The early Arabic historical tradition : a source-critical study / Albrecht Noth, Lawrence I. Conrad ; translated by Michael Bonner.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Noth, Albrecht, author.

Conrad, Lawrence I., 1949- author.

Contributor:

Bonner, Michael, 1952- translator.

Series:

Studies in late antiquity and early Islam ; 3.

Studies in late antiquity and early Islam ; 3

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Islamic Empire-Historiography.

Islamic Empire--Historiography.

Islamic Empire.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (261 pages).

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Berlin : Gerlach Press, 2021.

Summary:

Translation of Albrecht Noth's Quellenkritische Studien (1973), co-authored by Lawrence I. Conrad. It presents criteria to evaluate the character and content of the early Islamic historical tradition, i.e. historiographical works in Arabic written in the 9th and 10th centuries. Apart from describing salient primary and secondary themes covered in these works, the author analyzes literary forms in which this tradition is usually embodied. An investigation of topoi forming the repertoire of early historians is presented next, followed by an analysis of narrative structures characteristic of early Arabic historical writing. The general understanding underlying this assessment is that Arabic historiographical tradition does contain retrievable historical facts, but that in order to identify and make effective use of these the researcher must take account of how they have become enmeshed with topoi and other literary features. _x000B__x000B_"...this book remains one of the most significant contributions to early Islamic history" (Muhammad Zaman)_x000B_.

Contents:

Intro

CONTENTS

Abbreviations

Preface to the Second Edition

Introduction

I. The Salient Themes of Early Historical Tradition

Primary Themes

Ridda

Futūḥ

Fitna

Administration

Sīrat al-khulafā'

Ansāb

Iran

Secondary Themes

Ghārāt

Dating According to the Hijra

Annalistic Style

Arrangement According to Caliphates

Law and Administration

Cities

Court and Central Government

Causal Links

II. Literary Forms

Documents

Letters

Speeches

Lists

Awā'il

III. Topoi

Topoi Connected with Personal Names

Order of Battle (wa-'alā)

Persons Who Kill or Capture Well-Known Enemies ..

Messages of Victory Sent to the Caliph

Arranging the Succession of Command

Appointing Deputies

Reinforcements

Topoi Emphasizing Feats of Arms

The Significant or Decisive Battle

War Elephants

Crossing Over

Chains

Topoi Which Serve to Glorify Former Times

To begin with...

The Caliphs and Their Advisors

Mountains at the Backs of the Muslim Armies

The Takbīr as the Signal to Attack

The Seeking of Martyrdom

The Summons to Islam

Topoi with no Recognizable Coherent Tendency

Conquest of Cities

Single Combat

The Thousandman

Women Clad as Warriors

Analogous Narrative Motifs

IV. Schemata

Transitional Formulae

Pseudo-Causes

Etiologies

Systematization

Undifferentiated Reports

Bibliography

Index.

Notes:

Description based on print version record.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

3-95994-095-5

OCLC:

1229922170