Akhbar Bani Ubayd
- Author died
- 628 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Ṣaḥwah
Akhbar Bani Ubayd (also known as Akhbar Muluk Bani Ubayd wa-Siratuhum) is a historical work by the Maghrebi scholar and judge Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Hammad al-Sanhaji (d. 628 AH / 1231 CE), dedicated to the history and biographies of the rulers of the Ubaydid (Fatimid) dynasty .
Author and Context
The author, Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Hammad ibn Isa ibn Abi Bakr al-Sanhaji al-Qal'i, was a historian, poet, and judge originally from Hamza in the vicinity of Qal'at Bani Hammad . He studied in Qal'at Bani Hammad and Bejaia, traveled to al-Andalus, served as judge in Algeciras (or Algiers in another source) and later in Salé in 613 AH, and eventually settled in Marrakesh, where he died past the age of eighty in 628 AH (though 629 AH is also reported) . In the prologue of the book, Ibn Hammad states that he compiled his chronicle from scattered historical writings as well as from reports transmitted by trustworthy informants, following the tradition of earlier historians .
Contents and Scope
The work chronicles the reigns, campaigns, and internal affairs of the early Ubaydid rulers in Ifriqiya and the central Maghrib, extending up to their conquest of Egypt . Key subjects treated in the book include:
- The rise and reign of Ubayd Allah al-Mahdi and his consolidation of power in the Maghrib .
- The rule of al-Qa'im bi-Amr Allah and the major rebellion led against him by the Ibadi leader Abu Yazid Makhlad ibn Kaydad .
- The reign of Ismail al-Mansur, his eloquence, his military engagements against Abu Yazid, and the naming of Sabra near Kairouan .
- The reign of al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah, his dispatch of Buluggin ibn Ziri to the Aures Mountains, and his commander Jawhar al-Siqilli's expedition to Egypt, culminating in the conquest of Egypt in 358 AH and the establishment of prayer in al-Mu'izz's name at the Mosque of Ibn Tulun and the Old Mosque (al-Jami' al-Atiq) .
Manuscripts and Publication
Manuscripts of the work are preserved in European and North African institutions, including the Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris and the National Library of Algeria in Algiers . The text was printed in Algiers in 1346 AH / 1927 CE (also cited as 1340 AH / 1927 CE) .
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