THE BEGINNING OF MUSLIM HISTORICAL RESEARCH*

lims have not knowfi hother century as iich in sttiking eoxitradictibns.
&tat iiiaterial wealth and intellectual prospeiity of tht first order cobxist
with political decadence". Introductidn to the RarrS'il of Ikhw& a#-~aji?
(1928), 3, quoted by Sayyed Uossein Na~r, An Introduction to Islaniic
CbSmolbgical Doctrines, 12, fn. no. 25. For a modern view see 'Abdur
Ra'iif, Islamic Culture in India and Pakistan (Lahore, 197% pp. 97. See
JClian Obkrmann's explanation of this renaissance of Islam in The Idea of
History in the Ancient Near East, 306.
(U) Al-Mas'iidi (d. 345/956), Abii'l Hasan 'Ali ibn al-Husain
ibn 'Ali al-Mas'iidi; 'Umar Rada Kahhda, Mu'jam al-Mu'allifin, VII,
80-81 ; al-Zirekli, AI-A'IZm, V, 87 (with bibliography), JawBd 'Ali, Maw&
rid Ta'rikh al-Mm'tldi, in the Sumer, (Baghdad, 1964) vol. XX/l, 2; 1-48 ;
S. Maqbiil Ahmad and A. Rahmln, al-Mas'iidS Millenary Commemoration
Volme, (1960) pp. 146 (Bibliography 113-1 16); S. Maqbiil Ahmad, "al-
Mas'iidi's Contributions to Medieval Arab Geography", Islamic Culture,
(Jan. 1954), XXVII, No. 1, 275-286; C. Brockelmann, Geschichte Der
Arabischen I, 150-52 ; SIP 220-21. F. Wiistenfeld, Die Geschichteschreiber
der Araber undlhre Werke. No. 1 19, 38-40. Useful information about the
life and works of al-Mas'iidi can be gathered from his MurEj; see Paris ed.
Index (vol. IX) 184; C. Brockelmann, "al-Mas'iidi" in the Encyclopedia
of Islam, (1) 111,403-404 Three volumes of the French translation of the
Muriij a& -Dhahab wu Ma'iidin al-Jawcihir, revised by Charlcs Peilat have
been published by the Societe Asiatique of Paris (1962-1971). Charles
Pellat has also revised the text of the Muriij which is published by the
University of Lebanon, 2 vols. (1965-66). I, pp. 327 and 11, pp. 419. S.
Maqbiil Ahmad, "Geographical Materials in the writings of al-Mas'iidi",
B. Litt. Thesis, Oxford, 1947. His Mtuzij a&-Dhafrab wa Ma'Min al-Jawaif
has also been edited by M. Muhiy ad-Din 'Abdu'l-Ham'id. 4 vols.
in 2; 4th ed. (1964-67). For a critical appreciation of the works of al-
Mas'iidi see D.M. Dunlop, Arab Civilisation to AD 1500, 99-1 14. In the
Encyclopedia Britannica, vol. XIV, p. 1050 al-h3as6iidi is called "the Herodotus
of the Arabs". Ta'rif Khilidi, Islamic Historiography, The Histoties
of MadzZ€, (Albany; State University of New York Press, 1975), pp.
180. See also M.S. Khiin, "Al-Mas'fidi and the Geography of India" in
the ZDMG (forthcoming).
(V) Al-Ya'qiibi (d. 284/897), amad ibn Abi Ya'qfib Ishiq ibn
Ja'far ibn Wahb ibn Widih aLiAbb8si; 'Umar RaPa Kahhila, Mu'jmn al
Mu'allifin, I, 161; al-Zirkkli, (11-A8l&, I, 90-91 ; VI, 294 with informative
footnbtis);ad.-Dfiri, Bdth fi Nmh'at 'Ih at-TaDiikh 'ind al- 'Arab, 368-84;
R.Y. Ebied, ad ~.k. Wickham, "Al-Ya'qtibi's Amunt of the IPiaditi: