The Manuscripts of Ibn Khaldun

Abstract

A CRITICAL EDITION of Ibn Khaldun is still a desideratum. Neither al M1,u/c ddama nor al 'Ibar nor al Rihl lies before us in an altogether reliable text. In the case of even those parts that have been edited with most care only a few MISS could be used. In no instance has there been an extensive collation. It is possible that some treatises are extant that have not yet been published. There are lacunae in some otherwise good copies. Some have important additions by the author himself that should be incorporated in the text. In Brit. Mus. Add. 33, 271-33, 272, the addition is made in his own hand. The same seems to be true of the supplement to al RiBhl ili the separate Cairene MS of this work. Two lines, including his signature, were written by himself in the recently discovered Fez MS. To a limited extent we, therefore, have today autographs. But, aside from such marginal notes and additions, these MSS are not autographs, but copies from the original, though made in Ibn Khaldun's life-time, probably under his supervision, and by reputable copyists. In view of the great length of his works it is quite possible that there are omissions and scribal errors. Even the oldest and best copies must be compared throughout with other MSS. There are many variants that have a right to be considered. Even the Turkish versions of Perizadeh and Jevdet Pasha, although particularly the former, as is well known, contains much material that does not come from Ibn Khaldun, have occasionally yielded noteworthy readings. Hard labor is in store for a competent editor. This implies no criticism of the excellent work done by a long line of eminent scholars. Silvestre de Sacy, A. von Hammer-Purgstall, II. A. Hamaker, Eugene Coquebert de Montbret, and G. W. Freytag rendered great services by printing some fragments, chiefly of al Mukcaddama, from a single MS or two, or from Hajji Khalifa. The longer sections from at WIbar, published by Noel de Vergers, C. F. Tornberg, Michele Amari, W. Tiesenhausen, R. Dozy, William Cassels Kay, and Goudefroy Demombynes were based on a careful comparison of some of the best MSS accessible to them. Students