Where the same topic comes up in the Annals and in the Commentary we often find different traditions quoted, or the same tradition derived through different channels, and this shows the copious variety of his sources. Various parts of the Annals give the impression of being condensed. The Commentary was published before the Annals and is better composed. It is the head corner-stone of Koran exegesis, as the Annals are of historiography. It came into general use mainly through the abridgment of Baghawí in the beginning of the 6th century of the Flight, being itself too large to be much read. The great book exists complete in the viceregal library at Cairo, and ought to be published at once.[1]
The Annals are a general history from the creation to 302 a.h., and are in the course of publication at Leyden. They will fill some 7000 to 7500 pages, one and a half printed pages corresponding roughly to one leaf of Ṭabarí's original MS. Ṭabarí added a supplement about his authorities, an abridgment of which is to follow the Leyden edition. It contains biographical notices of traditionalists, contemporaries of Mohammed, and their successors to the second half of the 2d century.[2] Other works by Ṭabarí will be spoken of in detail in the preface to the Leyden edition.
The success of the Annals and Commentary was due above all to the author's personality. The respect paid to him by his contemporaries appears in various anecdotes preserved in his biography. His pupils had an unbounded admiration for his extraordinary knowledge, and what he said seemed to them the best that could be said. In truth, both his great works were the best of their kind, especially the Commentary, which, in the judgment of all impartial critics, has not been equalled, before or since, in completeness, learning, and independent judgment, A contemporary says that "it would be worth a journey to China to procure the book." So general was this view that the opinion of Ṭabarí was quoted as a legal authority.
The inferiority of the Annals as a literary composition may be due partly to the author's years, partly to the inequality of his sources, sometimes superabundant, sometimes defective, partly perhaps to the somewhat hasty condensation of his original draft. Nevertheless the value of the book is very great: the author's selection of traditions is usually happy, and the episodes of most importance are treated with most fulness of detail, so that it deserves the high reputation it has enjoyed from the first. This reputation rose steadily; there were twenty copies (one of them written by Ṭabarí's own hand) in the library of the Fátimite caliph 'Aziz (latter half of the 4th century), whereas, when Saladin became lord of Egypt, the princely library contained 1200 copies (Maḳrízí, i. 408 sq.). Only princes and rich men could own a book which in the time of 'Aziz cost one hundred dinars. We know that it had a place in most great libraries in other countries, for we find that it was used in all lands. Thus the fact that no complete copy can now be found anywhere, and that the Leyden edition rests on odd volumes lying in various places, gives a striking image of what the East has suffered from barbarism.
The Annals soon came to be dealt with in various ways. They were published in shorter form with the omission of the names of authorities and of most of the poems cited; some passages quoted by later writers are not found even in the Leyden edition. On the other hand, some interpolations took place, one in the author's lifetime and perhaps by his own hand. Then many supplements were written, by Ferghání (not extant) and by Hamadhání (partly preserved in Paris). 'Aríb of Cordova made an abridgment, adding the history of the West and continuing the story to about 365.[3] Ibn Mashkawaih wrote a history from the creation to 369 a.h., with the purpose of drawing the lessons of the story, following Ṭabarí closely, as far as his book is known, and seldom recurring to other sources before the reign of Moḳṭadir; what follows is his own composition, and shows him to be a writer of talent.[4] In 352 an abridgment of the Annals was translated into Persian by Bal'amí, who, however, interwove many fables.[5] Ibn ai-Athír (d. 630) abridged the whole work, usually with judgment, but sometimes too hastily. Though he sometimes glided lightly over difficulties, his work is of service in fixing the text of Ṭabarí. He also furnished a continuation to the year 620. Later writers took Ṭabarí as their main authority, but fortunately sometimes consulted other sources, and so add to our knowledge,—especially Ibn al-Jauzí (d. 597), who adds many important details. These later historians had valuable help from the biographies of famous men and special histories of countries and cities, dynasties and princes, on which much labour was spent from the 4th century onwards.
Historians after Ṭabarí.
The chief historians after Ṭabarí may be briefly mentioned in chronological order. Rází (d. 325) wrote a History of Spain; Eutychius (d. 328) wrote Annals (published by Pocock, Oxford, 1656), which are very important because he gives the Christian tradition; Ibu 'Abd Rabbihi (d. 328) has very valuable historical passages in his famous miscellany called Al-'Ikd al-Farid (3 vols., Cairo, 1293 a.h.; Súlí (d. 335) wrote on the 'Abbásid caliphs, their viziers and court poets; Mas'údí (see Mas'údy) composed various historical and geographical works (d. 345). Of Ṭabarí's contemporary Ḥamza Ispahání we have theAnnals (published by Gottwaldt, St Petersburg, 1844); Abu 'l-Faraj al-Ispahání (d. 356) in his Book of Songs (Kitáb al-Aghání, 20 vols., Cairo, 1285) gave the lives of poets whose songs were sung; Ibu al-Kútíya (d. 367) wrote a History of Spain; Ibu Zúlák (d. 387) a History of Egypt; 'Otbi wrote the History of Mahmúd of Ghazna (d. 421), at whose court he lived (printed on the margin of the Egyptian edition of Ibn al-Athír); Tha'labí (d. 427) wrote a well-known History of the Old Prophets; Abú No'aim al-Ispahání (d. 430) wrote a History of Ispahan, chiefly of the scholars of that city; Tha'álibí (d. 429 or 430) wrote, inter alia, a well-known History of the Poets of his Time, now (1887) in course of publication at Damascus. Bèrúní (d. 440) takes a high place among historians by his Chronology of Ancient Nations (ed. Sachau, Leipsic, 1878; Eng. trans., London, 1879) and his contributions to the history of India and Khwárizm; Kodá'í (d. 454) wrote a Description of Egypt and also various historical pieces, of which some are extant; Ibn Sá'id of Cordova (d. 462) wrote a View of the History of the Various Nations. Baghdad and its learned men found an excellent historian in Al-Khatíb al-Baghdádí (d. 463), and Spain in Ibn Hayán (d. 469), and half a century later in Ibn Khaḳán (d. 529) and Ibn Bassám (d. 542). Sam'ání (d. 562) wrote an excellent book on genealogies; Ibn 'Asákir (d. 571) a History of Damascus and her Scholars, which is of great value, and exists in whole or in part in several libraries. The Biographical Dictionary of the Spaniard Ibn Pascual (d. 578) and that of Ḍabbá, a somewhat junior contemporary, are edited in Codera's Bibliotheca Arab. Hisp. (1883-1885); Saladin found his historian in the famous 'Imád addín (d. 597). Ibn al-Jauzí, who died in the same year, has been already mentioned. Abdalwáḥid's History of the Almohades, written in 621, was published by Dozy {2d ed., 1881). The geographer Yákút (d. 626) wrote also some historical works, now lost, Abdallaṭif (d. 629) is known by his writings about Egypt (trans. De Sacy, 1810); Ibn al-Athír (d. 630) wrote, in addition to the Chronicle already mentioned, a Biographical Dictionary of Contemporaries of the Prophet. Kiftí (d. 646) is especially known by his History of Arabic Philologists. Sibt ibn al-Jauzí (d. 654), grandson of the Ibn al-Jauzí already mentioned, wrote a great Chronicle, of which much the larger part still exists. Codera has edited (Madrid, 1886) Ibn al-'Abbár's (d. 658) Biographical Lexicon, already known by Dozy's excerpts from it. Ibn al-'Adím (d. 660) is
- ↑ See the excellent article by Loth Z. D. M. G., xxxv. 588 sq
- ↑ The MS. Containing this abridgment is described by Loth in Z. D. M. G., xxxii. 581 sqxxxu. It is now in the British Museum.
- ↑ Of this work the Gotha library has a portion containing 290-320 a.h., of which the part about the West has been printed by Dozy in the Bayán, and the rest is to be published at Leyden.
- ↑ A fragment (198-251 a.h.) is printed in De Goeje, Fragm. Hist. Ar., vol. ii., Leyden, 1871. Schefer possesses an excellent MS. of the years 249-315; Oxford has another fragment, 345-360 a.h.; the second part is in the Escorial.
- ↑ The first part was rendered into French by Dubeux in 1836. We have now an excellent French translation by Zotenberg, 1874.
