Tarikh Ibn al-Wardi

Tarikh Ibn al-Wardi (The History of Ibn al-Wardi), titled by its author as Tatimmat al-Mukhtasar fi Akhbar al-Bashar (The Completion of the Concise History of Humanity), is a universal history by the Shafi'i scholar and poet Zayn al-Din Ibn al-Wardi (d. 749 AH / 1349 CE) covering ancient history and Islamic annals up to the year 749 AH Tarikh Ibn al-Wardi+1.

Composition and Scope

The book is an abridgment and continuation of al-Mukhtasar fi Akhbar al-Bashar (The Concise History of Humanity) by the Ayyubid prince and historian Abu al-Fida (d. 732 AH) Kashf al-Zunun an Asami a…+1. Abu al-Fida's original work concluded with the events of 709 AH (or 729 AH in some bibliographical accounts) Mujam al-Matbuat al-Arabi…+1. Ibn al-Wardi condensed Abu al-Fida's text to roughly two-thirds of its original length and continued the historical narrative from where Abu al-Fida left off down to the final year of his own life, 749 AH Tarikh Ibn al-Wardi+1.

Structure and Method

Ibn al-Wardi established specific editorial conventions for his abridgment: when adding material of his own, he prefaced it with the word qultu ("I say") and concluded it with wa-Allahu a'lam ("and God knows best") Tarikh Ibn al-Wardi+1. He also omitted narratives where omission was considered sounder, inserted biographies of prominent figures, and incorporated selections of his own poetry and rhymed prose Tarikh Ibn al-Wardi+1.

The book is structured into two main parts:

• Pre-Islamic History: Opens with an introduction covering chronological divergences among historians and astronomers, a critique of biblical recensions regarding world eras, and a comparative chronological table of major historical epochs Tarikh Ibn al-Wardi+1. This is followed by five topical chapters:
  1. The chronological framework of ancient eras, the prophets, and the judges and rulers of the Israelites Tarikh Ibn al-Wardi.
  2. The Persian kings and associated dynasties Tarikh Ibn al-Wardi.
  3. The Pharaohs, Greek rulers, Roman kings, and Roman Caesars Tarikh Ibn al-Wardi.
  4. The pre-Islamic Arab kings Tarikh Ibn al-Wardi.
  5. The various nations of the world Tarikh Ibn al-Wardi.
• Islamic History: Organized strictly in annalistic format by year (murattaba 'ala al-sinin) starting from the first year of the Hijra and continuing down through 749 AH Tarikh Ibn al-Wardi+1.

Later Continuations and Printings

The Hanafi jurist and historian Ibn al-Shihna (d. 815 AH) produced a separate abridgment and continuation of Abu al-Fida's history, bringing the chronicle down to his own time Kashf al-Zunun an Asami a…+1.

Tarikh Ibn al-Wardi was first printed in Cairo at al-Matba'a al-Wahbiyya in 1285 AH in two volumes Mujam al-Matbuat al-Arabi…. It was also published in Istanbul in 1286 AH as an appendix to Abu al-Fida's history in four volumes, and reprinted in Cairo in 1325 AH Mujam al-Matbuat al-Arabi…. Modern printings include an edition published by al-Matba'a al-Haydariyya in Najaf (1389 AH / 1969 CE) Jamharat Tarajim al-Fuqah… and a two-volume edition edited by Ahmad Rif'at al-Badrawi published in Beirut (1389 AH / 1970 CE) Sharh Alfiyyat Ibn Malik …+1.