al-Durar al-Mafakhir fi Akhbar al-Arab al-Awakhir
- Author died
- 1246 AH
- Editions
- al-Durar al-Mafakhir fi Akhbar al-Arab al-Awakhir
al-Durar al-Mafakhir fi Akhbar al-Arab al-Awakhir (Pearls of Glorious Deeds in the Reports of Latter-Day Arabs) is a nineteenth-century genealogical and tribal treatise by the historian Muhammad ibn Hamad al-Bassam (d. 1246 AH / 1831 CE) documenting the late Arab tribes of Najd, the Hijaz, Yemen, Iraq, and the Arabian Peninsula .
Background and Composition
Also known as Kitab 'Asha'ir al-Arab (The Book of Arab Tribes), the work was written by al-Bassam at the request of Claudius James Rich, the British Resident in Basra and Baghdad, who was a collector of Oriental manuscripts and proficient in Arabic, Persian, and Turkish .
In the introduction, which begins with praise to God as the sole creator of all kinds, al-Bassam explains that he answered the request of friends of letters to gather accounts of late Arab tribes, recording newly emerged names and reviving what had faded of their heritage despite his official governing duties at the time .
Structure and Scope
The book is arranged geographically into chapters covering regions and their constituent nomadic and settled populations:
- Geographical and tribal divisions: The author outlines the tribes across Najd, the Hijaz, Yemen, Iraq, and al-Jazirah . In the section on Najd, he divides the country into six districts: al-Arid, al-Qasim, al-Washm, Jabal Shammar, Sudayr, and the South (consisting of al-Kharj and Wadi al-Dawasir), naming major settlements such as Diriyah, Riyadh, Manfuha, al-Uyaynah, Huraymila, Shaqra, and al-Majma'ah .
- Tribal profiles: For each tribe—such as al-Dhafir, al-Shararat, and Qahtan—al-Bassam provides brief descriptions of their customs, moral virtues, and combat strength, regularly estimating their numbers of foot soldiers (suqman) and cavalry (fursan) .
- Historical commentary: The work also incorporates contemporary political observations, such as the conflicts involving the First Saudi State and the Egyptian campaign .
Style and Reception
Scholars such as Khayr al-Din al-Zirikli and Bakr Abu Zayd noted that al-Bassam's prose style tends toward vernacular and colloquial Arabic phrasing . The Iraqi historian Abbas al-Azzawi regarded it as an important reference for the study of Iraqi tribes, remarking that its entries are generally concise, truthful in capturing tribal character, and occasionally detailed .
Manuscript and Publication
An autograph manuscript written in al-Bassam's hand on thick Italian paper, consisting of 59 folios (118 pages), is preserved in the British Museum in London under accession number 7358 . The text has been edited and published, including an edition prepared by Dr. Ramziyyah Muhammad al-Atraqji .
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