Aqd al-Juman fi Tarikh Ahl al-Zaman [565 - 628 H]
- Author died
- 855 AH
- Editions
- Matba'at Dar al-Kutub wa-al-Watha'iq al-Qawmiyyah
'Iqd al-Juman fi Ta'rikh Ahl al-Zaman [565–628 AH] (عقد الجمان في تاريخ أهل الزمان) is the section dedicated to the Ayyubid era from the extensive universal chronicle written by the Hanafi jurist and historian Badr al-Din al-Ayni (762–855 AH / 1361–1451 CE) .
Origin and Composition
Al-Ayni originally compiled a broad historical work during his youth spanning from the beginning of creation up to the year 805 AH, recounting the accounts of prophets, celestial and terrestrial realms, the life of the Prophet ﷺ, and subsequent caliphs and rulers alongside the obituaries of notables . He subsequently revised, rearranged, and expanded the material, adding rare reports, clarifying ambiguous names of persons and places, organizing it into thematic sections, and prefacing it with an introduction addressing the nature and origin of historiography . In its full scope, the work adopts an annalistic structure for post-Hijra history, presenting the major political and military events of each year prior to its necrology, continuing down to the end of the year 850 AH .
Scope and Content of the Ayyubid Period
This portion of the chronicle covers the history of the Ayyubid state from 565 AH (1169 CE) through 628 AH (1231 CE) . Al-Ayni approaches this era with a comprehensive overview of historical developments rather than focusing merely on isolated anecdotal incidents .
The coverage spans:
- The rise of Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi in Egypt, the Crusader campaigns, and the subsequent expansion across Syria and the Jazira .
- The aftermath of Salah al-Din's death, detailing the political friction and power struggles among his sons and his brother al-Adil, who consolidated rule and transferred succession to his own lineage .
- The later Ayyubid conflicts up to 628 AH, an era characterized by complex and rapidly shifting political allegiances across the region .
Manuscripts and Modern Publication
Manuscripts of 'Iqd al-Juman survived in scattered volumes across international libraries, including the Veliuddin Library and Topkapı Palace Museum in Istanbul, with photographic reproductions kept at the Egyptian National Library (Dar al-Kutub) under MS 1584 Ta'rikh . In the manuscript witnesses used for editing this Ayyubid section, entries for the years 600 AH and 601 AH were omitted from the text, as noted in the editorial apparatus for 602 AH .
The Ayyubid portion of the chronicle was edited by Mahmud Rizq Mahmud and published in multiple volumes divided across chronological intervals (including volumes covering 565–578 AH, 579–589 AH, and 616–628 AH) .
Answer updated