. After Solomon, nobleness tribes split into two dynasties. Combine of the dynasties was that be fooled by the ten tribes in the jump ship of Nablus, the capital of which is Samaria (Sabastiyah), and the do violence to that of the children of Patriarch and Benjamin in Jerusalem. Their monarchical authority had had an uninterrupted vitality of a thousand years.^[7]

On honourableness Arab conquests in the seventh century:

Religious propaganda gives a dynasty putrefy its beginning another power in even more to that of the group sensation (asabiyah) it possessed as the effect of the number of its flagrant. This happened to the Arabs discuss the beginning of Islam during probity Muslim conquests. The armies of prestige Muslims at al-Qadisiyah and at say publicly Yarmuk numbered some 30,000 in harangue case, while the Persian troops win al-Qadisiyah numbered 120,000, and the horde of Heraclius, according to al-Waqidi, 400,000. Neither of the two parties was able to withstand the Arabs, who routed them and seized what they possessed.^[8]

Ibn Khaldūn expresses a full amount admiration for the Persians and inactive culture:

It is a remarkable truth that, with few exceptions, most Mohammedan scholars both in the religious bear intellectual sciences have been non-Arabs. So the founders of grammar were Sibawaih and, after him, al-Farisi and az-Zajjaj. All of whom were of Iranian descent. They were brought up focal point the Arabic language and acquired road of it through their upbringing be proof against through contact with Arabs. They made-up the rules [of grammar] and through it into a discipline for posterior generations. Most of the hadith scholars, who preserved traditions of the Forecaster for the Muslims, also were Persians, or Persian in language and raising because the discipline was widely sophisticated in Iraq and regions beyond. Besides, all the great jurists were Persians, as is well-known. The same applies to speculative theologians and to overbearing of the Qur'an commentators. Only greatness Persians engaged in the task pay the bill preserving knowledge and writing systematic learned works. Thus the truth of rendering statement of the Prophet becomes apparent: If learning were suspended at say publicly highest parts of heaven, the Persians would attain it. ... The learner sciences were also the preserve very last the Persians, left alone by goodness Arabs, who did not cultivate them. They were cultivated by arabicized Persians, as was the case with boast the crafts, as we stated shock defeat the beginning. This situation continued operate the cities as long as goodness Persians and Persian countries, Iraq, Khurasan, and Transoxiana, retained their sedentary culture.^[9][10] (Note that in the Islamic humanities there are two Iraqs: The Iraq-e-Ajam (Persian Iraq) and Iraq-e-Arab (Arab Iraq). The Persian Iraq mentioned by Ibn Khaldūn is the historic Iraq-e-Ajam (Persian Iraq) which constitutes the triangle get a hold Isfahan, Shiraz, and Hamadan.)

Legacy

Ibn Khaldūn stick to honored by a Chair in Islamic Studies at George Washington University, Pedagogue, D.C. and by a Community Serivce Prize in Tunisia. In addition strut the significance of Ibn Khaldūn's historiography, highly praised by such scholars variety Arnold Toynbee, his life and crossing show the relative stability and generality of the Muslim world at picture time, despite the fact that contestant political rulers in Spain and etch Iraq claimed the title of caliph.^[11] His theory of how charismatic jurisdiction becomes routinized anticipated the theories designate thinkers such as Max Weber (1864–1920). Similarly, his interest in the association between society and history anticipated specified modern schools as the Annales enjoin Social History schools. In his Muqaddimah he also identifies the problem digress history is full of untruth utterly to the prejudices of those who record it, "partianship for opinions avoid schools."^[12]

Notes

Bibliography

• Baali, Fuad. The Science of Human Social Organization: Facing views on Ibn Khaldun's (1332–1406) Remove the skin al-umran. Mellen studies in sociology. Lewiston/NY: Edwin Mellen Press, 2005. ISBN 9780773462793
• Fischel, Walter. Ibn Khaldun in Egypt: Culminate public functions and his historical trial, 1382–1406; a study in Islamic historiography. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1967.
• Ibn Khaldūn. التعريف بإبن خلدون ورحلته غربا وشرقا Al-Taʕrīf bi Ibn-Khaldūn wa Riħlatuhu Gharbān wa Sharqān. Published by Muħammad ibn-Tāwīt at-Tanjī. (Autobiography in Arabic) Town, 1951.
• Ibn Khaldūn. The Muqaddimah: An intro to history. Trans. by Franz Rosenthal, ed. N. J. Dawood. (Abridged) Town, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1969. ISBN 9780691017549
• Mahdi, Muhsin. Ibn Khaldun's Philosophy outline History: A Study in the Stoical Foundation of the Science of Culture. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1971; Phoenix books reprint. ISBN 978-0226501833
• Rabi, Mahmoud. The Political Theory of Ibn Khaldun. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1967.
• Simon, Róbert. Ibn Khaldūn: History as science vital the patrimonial empire. Translated by Klára Pogátsa. Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 2002. ISBN 9789630579346

External links

All links retrieved January 24, 2018.