Ibn Khaldun

Ibn Khaldun, full name Abu Zayd 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn Khaldun al-Hadrami (عبد الرحمن بن محمد بن خلدون الحضرمي), May 27, 1332/ah732 to March 19, 1406/ah808) was a famous Tunisian historiographer and historian born in what is modern day Tunisia, and is widely acclaimed as a forerunner of modern historiography, sociology and economics. He is best known for his Muqaddimah (Prolegomena).

Early years in Tunis and Granada

At the age of 20, he began his political career at the Chancellery of the Tunisian ruler, Ibn Tafrakin, with the position of kAtib al-'alAmah, which consisted of writing in fine calligraphy the typical introductory notes of official documents. In 1352 Abu Ziad, the Sultan of Constantine, marched on Tunis, and defeated it. Ibn Khaldun, in any case unhappy with his respected but politically meaningless position, followed his teacher Abili to Fez. Here the Merinid sultan Abu Inan Fares I gave him a position as a writer of royal proclamations, which didn't prevent Khaldun from scheming against his employer. In 1357 this brought the 25-year-old a 22-month prison sentence. At the death of Abu Inan in 1358, the vizier al-Hasan ibn Omar set him at liberty and reinstated him in his rank and offices. Ibn Khaldun then schemed against Abu Inan's successor, Abu Salem Ibrahim III, with Abu Salem's exiled uncle, Abu Salem. When Abu Salem came to power, he gave Ibn Khaldun a ministerial position, the first which corresponded with Ibn Khaldun's expectations.

Related Topics:
Ibn Tafrakin - Calligraphy - Fez - Merinid - 1357

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By contrast, after the fall of Abu Salem through Ibn Amar Abd Allah, a friend of Ibn Khaldun's, Khaldun was disappointed, receiving no significant official position. At the same time, Amar successfully prevented Ibn Khaldun - whose political skills he was well aware of - from allying with the Abd al-Wadids in Tlemcen. Ibn Khaldun therefore decided to move to Granada. He could be sure of a positive welcome there, since at Fez he had helped the Sultan of Granada, the Nasrid Mohammed V, regain power from his temporary exile. In 1364 Mohammed entrusted him with a diplomatic mission to the King of Castille, Pedro the Cruel, to sign a peace treaty. Ibn Khaldun successfully carried out this mission, and politely declined Pedro's offer to remain at his court and have his family's Spanish possessions returned to him.

Related Topics:
Abd al-Wadid - Tlemcen - Granada - Nasrid - 1364 - Castille - Pedro the Cruel

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In Granada however Ibn Khaldun quickly came into competition with Mohammed's vizier, Ibn al-Khatib, who saw the close relationship between Mohammed and Ibn Khaldun with increasing mistrust. Ibn Khaldun tried to shape the young Mohammed into his ideal of a wise ruler, an enterprise which Ibn al-Khatib thought foolish and a danger to peace in the country - and history proved him right. At al-Khatib's instigation, Ibn Khaldun was eventually sent back to North Africa. Al-Khatib himself was later accused by Mohammed of having unorthodox philosophical views, and murdered, despite an attempt by Ibn Khaldun to intercede on behalf of his old rival.

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In his autobiography Ibn Khaldun tells us little about his conflict with Ibn al-Khatib and the reasons for his return to Africa. The orientalist Muhsin Mahdi interprets this as showing that Khaldun later realised that he had completely misjudged Mohammed V.

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