al-Jabarti
- Died
- 1237 AH
- Born in
- Cairo
Abd al-Rahman al-Jabarti (1167–1237 AH / 1754–1822 CE) was an Egyptian Hanafi scholar, chronicler, and biographer, best known for his historical chronicle Aja'ib al-Athar fi al-Tarajim wa al-Akhbar .
Background and Education
His full lineage is Abd al-Rahman ibn Hasan ibn Ibrahim ibn Hasan ibn Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Jabarti al-Zayla'i al-'Uqayli al-Misri . The nisba al-Jabarti traces back to Jabart, associated with Zeila in the lands of Abyssinia . He was born in Cairo in 1167 AH (1754 CE) into an educated household . His father, Hasan al-Jabarti, was a prominent scholar of astronomy, mathematics, and Islamic disciplines, whose home served as a gathering place for scholars and literati . Raised in this scholarly environment, al-Jabarti pursued his education at Al-Azhar .
Career and Historical Documentation
During the French expedition to Egypt, Napoleon Bonaparte appointed al-Jabarti as one of the scribes of the governing consultative council (the Diwan) . Following the departure of the French, he recorded that period in his work Mazhar al-Taqdis bi-Dhahab Dawlat al-Faransis, completed around Sha'ban 1216 AH . Under the rule of Muhammad Ali Pasha, al-Jabarti was appointed to issue legal rulings as the Hanafi mufti (ifta al-Hanafiyya) .
His principal historical work, Aja'ib al-Athar fi al-Tarajim wa al-Akhbar, commonly known as Tarikh al-Jabarti, is a four-volume chronicle blending chronological event narratives with biographical obituaries of scholars, officials, and notables, covering Egyptian history from the late eleventh century AH through 1236 AH .
Later Life and Death
In his later years, one of al-Jabarti's sons was murdered; he grieved intensely and wept until he lost his eyesight . Not long after losing his sight, al-Jabarti was assassinated by strangulation on the road to Shubra in Ramadan 1237 AH (June 1822 CE; another report places his death in 1240 AH / 1825 CE) .
Answer updated
List of Works
Tarikh Ajaib al-Athar fi al-Tarajim wa al-Akhbar is a four-volume Arabic chronicle and biographical dictionary documenting the history, social life, and prominent figures of Egypt from the late eleventh century AH through the early thirteenth century AH (1688–1821 CE).