al-Wasit fi Tarajim Udaba Shinqit
- Author died
- 1331 AH
- Editions
- Al-Sharika al-Dawliyya li-l-Ṭibāʿa
al-Wasit fi Tarajim Udaba Shinqit (The Intermediate Book on the Biographies of the Literati of Shinqit) is a biographical anthology and geographical-sociological survey of the Shinqit region (present-day Mauritania) by the scholar and man of letters Ahmad bin al-Amin al-Shinqiti (1289–1331 AH / 1872–1913 CE).
Scope and Structure
The full title indicates its comprehensive intent: al-Wasit fi Tarajim Udaba Shinqit: wal-kalam 'ala tilka al-bilad tahdidan wa-takhtitan wa-'adatuhum wa-akhlaquhum wa-ma yata'allaq bi-dhalik (The Intermediate Book on the Biographies of the Literati of Shinqit: and Discussion of that Country's Boundaries, Topography, Customs, Morals, and Related Matters). The book combines literary biography with regional geography and social description.
Literary Biographies and Anthologies
The initial and primary portion of the book is devoted to biographies of the scholars, poets, and literary figures of the Shinqiti desert. It records their lineages, teachers, literary compositions, scholarly debates, and extensive selections of their Arabic poetry and commentary.
Geography and Topography
The author details the geography of the territory, noting that the name Shinqit originally applied specifically to a city in the Adrar region before coming to designate the entire surrounding country by synecdoche. He defines its borders as bounded to the north by al-Saqiya al-Hamra, to the south by Qa' Ibn Hayb, to the east by Walata and Nema, and to the west by Senegal (Inder). He describes the topography of regional subdivisions—such as Adrar, Tagant, al-Gibla, and al-Hawd—as well as historic urban settlements including Shinqit, Wadan, Tishit, and Walata. The author also addresses whether Shinqit belongs geographically and administratively to the Maghrib or to Bilad al-Sudan, arguing for its historical and scholarly affiliation with the far Maghrib.
Society, Customs, and Culture
The latter part of the work provides an account of the society of Shinqit, dividing its populace into distinct social and functional groups:
- The Zawaya: Clans traditionally dedicated to seeking and teaching religious knowledge, digging wells, conducting trade caravans, and hospitality.
- The Hassan: Warrior and martial tribes associated with governing and warfare, such as Awlad Yahya bin Uthman, Idaw'aysh, Trarza, and Brakna.
- The Lahma: Social strata historically occupied with material livelihoods and wealth management.
The author examines the administration of justice (qada'), detailing how judges operated outside formal institutional appointments and resolved disputes according to Maliki jurisprudence. He also details marriage and banquet (walimah) traditions, medical practice and physicians (such as Awfa al-Idkafafi), and the local fauna, including Arabian thoroughbred horses (hurr / lihrayir) and wild predators.
Publication History
al-Wasit was first published in Cairo at Matba'at al-Jamaliyya in 1329 AH / 1911 CE (542 pages). It was later re-edited by the scholar and manuscript curator Fu'ad Sayyid and published through Maktabat al-Khanji in Cairo, seeing subsequent editions and reprints.
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