THE BEGINNING OF MUSLIM HISTORICAL RESEARCH*

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As we also find from the later works, the history of the Caliphs offered a good opportunity to the Muslim historians to exercise their judg- - ment in march by comparing the numerous variations of the same tradi- tion. Certainly, since it was the people of immediate past with which it dealt, political passions were not conducive to allowing a sense of impar- tiality to appear in the writing of history. In contrast, however, to religious inhibitions that were apparent in the biographers of the Prophet, this in- duced the rival parties to undertake a more thorough investigation of the sources in order to refute their opponents. While the writing of Islamic history encouraged thoroughness in the investigation of individual facts, and while the acquaintance with the traditions of the Jews, Christians and Zoroastrians contributed to the widening of temporal horizons of the distant past, the spread of Muslims over a large part of the world led to the attempt to collate historical material from a geographical point of view(q). For this reason al-Balldhuri(~) (d. 891) records in an important work the history of the conquest of the individual Islamic countries.18 In this, as in his other genealogical works, we find in al-Balldhuri a historian of importance, who does not concern himself with matters of secondary importance, but seeks to carry out research into the facts of the past and has also left behind valuable data, concerning the origin of the Islamic state. With this the second stage of the development of Muslim historical resedrch comes to an end. An examination of the works of the first two periods shows that their concept of human history was more a product of the previous period rather than of their own. This fundamentally conserva- tive characteristic of historical science manifests itself also in the works of the third period. In the 9th century A.D., in which the historical works of the second period appeared, the Caliphate was at the height of its power. In this period the Muslims developed trade relations with all the parts of the world, which they came to know and thereby became acquainted with the customs and traditions of all peoples. The scientific activities of the Muslims witnessed a remarkable pro- gress as they were now acquainted with the philosophy and sciences of the Greeks, the wisdom of the Indians, the astronomy of the Babylonians(s), the literature of the Persians and the arts and industries of the Chinese. Due to this the world picture of the Muslims became more comprehensive
MUSUM <strong>HISTORICAL</strong> RESEARCH 9 and their philosophy of life more profound. To characterise the cultural atmosphere in this and the following century, the expression Islamic re- naissand~) has even been used.19 This development, which indeed constituted a kind of humanism, is most strongly and faithfully expressed in the works of al-Mas6iidi(u) (d. 956). Amongst his predecessors was the geographer al-Ya6qiibi(v) (d. ca. 900) whose history of the 'AbbBsids presents, in fact, a world history, which begins with the creation and comprehends all nations then known to the Muslims.2o And in the Annuls of apTabari(w) (838-923), the famous Qur'gn Commentator, the most extensive Chronology of the Muslims was produced.21 With al-Masbiidi22 the high water mark of this period of development of Muslim historical research was reached. He gives the most valuable account of all lands, in most of which he had himself travelled. He narrated the customs and religious professions of all nations, and often compares their ieligions and philosophies of life. Through his extensive cultural and historical perspective he exercised the greatest influence on Ibn Khaldiin, who rightly considers him to be the leader (ZrnrSni) of the Muslim historians. But even he could not go beyond descriptive historical writing. Ibn Khal- diin was the first to put forward, at least in theory, a programme of historical research on an evolutionary and conceptualised basis, whereas before him, the philosopher Ibn Miskawayh(x) (d. ca. 1043), had repre- sented a pragmatic method of historical writing in his "Experiences of the Nations". Author's Notes 1. This significant position of Ibn Khaldlin in the history of sciena has been brought into prominence by R. Hint in his History of the PhiBmphy of History (min- burgh: 1893). pp. 157-171. 2. Prolegomena of Ibn Khaldan, in notices d extraits du manusWts & la bibliotkque du roi, vols. 16, 17, 18 (Arabic text) 19.20.21 (French translation by de Slane), 16 Paris 1858. p. 56. (19. Paris: 1863: p. 71). The French translation, "I'etat mid de I'homme" does not give the exact rendering of the Arabic expression al- Zjtimci' akZndd which means "the process of human association or the formation of human groups". Here the active meaning of the verbal form is to be taken into cansideration which also gets priority in the description of Ibn Khaldan. 5. C. Brockelmann, Guchichte der arabischm Linemtw (Literatures of the East, Vol. 6.B). (Leipzig: 1901). p. 101.
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Page 15 and 16: Spuler, in his "Historische und Geo
Page 17 and 18: Ishica, V, 4 (1968), 197-211; Moham
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Page 21 and 22: (M) S.D.F. Goitein, "Introduction"
Page 23 and 24: MUSLIM HISTORICAL RESEARCH 23 'Ilm
Page 25 and 26: lims have not knowfi hother century
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THE BEGINNING OF MUSLIM HISTORICAL RESEARCH*

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