Qalaid al-Juman fi al-Tarif bi Qabail Arab al-Zaman

Qalaid al-Juman fi al-Tarif bi Qabail Arab al-Zaman (The Necklaces of Pearls in Introducing the Arab Tribes of the Age) is a specialized genealogical treatise by the Egyptian scholar and chancery official Ahmad ibn Ali al-Qalqashandi (d. 821 AH / 1418 CE) Subh al-Asha fi Sinaat al…+1. Designed primarily for administrative and chancery use, the work focuses on identifying the contemporary Arab tribes of the author's era, their geographical distribution, and their lineages Qalaid al-Juman fi al-Tar…+1.

Purpose and Composition

Al-Qalqashandi composed the book as a targeted supplement and practical condensation following his broader genealogical manual, Nihayat al-Arab fi Ma'rifat Ansab al-Arab (The Goal of Desire in Knowing the Genealogies of the Arabs) Qalaid al-Juman fi al-Tar…+1. He noted that while Nihayat al-Arab included an exhaustive collection of ancient tribes whose traces had largely vanished and whose modern locations were unknown, scribes in the state chancery (diwan al-insha') required detailed knowledge of active, contemporary tribes—particularly those residing in Egypt, those corresponding with the Mamluk sultanate, and their allied clans Qalaid al-Juman fi al-Tar…+1.

Al-Qalqashandi dedicated the treatise to the chief of the chancery bureau, the judge Abu al-Ma'ali Muhammad al-Juhani al-Barizi al-Shafi'i al-Mu'ayyadi Qalaid al-Juman fi al-Tar….

Structure and Content

The author organized the work into an introduction (muqaddima), a core subject (maqsad), and an epilogue (khatima) Qalaid al-Juman fi al-Tar…:

• Introduction: Divided into five chapters addressing foundational principles of genealogical science:

  1. The virtue of genealogy and the practical necessity of studying it Qalaid al-Juman fi al-Tar….
  2. The scope of the designation "Arab," their major categories, and affiliated groups Qalaid al-Juman fi al-Tar….
  3. The hierarchical tiers of tribal division (tabaqat al-ansab), such as sha'b, qabila, 'imara, batn, and fakhdh Qalaid al-Juman fi al-Tar….
  4. The ancient homelands of the Arabs from which they migrated to other regions Qalaid al-Juman fi al-Tar….
  5. Essential methodological rules and guidelines for researchers examining lineages Qalaid al-Juman fi al-Tar….

• Core Subject: Divided into two chapters:

  1. The central ancestral trunk of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and the lineages branching from it, showing how different nations connect to this lineage Qalaid al-Juman fi al-Tar…+1.
  2. Detailed genealogies of surviving Arab tribes, their sub-branches, and their historical and contemporary settlements, omitting extinct ancient nations such as 'Ad and Thamud Qalaid al-Juman fi al-Tar…+1. Within each tribal entry, he records notable figures who belonged to them, including Companions of the Prophet, accomplished poets, and renowned knights Qalaid al-Juman fi al-Tar….

• Epilogue: Devoted to the biography, virtues, and administrative stature of the dedicatee, Abu al-Ma'ali Muhammad al-Barizi Qalaid al-Juman fi al-Tar….

Method and Sources

In compiling the book, al-Qalqashandi drew upon classical genealogical compendia, general histories, and biographical dictionaries of hadith transmitters Qalaid al-Juman fi al-Tar…. Among the key historical and geographical authorities cited are Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Abu al-Fida', Ibn Fadl Allah al-Umari, Ibn Khaldun, and the chancery official al-Hamdani Majallat al-Muqtabas.