al-Akhbar al-Tiwal

al-Akhbar al-Tiwal (The Long Narratives) is a universal history by the polymath Abu Hanifa al-Dinawari (d. 282 AH / 895 CE; also reported as 281 AH or 290 AH) Mujam al-Muallifin+1. It is one of the earliest surviving works of general history in Arabic literature Mujaz Dairat al-Maarif al…+1.

Scope and Content

The book opens with ancient history, beginning with Adam and treating the biblical prophets and earlier nations briefly Mawsuat Safir lil-Tarikh …+1. It devotes substantial attention to Persian and Sasanian history, the reign of Alexander, and the pre-Islamic Arabs in relation to Persia Mujaz Dairat al-Maarif al…+1. The emergence of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is noted in connection with Persian leaders al-Khilafa al-Umawiya min….

For the Islamic era, the work recounts the conquest of Iraq, the Battle of al-Qadisiyya, and the internal conflicts under the Rashidun Caliphate, particularly the confrontations between Ali ibn Abi Talib and Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan Mujaz Dairat al-Maarif al…+1. In its coverage of the Umayyad Caliphate, it concentrates extensively on civil strife and armed conflicts, including the killing of Muslim ibn Aqil, the death of al-Husayn ibn Ali, the Battle of al-Harra, the rebellion of al-Mukhtar al-Thaqafi, the uprisings of the Azariqa and Ibn al-Ash'ath, and the Kharijites Mujaz Dairat al-Maarif al…+1. The book follows the rise of the Abbasid Caliphate through the movement in Khurasan and the role of Abu Muslim al-Khurasani, subsequently treating the caliphs in annalistic fashion down to the death of al-Mu'tasim in 227 AH / 842 CE, where the text concludes Mawsuat Safir lil-Tarikh …+1.

Method and Structure

The surviving text contains no separate authorial preface; it opens directly with the basmala and the statement: "I found in what the people of knowledge of early reports wrote that Adam—peace be upon him—had his dwelling in the Sanctuary" al-Khilafa al-Umawiya min…. It concludes with the death of the caliph al-Mu'tasim on Thursday, eleven nights remaining of Rabi' al-Awwal in 227 AH, recording that Ahmad ibn Abi Dawud prayed over him al-Khilafa al-Umawiya min….

The work does not utilize continuous chains of narration (isnads) or direct auditory formulas such as haddathana or akhbarana, adopting instead an integrated narrative prose style al-Khilafa al-Umawiya min…+1. The author rarely names his direct sources, though he explicitly cites figures such as Ubayd ibn Shariya for ancient Arab lore and Abdullah ibn al-Muqaffa' regarding Persian history al-Khilafa al-Umawiya min…. Alongside historical reports, it incorporates legendary material and weak narratives alongside well-attested accounts Mawsuat Safir lil-Tarikh ….

Reception and Editions

The book was listed among Abu Hanifa al-Dinawari's writings by Ibn al-Nadim (d. 385 AH) in al-Fihrist al-Fihrist+1 and later cited by al-Qazwini (d. 623 AH) in al-Tadwin fi Akhbar Qazwin al-Khilafa al-Umawiya min…. It is valued as a major source for the political, social, and military history of Sasanian Persia and early Islamic conflicts, written in an elevated literary style Mujaz Dairat al-Maarif al…+1.

The text was first edited by Vladimir Guirgass and published in Leiden in 1888 CE Mujaz Dairat al-Maarif al…+1. Following Guirgass's death, Baron Victor Rosen saw the edition to completion, and Ignaty Krachkovsky later published an introduction along with comprehensive indices in Leiden in 1912 CE Mujaz Dairat al-Maarif al…+1. An edition was also published in Cairo in 1960 CE, edited by Abd al-Mun'im 'Amir and reviewed by Jamal al-Din al-Shayyal Mawsuat Safir lil-Tarikh …+1.