al-Mukhtar min Badai al-Zuhur fi Waqai al-Duhur
- Author died
- 930 AH
- Editions
- T Madbuli
al-Mukhtar min Bada'i' al-Zuhur fi Waqa'i' al-Duhur (also known as Bada'i' al-Zuhur fi Waqa'i' al-Duhur; "The Novel Flowers Concerning the Events of the Ages") is a chronicle of Egyptian history by the Egyptian Hanafi historian Ibn Iyas (b. 852 AH / 1448 CE, d. ca. 930 AH / 1524 CE) . The work spans the history of Egypt from early antiquity to 928 AH (1522 CE), serving as a primary eyewitness record for the late Burji Mamluk period and the Ottoman conquest of Egypt .
Scope and Content
The chronicle begins with a thematic opening on Egypt, citing relevant passages from the Quran and prophetic hadith, its geographical divisions, and verses by scholars and poets . It then covers the pre-Islamic rulers of Egypt, including the Pharaohs and Copts, followed by governors under the Rashidun, Umayyad, and Abbasid caliphates, and the successive dynasties of the Tulunids, Ikhshidids, Fatimids, and Ayyubids .
From the Mamluk Sultanate onwards, the narrative becomes increasingly detailed, recording the transition between the Bahri and Burji Circassian periods and continuing into the early years of Ottoman rule under Sultan Selim I . For the author's own lifetime—from 872 AH (1468 CE) until 928 AH (1522 CE)—the work adopts a detailed day-to-day annalistic structure . Beyond Egyptian affairs, Ibn Iyas incorporates reports on neighboring regions and records the arrival and dispatch of foreign embassies from India, Europe, North Africa, Abyssinia, and Ottoman lands .
The chronicle encompasses extensive coverage of political, administrative, military, and economic developments, including lists of bureaucratic titles, administrative corruption, and military conflicts among Mamluk emirs . Alongside elite politics, it provides accounts of social customs, religious holidays, economic conditions, commodity prices, public unrest, and the daily life of ordinary Egyptians .
Method, Style, and Sources
In his introduction, Ibn Iyas states that he drew on approximately thirty-seven earlier histories to compile the work . In recording biographical notices, he noted individuals' appointments, promotions, illnesses, imprisonments, and punishments during their lives, providing their full names upon death .
Linguistically, the text reflects the late Mamluk Egyptian written register, blending Standard Arabic with contemporary colloquial terms and grammatical forms, such as the prefixed imperfect verb and colloquial vernacular phrases .
Related Works and Abridgments
A history bearing the same title was commenced by Ibn Iyas's teacher Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti (d. 911 AH / 1505 CE), who selected material from thirty-two works but left it incomplete . Ibn Iyas prepared his own abridgments of his broader historical writings, including 'Uqud al-Juman fi Waqa'i' al-Azman and Jawahir al-Suluk fi Amr al-Khulafa' wa-al-Muluk .
Publication History
Early printed editions appeared in Cairo at the Maymaniyya Press (1309 AH) in a single volume, and at the Bulaq Press (1312 AH) in three volumes . The Bulaq edition relied on an abridged manuscript that omitted the fourth volume entirely and condensed substantial portions of earlier volumes .
A critical edition was undertaken by German orientalist Paul Kahle and Egyptian scholar Muhammad Mustafa under the auspices of the German Oriental Society (Deutsche Morgenländische Gesellschaft), appearing in their Bibliotheca Islamica series . Published across six text volumes (divided into five parts) based on the author's surviving holograph manuscripts, it was accompanied by a separate six-volume set of analytical indexes compiled by Muhammad Mustafa .
Answer updated