Arabic Chronicles Research Articles

Manuscript of the Osman's Quran in the history of the Golden Horde

The article deals with the issue around the list of the Osman's Quran (Mushaf ʻUthman) in the history of the Golden Horde. On the basis of information from the medieval Arabic sources, it is proved that one of the copies of the Osman's Quran was presented to the Golden Horde ruler Berke by the Mamluk Sultan of Egypt Baybars as a sign of friendship and respect for the fact that Berke Khan became a Muslim and spread the traditions of Islam in the territory of the Golden Horde. The history of this list of the Quran is mysterious, and many scientists and religious figures turned to it, as well as the Tatar historian-educator Shihab al-Din al-Marjani. The article is supposed to consider the relationship between the information of the medieval Arab chroniclers and the statements of Sh. Marjani about the authenticity of the copy of the Quran, which is today on the territory of Uzbekistan.

The Repressive Minority: Christians of Egypt during the French Occupation 1798—1801

The author of the article examines the changing of the social role of Christians in Egypt during the French occupation in 1798—1801. Based on a comparative analysis of data from a wide range of French sources and Arab chronicles, the author of the article concludes that Bonaparte's army, by bringing new values that became dominant in France during the Revolution, unwittingly violated the fragile interfaith consensus that ensured a long and peaceful coexistence of the Muslim majority and the Christian minority in Egypt. Christians were formally equalized by the French in rights with Muslims. However, in practice, due to their cultural closeness with the occupiers and active cooperation with their administration, Christians achieved absolute dominance in Egyptian society during the stay of the French. In a matter of weeks, this previously restricted religious minority, which was nevertheless organically integrated into the local society, turned into a tyrannical minority that rose above this society and subjected it to cruel oppression.

К вопросу о присутствии в Западной Сибири следов домонгольских кыпчаков (на основе анализа дастана «Ак күбәк»)

Research objectives: To consider the problem of the Eastern Kipchak presence in the pre-Mongol period in Southern Siberia, Altai, and adjacent territories, including the identification of traces of specific Kipchak clan formations in this area. Research materials: Data from the Tatar dastan “Ak Kubek”, Arabic chronicles, and Russian chronicles containing information of an epic and historical nature were used. Previously published works, which in one way or another affect this issue but need a critical approach and addition, were also employed. Results and novelty of the research: This study of the content of the dastan “Ak Kubek” and the Arab chronicles of an-Nuwayri and Ibn Khaldun, in which epic information has been transmitted through the Mamluks from the Kipchaks, allows us to conclude that the Siberian-Tatar dastan recorded by V.V. Radlov contains important historical content dating back to the pre-Mongol period and related to the Durut (tert, durt) and Toksoba clans which had different ethnic origins and occupied different territories. It was possible to connect some epic heroes (Khan Kotyan / Kidana) with the leaders of specific Western Polovtsian groups, such as the Terterovichi Khan Kotyan who sought refuge in Hungary during the Mongol conquest. The second group, Toksoba (Toksobichi), which in the analyzed dastan is personified by its main character, the princely son Ak Kubek biy, belonged to the Eastern Kipchak clan formations that participated in the ethnogenesis of the Siberian Tatars, Bashkirs, Kazakhs, and Altaians. The time and reasons for the connection of the dastan “Ak Kubek” to the Altaians cannot be unambiguously resolved due to the migrations of Siberian Tatars to the region of the Northern Altai during the fall of the Siberian Khanate. However, the hypothesis of the pre-Mongol presence of eastern Kipchaks in Southern Siberia and Altai seems probable.

Развитие ислама и его традиций на территории Золотой Орды по сведениям средневековых арабских сочинений XIII–XV вв.

The article deals with the adoption of Islam and its legitimization in the territory of the Golden Horde. It is noted that Islam played an important role in the formation and development of this medieval state, helping to strengthen its position both within the country and abroad. Islamiza-tion also influenced the process of integrating socio-cultural and ethno-political elements into a single community, thanks to the implementation of a tolerant religious policy. Sufism also made an important contribution to the development of Islamic institutions. The spread of Sufism in the terri-tory of the Golden Horde also led the formation of various Sufi teachings, widely disseminated both among the common people and in the ruling elite. The latter supported the teachings of sheikhs and representatives of various religious schools, which is confirmed by chronicles, historical and artistic works. Most of the information on the formation and spread of Islam in the territory of the Golden Horde can be found on the pages of medieval Arabic chronicles of the 13th–15th centuries. For the most part, these are the memoirs of Muslim merchants and travelers who personally visited the Golden Horde, as well as the writings of Egyptian scribes who served at the court of the Mamluk sultans in Egypt at a time when diplomatic and friendly ties were established between the two states.

From Culture to Culturism: Rethinking "Cultural Translation" of Nomadic Bedouin Society

This article examines the concept of Bedouin culture in the Middle East as it is perceived both by the Bedouin themselves and by various scholars. Like other cultures, Bedouin culture has undergone extensive and continuous change. This process can be understood as a dynamic construction process related to agents of change, flexibility, liquid borders, and identity politics, and has enabled Bedouin culture to enter the modern age under conditions that will ensure its continued existence. Yet “cultural translation” – i.e., Orientalist scholars and the Western travelers and historians who followed in their footsteps, alongside imperialist and colonialist powers – has viewed Bedouin culture as weak and detrimental to the sedentary population. Hence, this study presents an approach that differs from that espoused by Orientalist scholars, whose narratives tend to paint a negative picture, claiming that structural violence has defined the Bedouin and the relationships between Bedouin and Fellahin (Arabic for “peasants” or settled Arabs) populations throughout history. Thus, this article seeks to correct assumptions embedded in earlier, Orientalist studies. Accordingly, the main argument is that the Bedouin culture has a material and spiritual historical reputation. Historically, there have been integrative relations between Bedouin and Fellahin. To that end, I make use of historical literature, Arab chronicles, anthropological studies, and four in-depth interviews conducted between the years 2014–2016 with Bedouin from Yafa, a Bedouin-Fellahin village.

Viziers in the Administrative System of Egypt under the Burji Mamluks

Among the least studied issues in the history of the Sultanate of the Mamluks, there are the principles and dynamics of the Mamluks’ interaction with the administrative system represented by the local elite. The article considers issues connected with the transformation of the Mamluk administrative system which took place during the Burji period (1382–1517). As early as the thirteenth — fourteenth centuries, a gradual displacement of representatives of the civilian population from various administrative positions and their replacement with Mamluk emirs began. This process acquired particular importance in connection with the position of the vizier, since the last Mamluk sultans occupied this position before assuming the throne. In the twentieth century, D. Ayalon (1914–1998) raised some questions related to the evolution of the military-administrative system in Egypt between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries, but a comprehensive and systematic study of the problems outlined by this pioneer and one of the founders of modern Mamluk studies has not yet been carried out. Based on several Arabic chronicles and biographical dictionaries of the fifteenth century, the author traces changes in the position and functions of the vizier in the Mamluk administrative system, highlighting the reasons for these changes, their significance for the evolution of political and social relations in the Mamluk Sultanate in the final period of its history. Referring to the vizierate, the author considers a significant transformation of the Egyptian state-administrative system under the Burji sultans, which is most closely associated with the destruction of the social boundaries and stereotypes that prevailed in the previous period, the acquisition of new forms and functions by political groups, and the reconfiguration of the central government.

‘History of the Kings of the Persians’ in Three Arabic Chronicles: The Transmission of the Ira- nian Past from Late Antiquity to Early Islam. Translated, with introduction and notes, by Robert G. Hoyland


 
 
 The ‘History of the Kings of the Persians’ in Three Arabic Chronicles: The Transmission of the Ira- nian Past from Late Antiquity to Early Islam. Translated, with introduction and notes, by Robert G. Hoyland. Translated Texts for Historians, vol. 69. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 2018. Pp. xii + 185. $120, £90 (cloth); $34.95, £24.95 (paper).
 
 

Two-year Journey under the Arrows of the Black Death

The penultimate part of the Riḥla by Ibn Baṭṭūṭa recounts his return journey to Morocco from the Middle East through North Africa—and another short tour in al-Andalus—between January 1348 and March 1350. At that time, in all these territories the plague pandemic known as the Black Death was raging and references to it punctuate this part of the work like a tired refrain. As numerous studies have shown borrowings and adaptations from other sources in the Riḥla, Ibn Baṭṭūṭa may not have made all the journeys he claims, but to date no one has questioned his journey through the Arabian area in those years. On the contrary, historians of the Black Death regard the Riḥla as an important document for the study of the scourge in the Middle East and North Africa.
 In this paper I aim to reconstruct the narrative of the pandemic in Ibn Baṭṭūṭa’s Riḥla by taking from the text the passages in which it is mentioned, in order to answer some questions: to which places do these passages refer? What information does the Riḥla give about the disease, its effects and people’s reaction? Does it correspond to that provided by the Arab chronicles? Does it fit with current microbiology, genetics and palaeogenetics research? Since the Riḥla is a narrative work, how does it describe the scourge? Does its description differ from that of the chroniclers?
 The concluding paragraph seeks an answer to two more questions: does the Riḥla report Ibn Baṭṭūṭa’s experience or might he and/or the editor of the work, Ibn Ǧuzayy, have taken information from other sources? And if Ibn Baṭṭūṭa did make this journey, thus probably being the only traveller who left an account of a “two-year journey under the arrows of the Black Death,” how could he return home unscathed?

Fragmentation and Reassembly: Decoration, Technique, and Meaning at an Early Islamic Platform

Diverse plants, animals, humans, and supernatural hybrids decorate the paving stones of an early Islamic reservoir platform in the Azraq oasis, Jordan. Built for an unknown Umayyad-era patron in the late seventh or early eighth century, the platform is typically eclectic in its iconography but features an unusual composition adapted from Roman-Byzantine zodiac diagrams and unprecedented “jigsaw-puzzle” interlocking masonry. The stone pieces of this Umayyad puzzle echo the rhetoric of political and cosmic fragmentation and reassembly that appears in early Arabic poetry and chronicles, suggesting that Umayyad patrons and builders articulated meaning through technique as well as composition and content.

The “ʿasākir al-Shām”: Medieval Arabic Historiography of the Siege, Capture and Battle of Antioch during the First Crusade 490–491/1097–1098

ABSTRACT This article discusses accounts in medieval Arabic source material of the siege, capture and battle of Antioch during the First Crusade. It begins with an overview of how the reporting of the crusaders’ conquest of Antioch varied between the regional Arab historiographical traditions. This is followed by an assessment of the importance Arabic chronicles placed on developments at Antioch from 490/1097 to 491/1098 by contrasting their coverage of these events with that of comparable episodes in Syrian history. Focus then shifts to how accounts of the Frankish conquest of Antioch changed over time, outlining attempts to attribute blame to individuals. Additionally, developments at Antioch during the First Crusade are placed in the context of comparable military activity in northern Syria during the late fifth/eleventh century, removing the siege of Antioch and the defeat of the “'asākir al-Shām”, the Muslim relief force, from the traditional narrative structure of the First Crusade. The final section outlines instances of potential cross-pollination between Arabic and Latin source material.

Turfan: Connecting with Seleucia-Ctesiphon


 Despite its linguistic and physical distance from the Mesopotamian heartland, the Church of the East maintained its spiritual and theological heritage amongst its Iranian-speaking communities at Turfan. Psalters written in a wide variety of languages and bilingual lectionaries attest the efforts that were made to ‘reach out’ to the local communities, but it was through the Syriac liturgy that the intrinsic connection with Seleucia-Ctesiphon was maintained. Using MIK III 45, the most complete liturgical text from Turfan, consisting of 61 folios with a C14 dating (771–884 CE), the paper explores the role of liturgy as a tool of community memory. Of prime significance was the commemoration of Mart Shir, the Sassanid queen who eschewed her royal connections to become the evangelist of Marv. Here, the liturgy offers a very different perspective to the ninth-century Arabic Chronicle of Se’ert, in which she was subordinated to Baršabbā, the alleged first bishop of Marv. The prayer of Bar Sauma, bishop of Nisibis, recited plene during the rite for the consecration of a new church (altar), also recalled the close association that had been forged with the Sassanid realms.

Un tradicional ejemplo de confusión genealógica: a propósito de la muerte de Abd Al-Rahman "Sanchuelo" y Sancho Ibn Gómez (1009)

The most of historicians, who are dedicated on Spanish Early Middle Age, considers that the earl who died with Almanzor'son was García Gómez, count of Saldaña-Carrión. We have discovered, following arab chronicles, that this knight was, instead of García Gómez, his brother Sancho Gómez.

The French in Egypt in 1798—1801: Failed Dialogue of Civilizations

The article is devoted to the problem of cross-cultural interaction between the French and the Arabs during the Egyptian expedition of Napoleon Bonaparte 1798—1801. Using a comparative analysis of a wide range of French sources and Arab chronicles, the author comes to the conclusion that Bonaparte's attempt at an inter-civilizational dialogue with the Muslim population of Egypt ended in complete failure. Based on the stereotypical ideas about the Orient, common in the French literature of the Enlightenment, Napoleon tried to play in Egypt the same role that, according to the French philosophers, the Prophet Muhammad allegedly played in his time, namely, to take advantage of the “credulity” and “superstition” of the local population to subordinate it to his power. However, the Egyptians were very skeptical concerning Bonaparte's claims about the French army's commitment to Islam and his attempts to present himself as the Mahdi, the prophet of the last times. The daily practices of the occupiers, which openly contradicted the culture of Islam, completely alienated the Muslims from the French, which resulted not only in their mutual misunderstanding, but also in real hatred for each other.

History, piety and factional politics in the Arabic chronicle of the Maldives: Ḥasan Tāj al-Dīn’s Ta’rīkh and its continuations

Abstract The Arabic chronicle (Ta’rīkh) of the Maldives composed by the qadi Ḥasan Tāj al-Dīn (d. 1139/1727) and continued by his nephew Muḥammad Muḥibb al-Dīn (1118/1706-1199/1785) and his grandson Ibrāhīm Sirāj al-Dīn (d. after 1243/1827) is major but unexploited source for not just Maldivian but also Indian Ocean history more broadly. Covering Maldivian history from the purported date of the islands’ conversion to Islam in 548/1143, the Ta’rīkh is also imbued with a specific pious and ethical agenda. It seeks to situate the Maldives in the broader context of Islamic history stretching back to the Rāshidūn Caliphs, while using the past to impart ethical lessons to its audience, ostensibly the Maldivian sultans. However, its authors were also deeply involved in the Maldives’ tumultuous political life, and their presentation of events is also influenced by their own personal experiences and factional affiliations. This article explores the pious, ethical and political agenda of the Ta’rīkh.

Architectural Analysis of the First Mosque in Aleppo Using Terrestrial Laser Scanning (Al- Shuaybiyya Mosque)

Al- Shuaybiyya Mosque in the old city of Aleppo is recorded in Arabic chronicles as the first mosque built in the city by the Muslims. Its position commemorates the location of their first prayer. It is suggested that it was built on over Roman remains, then rebuilt in Zengid period during the reign of Nur al- Din al- Zengi. It underwent a renovation in the 14th century, and possibly most of the surviving structure either dates to the Ayyubid or the Mamluk period. However, to our knowledge, this mosque has not been explored in the context of an analytical architectural study to trace the remains of each period. This paper aims to examine the architectural development of the mosque using terrestrial laser scanning to identify the elements of the previous structures. The use of laser scanning offers highly accurate survey results, in addition to a better identification of architectural elements and their relation to the structure and the modern-day city. The conducted survey-study suggests the chronology of the building (phases of construction and their limits), based on the architectural analysis of the digital model and consultation of previous studies and historical text.

Review: The “History of the Kings of the Persians” in Three Arabic Chronicles: The Transmission of the Iranian Past from Late Antiquity to Early Islam, translated by Robert G. Hoyland

Review: The “History of the Kings of the Persians” in Three Arabic Chronicles: The Transmission of the Iranian Past from Late Antiquity to Early Islam, translated by Robert G. Hoyland

Stories (novellas) from Arabic chronicles of the 9th–10th cent.

The publication offers academic translations of fifteen stories from the major chronicles of the 9th–10th cent. AD written in Arabic and arranged after the ruling dynasties. These two centuries witnessed the genesis and further development of this very popular genre of historical narrative. The so-called “dynastic” chronicles display the events of the history of the Muslim Community by dividing it following the times of the rule of the Muslim sovereigns, the Caliphs. Such chronicles were authored by the Muslim as well as by the Christian authors. Concerning the composition of historical works, their texts can be described as “amalgamated” and comprise along with other information a certain type of stories, which are written in a “genre” of “belles-lettres”. They usually comprise dialogues and rather vivid descriptions of historical characters and their deeds. The chronicles, which these stories are extracted from are written by ad-Dinawari (d. 891), al-Ya‘kubi (d. 897), Eutichius (d. c. 940) and al-Muqaddasi (d. end X c.)2 . The translations are arranged in the chronological order and supplied with roman numerals. The publication is followed by a detailed commentary.The author declares that there is no conflict of interest.

The “qanats” of the Los Alcores aquifer and the traditional water supply system to Seville

Due to the quality and the topographic position of its waters, the Los Alcores aquifer has been the main supply of running and drinking water for the city of Seville for many centuries. In the first century, a complex water supply system, of more than 17 km in length, was built to withdraw groundwaters in the southern part of the aquifer and whose main elements were an extensive network of “qanats”, a surface conduction and a reservoir in the city (castellum aquae). After the abandonment of this infrastructure, the surface conduction was reconstructed in the 12th century (known as Caños de Carmona), which was made up of a canal and, in the part closest to the city, by a brick aqueduct over arches. Since the end of the 19th century, the urban, industrial and the transport network development and the conduction of water from the reservoirs of the Sierra Morena produced, once again, the progressive abandonment and destruction of these infrastructures. However, a large part of the “qanat” network excavated in the Los Alcores aquifer has been preserved and recently the GEOS and AAES speleological groups have explored about 20 km of water mines. The characteristics of tunnels and vertical shafts, the construction techniques, the discovery of Roman mortar (opus signinum) and bricks (opus testaceum) and the Arab chronicles suggest that this network of “qanats” was made mainly during the Roman domination period.

Looking-glass game or the semiotics of otherness in Andalucía contra Berbería by Emilio García Gómez

Abstract This article analyses the semiotic construction of the Other in the peritexts of three Medieval Arabic chronicles from al-Andalus (the Arabic name for the Iberian Peninsula governed by Muslims from 711 to 1492), published under the title Andalucía contra Berbería by the outstanding Spanish Arabist Emilio García Gómez. Few studies have dealt, from a critical perspective, with the discourse (or discourses) concerning Arabic cultures and societies constructed by European academic Orientalism in general, or by the Spanish Arabism in particular. Assuming that translation, given its hybrid nature, plays a crucial role in the construction of othering discourses, this article attempts to analyse the identification and othering strategies used by García Gómez on the basis of a methodological approach that combines Genette’s notion of paratext (1987), the notions of text, context and pretext proposed by Widdowson (2004 and 2007) and the “Model of semiotic construction of the Other” developed by Carbonell (2003 and 2004), all within the general framework of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). The results of this analysis show a significant othering of Berber and/or African references. This is further reinforced by García Gómez’ identification with al-Andalus, which pivots between his own identification with the medieval authors of the three chronicles, and the parallels he establishes between medieval al-Andalus and the Spain of the first half of the 20th century.

Tres villas fortalezas islámicas en la provincia de Jaén. Segura de la Sierra, Iznatoraz y Santiesteban del Puerto

Estudio (investigación arqueológica o arquitectónica) de tres villas de la provincia de Jaén de ascendencia árabe, nacidas bajo la protección de encumbradas fortalezas (ḥiṣn): Segura de la Sierra, Iznatoraz y Santiesteban, la primera ya mencionada en el siglo XI y la tercera en el X. Iznatoraz no es mencionada en las crónicas árabes, si bien el topónimo es de ese origen. El estudio incluye la arquitectura mudejar de los siglos XIII y XIV añadida al castillo de Segura de la Sierra por obra de los Arzobispos de Toledo, dueños de la amplia tierra de la vecina Cazorla, constituida por esos prelados en «Adelantamiento de Cazorla», frente a las incursiones de almohades y nazaríes.