Tarajim al-Muallifin al-Tunisiyyin
- Author died
- 1408 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Gharb al-Islāmī
Tarajim al-Muallifin al-Tunisiyyin (Biographies of Tunisian Authors) is a comprehensive biographical dictionary of Tunisian writers and scholars across Islamic history, authored by the Tunisian historian and scholar Muhammad Mahfuz (1340–1408 AH / 1921–1988 CE) .
Background and Composition
Muhammad Mahfuz developed an early interest in Tunisian biographical history during his youth in Sfax, spurred by reading classical regional histories such as al-Muʾnis fi Akhbar Ifriqiyya wa-Tunis by Ibn Abi Dinar and Nuzhat al-Anzar by Mahmud Maqdish . He formally commenced the compilation of the dictionary on 27 July 1964 . The project was subsequently suspended for nearly eight years due to personal constraints and the continuous emergence of new publications, requiring him to repeatedly revise and expand various entries . He completed the work in Sfax on 19 Shawwal 1398 AH (21 November 1978 CE) .
Scope and Methodology
The work aims to provide an accessible reference for researchers tracing Tunisian authors from both classical and modern periods . In addition to native Tunisian authors, Mahfuz included figures who settled in Tunisia from abroad and died there . He also made a deliberate effort to document Ibadi scholars from the island of Djerba, noting that earlier non-Ibadi Tunisian biographers had often neglected them due to sectarian prejudice . For these figures, he relied extensively on contemporary research by scholars such as al-Sadiq ibn Marzuq, Farhat al-Ja'biri, and Ali Yahya Mu'ammar .
The entries are arranged alphabetically according to family surnames, or by regional and municipal nisbas when an author was known primarily by that designation . Within each biography, Mahfuz lists the subject's known works, educational background, and public roles, concluding each entry with a detailed record of primary sources, secondary references, and relevant periodicals and newspapers .
Publication and Reception
The book was published in Beirut by Dar al-Gharb al-Islami in five volumes in 1402 AH (1982 CE) . It is regarded as one of the primary reference works for the intellectual, religious, and literary history of Tunisia .
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