a history of the caliphate in the hayat al hayawan of ad damiri

A History of the Caliphate in the "Ḥayāt al-ḥayawān" of ad-DamīrīAuthor(s): Joseph de SomogyiReviewed work(s):Source: Bulletin of the School of Oriental Studies, University of London, Vol. 8, No. 1 (1935),pp. 143-155Published by: Cambridge University Press on behalf of the School of Oriental and African StudiesStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/608107 .Accessed: 10/12/2011 17:16

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A History of the Caliphate in the HI-ayat al-hayawin of ad-Damiri

By JOSEPH DE SOMOGYI

I

O WING to the voluminousness of the great Arabic works on

general history, from the fourth century A.H. onwards many abridgments were made from them by both the authors of the large works themselves and later hands. These concise works 1 contain a brief survey of the history of Islam as is seen in the Kitib duwal al-islim of adh-Dhahabi or an enumeration of the illustrious persons of a

longer period as is seen in the Tabaqdt al-huffz,

of the same author. The great popularity of these compendious works can best be seen

from the fact that in some cases, such as the Mur-ij adh-dhahab wa ma'Jdin al-jawdhir of al-Mas'fidi and the two works of adh-Dhahabi mentioned above, they were known earlier in the Occident and are still more used in the Orient than the voluminous original works from which they were abridged. No doubt the necessity for such works accounts for the inclusion of a history of the Caliphate in one of the most remarkable encyclopaedic works in Arabic literature, the Haydt al-hayawin of the Egyptian Abul-Baqa Kamaladdin Muhammad ibn Mfisa ad-Damiri (from 750/1349-50 or 742/1341-2 to 808/1405-6).2 Even those who are accustomed to the compilative character of Arabic literature are likely to be astonished at the fact that such a work, a

zoological lexicon as its title implies, contains a survey of the history of the Caliphate. Ad-DamirI's work, however, is not to be considered as a zoological reference-work in the modern sense of the word, for, treating as it does, in alphabetical order of all the animals known to the Arabs, it also includes plenty of traditions, Qur'anic citations, and proverbs as well as excerpts from the works of Arabic historians, theologians, scientists, physicians, and interpreters of dreams, that is to say materials which are mostly connected very loosely with the

1 For details see my paper " Ein arabisches Kompendium der Weltgeschichte.

Das Kitdb duwal al-islam des ad-Dahabi," Islamica, vol. v, pp. 334-353. 2 See my " Index des sources de la Hcaytyt al-hayawdn de ad-Damiri ", JA.,

juillet-septembre, 1928, pp. 5-12; and A. S. G. Jayakar, "Ad-Damiri's Hay&t al-

Hayawdn (A Zoological Lexicon), Translated from the Arabic," vol. i, Introduction, pp. i-xxx, London-Bombay, 1906.

144 JOSEPH DE SOMOGYI-

animals in question: in many cases they are quoted simply because the name of a certain animal once occurs in them. Thus the Hayat al-hayawin is a profuse and well-nigh inexhaustible treasury of Arabic folk-lore, the more so as it frequently contains references to authors or works who or which are not known to us from other sources that are in general use.'

Small wonder, therefore, that ad-Damiri's work also contains shorter or longer digressions on topics which are quite out of place in a zoological lexicon, among them a History of the Caliphate, which makes one-thirteenth of the whole IHayit al-hayawan.2 But even those who are accustomed to the many-sidedness of ad-Damiri will

probably note with astonishment that he relates the history of the

Caliphate under the heading al-iwazz (the goose), and will ask why it is not treated of in the article al-insdn (man) as would be more reason- able and plausible.

In the article al-iwazz ad-Damiri, after giving a short biography of the poet Abti Nuwas and some short remarks on geese, relates,3 after the Maniqib of the Imam Ahmad who had it on the authority of

al-Husayn ibn Kathir and this latter on that of his father, that one

day when 'Ali came out for the morning prayer the geese began to

quack in his face. The people round him tried to drive them away, but 'Ali said: " Let them alone, because they are wailing! " The

Kharijite Ibn Muljam then stabbed him, and after al-Husayn ibn Kathir's suggestion that they should settle with the Yamanite tribe of Murad, he answered: " No, imprison the man; if I die, kill him; and if I live, there is ' for wounds retaliation '." 4 Then, with reference to Ibn Khallikan's Biographical Dictionary (Wafayit al-a'ydn), ad- Damirl narrates the reasons and the circumstances of the act of

Ibn Muljam and briefly quotes the different opinions about the situation of 'Ali's grave,5 of which subject he treats in more detail, and with reference to Ibn Khallikdn, also in the article al-fahd.6 Then there follows a separate section under the title

FS'ida ajnabiyya (foreign, i.e. remarkable, information), in which ad-Damiri states in four lines of rhymed prose 7 that " tradition has ramifications (i.e. is susceptible

1 For the sources of the Hay&t al-bayawan see my " Index ", pp. 13-128. 2 In the third edition of the Hayat al-hayawan al-kcubrS, Cairo, 1305 A.H., in vol. i,

pp. 44-96. 3 See Hayat al-4ayawdn, vol. i, p. 43, 11. 22-5. 4 al-Qur'dn, v, 49. 6 See Hay&t al-bayawdn, vol. i, p. 43, 1. 26, to p. 44, 1. 19. 1 Ibid., vol. ii, p. 196, 1. 28, to p. 197, 1. 9. 7 Ibid., vol. i, p. 44, 11. 20-1.

A HISTORY OF THE CALIPHATE 145

of several interpretations [shujiin]), and the imparting of knowledge verifies to the seekers what they hope (to find), and renews for them what the wicked forget considering the hard times; I desire to mention here a strange information which historians have related ", namely that every sixth person who reigned over the Muhammadans abdicated or was deposed. To prove this assertion ad-Damirl sets out to describe what historians have mentioned about the caliphs, to which he wishes to append a little " about the life of every one of them, his times, the cause of his death, the period of his reign and his life in order to complete that information and for (general) advantage and good ".1

After this introduction ad-DamirI relates the history of the Caliphate beginning with the prophet Muhammad and continuing with the first four caliphs, the Umayyads, the 'Abbasids, and the Fatimids of Egypt, the author's country. A separate subchapter is devoted to

every one of the caliphs, the title of which for the sixth one usually bears the indication wa huwa 's-sadis wa khuli'a (or wa khuli'a wa qutila) kam5 saya't~ (" and he is the sixth one and was deposed ", or " deposed and killed ", as the case may be, " as follows ").

The most characteristic feature of ad-Damiri's History of the

Caliphate is its brevity; he aims at conciseness in his narrative. In each chapter ad-Damiri first relates the election of the caliph in question, then the chief events of his reign, then he describes his

good or bad qualities, with special emphasis on whether he was a good Muslim or not, and finally he records how and when he died, and gives the number of years of his life and his reign, and relates his burial.

Among the events of Islam the religious struggles with the

Kharijites and the Mu'tazilites are especially remembered. Political events are only briefly described. In writing of the prophet Muhammad

ad-Damiri is content with enumerating his excellent qualities and

stating that " the learned have composed many books regarding His

life, His times, His mission, His campaigns, His qualities, His miracles, and His good and amiable deeds ; if we desired to describe even a little of them, it would take several volumes : but that is not our purpose in this book." 2 About the military merits of 'Umar al-Firfiq he simply states that " he made vast conquests, took large provinces, and was the first to be styled 'the Commander of the Faithful ' ",3 and in the later part of his record he only briefly enumerates his conquests 4

1 Ibid., 11. 22-3. 2 Ibid., p. 45, 11. 4-6. 3 Ibid., p. 46, 11. 15-6. 4 Ibid., p. 48, U. 5-12.

VOL. VIII. PART 1. 10


and also those of 'Uthman ibn 'Affan in the subsequent chapter.1 Writing on the caliphate of al-Walid ibn 'Abdalmalik, he briefly mentions that " during his caliphate some important conquests were made, such as those of Sind, India, Spain, and other well-known

places ".2 But all the more plentiful are the illustrative instances of the good or bad qualities of the caliphs which he always records in detail. And in order to prove his theory that every sixth imam either abdicated or was deposed by force and killed, ad-Damiri also expounds the manner in which the caliphs, especially the sixth ones in the order, ended their reigns. Beginning with the prophet Muhammad, the sixth

caliph, al-IIasan (40-41/660-662), abdicated; counting from him onwards the sixth one was 'Abdallah ibn Zubayr, the counter-caliph of al-Hijaz and 'Iraq (64-73/683-692), who was dethroned and slain, and the sixth one subsequent to him, al-Walid ibn Yazid ibn 'Abdalmalik (86-96/705-715), was also deposed. As, however, only three caliphs of the Banfi Umayya succeeded him and there would, therefore, be a breach in the order of every sixth caliph abdicating or being deposed,3 he had to count the 'Abbasids from their founder onwards. The sixth 'Abbasid caliph, Muhammad al-Amin (193-198/808-814), was deposed and slain, the sixth one after him, Ahmad al-Musta'in billah (247-256/861-870), abdicated and was slain, likewise the sixth one after him, Abul-Fadl Ja'far al-Muqtadir billah (295-320/907-932), who was dethroned twice; the sixth after him was Abul-Fadl al-Muti' billah ibn al-Muqtadir (334-363/945-974), who abdicated, but if Ibn al-Mu'tazz who reigned only one day is not counted, the sixth one is his successor, Abfi Bakr 'Abdalkarim

at-Tia' 'billAh (363-381/973-992), who also abdicated. After him the sixth caliph was Abfi Manstir Ja'far ar-Rashid billah (529-530/ 1134-6) if Ibn al-Mu'tazz is not counted, but if he is counted, then his predecessor, Abfi Mansfir al-Fadl al-Mustarshid billah ibn a]-

Mustazhir (511-529/1117-1135), was the sixth one; both were attacked and slain by the Assassins. This rule, however, cannot be maintained in the case of the last 'Abbasids, because neither al-Mustansir billah nor his father, az-Zahir bi amr Allah, who followed the two last- mentioned caliphs as sixth ones, were deposed or abdicated, but ad-

Damiri finds a rather ingenious explanation to carry his theory through: " ... during their reign the power of the Tatars increased

1 Ibid., p. 49, 11. 20-2. 2 Ibid., p. 61, 11. 29-30. 3 Ibid., p. 68, 11. 28-31.


and their affairs took a serious turn: they conquered an extensive

portion of the country of IslIm. Jalaladdin Khwirizmshih was lost in the time of al-Mustansir in a battle which was fought between him and the Tatars, and this (event) was a greater and more serious one than dethronement." I After these two caliphs the rule ceases to be

applicable to them, they having been succeeded only by al-Musta'sim billah whom the Tatars killed in 656/1258.

After the extinction of the 'Abbasids there were no caliphs for three years until 659/1260-1, when the Egyptians took the oath of

allegiance to al-Mustansir billah. Among the rulers of the Egyptian Fatimid or 'Ubaydi dynasty

ad-Damiri observes the same rule: the sixth one in order, al-Hakim, was killed by his sister, the twelfth one, az-Zafir, was deposed and slain. Then there follows the dynasty of the Banil Ayy-ib in Egypt; the sixth one of them, al-'Adil as-Saghir, was seized and deposed by the nobles; he was succeeded by only two members of the dynasty. The rulers of the 'Ubaydi and the following Turkish (Mamlfik) dynasty are recorded by ad-Damiri twice: once on the authority of Salahaddin as-Safadi's Sharh Lami'at al-'Ajam, in which the Mamlfiks are enumerated only as far as al-Mansfir Qala'fin al-AlifI,2 and another time in a detailed account of the 'Ubaydi dynasty based on authorities different from Salahaddin as-Safadi's work, followed by a more com-

plete list of the Mamliiks down to Sultan Murad.3 In this list, too, ad-Damiri points out that every sixth ruler was deposed or slain, thus al-Muzaffar Qutuz who was slain, then al-Qahir Baydar who after remaining in power for only half a day was slain, then al-Ashraf

Kujuk who was first deposed and then slain, then al-Malik as-Salih

S.lih who was deposed and imprisoned, then Faraj who was deposed

and slain; the succeeding rulers of the Turkish dynasty were nearly all deposed or slain.

Throughout his History of the Caliphate ad-Damiri sets great store by recording how the caliphs, especially the sixth ones, ended their lives. In describing this he never fails to mention the cases in which the deaths of the caliphs were foreboded by evil omens. Thus, speaking of 'Umar al-Farfiq's death, he mentions in the article ad-dik (the cock) 4 that 'Umar once dreamt that he had been pecked by a cock. When he related his dream to Asmi bint Umays she said that one of the foreigners would slay him, as, in fact, happened a few days later when

1 Ibid., p. 90, 11. 25-6. 2 Ibid., p. 94, 11. 23-32. 3 Ibid., p. 94, 1. 32, to p. 96, 1. 12. 4 Ibid., p. 313, 1l. 23-31.


he was assassinated by Abil Lu'lu'a, a slave of al-Mughira ibn Shu'ba.1 Also the death of al-H.Jusayn was foreboded to the Prophet, as is referred to in the article al-kalb (the dog): The Prophet once dreamt that a particoloured dog had thrust its muzzle into his blood and lapped it, and he had explained it as meaning that a man would kill his

daughter's son al-Husayn. Now ash-Shamir ibn dhil-Jawshan, the murderer of al-Husayn, was the particoloured dog for he was leprous, and the dream thus remained to be accomplished fifty years after the

Prophet.2 Similarly we read in the biography of the founder of the

'Abbasid dynasty, Abul-'Abbas as-Saffaih on the authority of Ibn Khallikan that Abul-'Abbas one day heard a slave say to another slave : " The term between me and you is two months and five days," from which words he augured a bad omen, and he actually died of

small-pox two months and five days later,

II

The History of the Caliphate in the article al-iwazz is a concise

compendium on this subject written with the object of proving the

theory that every sixth ruler of Islam was either deposed or abdicated.

Ad-Damiri apparently did not intend to extend his history, as is evident not only from his concluding statement : " We have certainly expatiated upon that (i.e. upon the History of the Caliphate) but it is not devoid of benefit or benefits,"

1 but also from the numerous references in his History to other articles of the Haydt al-hayawan, in which he treats of a historical event or person in more detail. That

zoology is but the frame of the work can best be seen from the fact that nearly every article of some length contains one or several

digressions of historical or biographical concern. Leaving aside ad-Damiri's very numerous biographies of scholars, theologians, and

poets, and confining ourselves to the historical matter in the strict sense of the word, we find throughout the Hayit al-hayawin frequent digressions of this sort, which supplement the historical material in the article al-iwazz. These digressions, to which references are in many cases made in the history of the Caliphate, extend over all periods of

Islamic history, and their connection with the subject-matter of the

1 According to a saying of 'A'isha quoted in the article as-sabandd (a bold leopard, vol. ii, p. 14, 11. 26-7), the genii wailed for 'Umar three days before his death.

2 See vol. i, p. 56, 11. 16-25, and vol. ii, p. 245, 11. 14-17. 3 Ibid., vol. i., p. 69, 11. 5-10. 4 Ibid., p. 96, 1. 12.


articles in which they are included is as loose as that of the History of the Caliphate with the description of the goose.

As might be expected from an author so many-sided and so well versed in all branches of Arabic literature, ad-Damiri drew on a number of reference-works for both his History of the Caliphate and his

digressions in the other articles of the work. Many of his sources are well known by their printed editions, as is the case with his most

frequently quoted reference-work for history and biography, Ibn Khallikdn's Kitib wafayit al-a'ydn wa anbd'abnd' az-zaman, which, by the English translation of MacGuckin de Slane, has been made accessible to the general reader also. Ad-Damiri's constant references to this biographical dictionary account for the prevalence of the

biographical over the purely historical matter in his work. Like so

many of his illustrious predecessors, he also lays more stress on

narrating the genealogy and the personal qualities of the rulers and the interesting episodes of their lives than on recording their wars and conquests.

The many-sided knowledge of ad-Damiri and the principal feature of his Haydt al-hayawan as well, may best be seen from a synoptic table showing (1) the authorities quoted in the History of the Caliphate, (2) the articles other than al-iwazz referring to the history of the caliphs, and indicating volume, page, and lines containing the narrative, (3) the authorities quoted in these latter.

Authorities sub Articles other than Authorities of these Caliph. al-iwazz. al-iwazz. articles.

(1) THE PRE-ISLXMIC PERIOD Destruction of al-khuld (the mole- Ibn 'Abbis, Wahb

the dam of rat), i, 270, 26, ibn Munabbih, Ma'rib. to 272, 4. Ibn al-Jauzi,

Qat da, as- Suhayli, al- Mas'-idi, ash- Sha'bi, Abil Sabra an- Nakha'i.

Expedition of al-fil (the ele- Sunan as-Sahaet Abraha, King phant),, ii, 200, of Ab-i 'Ai ibn of Ethiopia. 16, to 202, 31. as-Sakan, STra

of Ibn Hishim, as-Suhayli,

Ra.ki of al-

Bukhdri, Sunan of Abii DA'ud and an-Nasd'i, Abil Walid al- Azraqi, a poem by ad-Damiri from the Kitab as-siyar, part i.



Story of Jadhima al-'uq 4 b (the Ibn Hishdm, Ibn al-Abrash, eagle), ii, 113, al-Kalbi, Ibn

King of al-Hira, 35, to 117, 15. al-Jauzi, the and az-Zabbi', commentator daughter to of Ad-Duray-

Mulayl ibn al- diyya, at-Ta-

FarA'. bari, Ibn as- Sikkit.

(2) MU.AMMAD

AND His SUCCESSORS

Mubammad. al-Burdq, i, 108, 7, to 109, 11.

al-'dtiiq (the young Mu'jam of Ibn of birds), ii, 95, Q ni. 25, to 96, 2.

al-arada (the The two Sabfi7.s, wood-fretter), i, Ibn Sa'd, Sunan 19, 4-16. of Ibn MAja.

(Battle of Ubud.) ash-shi'ri (species Sra of Ibn of flies), ii, 45, Hishim. 3, to 46, 17.

Abi Bakr. Ibn Qutayba. 'Umar. al-Fadi'ili. al-birdhaun (the Kdmil (of Ibn al-

jade), i, 109, 31, Athir ?). to 110, 4.

'Uthmin. Ibn Qutayba, the Imgm Ahmad, at-Tirmidhi, Ibn Mahdi, al- Madi'ini, al- Mahdawi, al- Wgqidi, Zubayr ibn Bakkir, Ibn Ishiiq.

'All. Manaqib of the al-jamal (the Ibn al-Athir, ad-

Imgm Ahmad, camel), i, 180, Dabbi, Ibn

Durrat al-ghaw- 24, to 181, 27. Khallikin, al-

w.s,1 at-Tabari.

.Hikim,

Ibn abi Shayba, Ibn Dihya.

al-Hasan. ash-Sha'bi. Zayn al-'Abidin, al-baghl (the mule), Kdmil of al-Mu-

grandson of i, 127, 4, to 128, barrad, Rabf'al- 'All. 4. abrar of az-

Zamakhsharl, Ibn 'Asikir, az- Zuhri, al- Asma'i, -Ibn al. Fallds, al- Madi'ini.

(3) THE UMAYYADS

Mu'gwiya. al-himdr al-ahl! Ibn Khallikin and (the domestic others. ass), i, 224, 14, to 225, 1.

1 By either al-Ghazdli or al-Hariri: both the works were consulted by ad-Damiri.

See my " Index ", Nos. 295 (al-GhazMli) and 432 (al-H.{ariri).



Yazid ibn Mu- Al-akhbar at-tiwal ash-shlt (the sheep Ibn Khallikdn. 'dwiya. of Abfi IHanifa. or goat), ii, 37,

16, to 38, 7. Marw~n ibn al- Al-mustadrak 'ald

Hakam. 's-sah•iayn of

al-Hdkim. 'Abdalmalik ibn Kitab al-mab~asin al-fahd (the lynx), al-Kiyi al-Har-

Marwdn. wal-masawi of ii, 195, 35, to rdsi, al-Ghazdli. Ibrihim ibn 196, 21. Mubammad al- Bayhaqi, Al- akhbar at-tiwdl of Abdi Hanifa.

(.Hajjj.) at-tays (the male Muriij adh-dhahab

of the goat of al-Mas'ildi, kind), i, 153, 3, Sharh as-Sira of to 156, 25. Qutbaddin,

Ta'rikh of Ibn Khallikin, and others.

al-labu'a (the lion- 'Aun ibn Shaddad. ess), ii, 273, 34 to 275, 24.

al-Walid ibn IbrAhim ibn abi 'Abdalmalik. 'Abla, Ibn 'Asd-

kir, 'Alqama ibn Safwin.

(Mfisc ibn Nusayr.) at-ftf'ir (the bird), Ibn Khallikin. ii, 80, 12-27.

Sulaymdn ibn Kamil of al-Mu- ad-dajjaj (the hen), Ta'rikh of Ibn 'Abdalmalik. barrad, Mubam- i, 299, 35; to 'Asakir.

mad ibn Sirin, 300, 11. Al-mufiadal.

'Umar ibn 'Ab- the Imam Ahmad, al-j ara•d (the Sunan of Abfi dal'aziz. TabaqSt of Ibn locust), i, 170, DA'ud, Ibn

Sa'd, Mubam- 26, to 171, 1. 'Asakir. mad al-Mar- wazi, Rajd ibn Ijaydt, Ibn 'Asdkir, Sfrat al- 'Umarayn, Al- bilya, ash-Shi- fi'l.

Yazid ibn 'Ab- Ibn 'Asakir. dalmalik.

Hishim ibn 'Ab- Mus'ab az-Zu- dalmalik. bayri.

al-Walid ibn Ibn 'Asdkir, Kitab Yazid. adab ad-din wa

d-dunyd of al- Mawardi.

Yazid ibn al- ash-Shifi'i. Walid.

Marwdn ibn Mu- al-hirr (the cat), hammad. ii, 335, 3-16.

(4) THE 'ABBXSIDS Abul-'Abbds as- Ibn al-Jauzi. al-birdhaun (the Kitdb al-adhkiya

Saffih. jade), i, 110, 27, of Ibn al-Jauzi. to 111, 21.

(Abfi Muslim al-asad (the lion), Ibn Khallikin and al-Khurdsdni.) i, 7, 5, to 8, 14. others.



Ja'far al-Man~iir. al-bazf (the hawk), Nahw of Siba- i, 101, 18, to wayh. 102, 6.

Mubammad al- al - bag h 1 (the Kitlb al-adhkiyi Mahdi. mule), i, 132, 5, of Ibn al-Jauzi.

to 133, 31.

Htrfin ar-Rashid. Ibn al-Athir, Mu- al-bazi (the hawk), Ibn Khallikin. hammad ibn i, 99, 26, to 100, Zafar. 10.

al-ba'i r (the Sirdj al-muldik of camel), i, 123, at Turtfishi, Ibn 22, to 125, 17. Balb~n, SharA

al-asmi al- Ausnd of al- Maqdisi, and others.

al-baghl (the Ta'rikh Baghdad, mule), i, 129, Ibn Khallikiin. 11, to 130, 14.

al-'uqd b (the Ibn Khallikin, Ta- eagle), ii, 111, 'r'kh

S.hib Ha-

23, to 113, 12. mat, and others.

al-faras(the Ibn Balbin, al- mare), ii, 187, Ghazll, and 22, to 188, 33. others.

al-fahd (the lynx), Ibn Khallikin. ii, 196, 28, to 197, 4.

Muhammad al- Al-akhbar at-tiwal Amin. of Abii Hanifa,

al - Aqma'i, 'Uyitn at-ta- wvSrTIkh (of al- Kutubi).

'AbdallTh al-Ma'- Al-akhbdr at-tiwal al-birdhaun (the Ibn Khallikiin.

mtin. of Abfi IHanifa. jade), i, 110, 4-

27.

al-Mu'tagim. Majma'al-akhbar of al-'Iraqi, ash- Shdfi'i, al-Jd'iza, IbrThim al- Harbi, A1mad ibn Sindn, 'Abd- allIh ibn al- Ward, Tahdhfb al-asm& wal- lughdt of an- Nawawi, Mu- bammad ibn Khuzayma.

Hdtriin al-Wathiq Duwal al-islam of billih. adh-Dhahabi,

Hilya al-anbiya wa tabaqdt al- asfiyd of Abii Nu'aym.

Ja'far al-Muh- Muhammad ibn tadi billih ibn al-Husayn ibn Hdriin. 'Abdallh al-

BaghdidI.



al-Muktafi bill~h the books of adh- ibn al-Mu'ta- Dhahabi.1 did.

Abul-Fadl Ja'far An-nashwdn of al-Muqtadir at-Taniikhi. billh.

(al-Halldj.) al-himar al-ahli Ibn Khallikin, (the domestic

Mafat.4 al

ass), i, 223, 14, kuniiz of al- to 224, 14. Maqdisi, Mish-

qgt al-anwdr wa misfdt al-asrdr of al-Ghazili, and others.

Muhammad al- Ta'rikh of Ibn al-

Q(hir billdh. Bitri-q. 'Abdalkarim at- Ba's mdl an-nadim

T&'I billah. of Ibn al-Bitriq, Ibn al-Anbdri.

'Abdallih al-QA- Ta'ri'h of Ibn al- 'im bi amr Bitriq. Aliih.

Biiyids :- (a) 'Imid ad- al-kayya (the ser- Ibn Khallikin

daula ibn Bu- pent), i, 256, from the Ta'- wayh. 6-20. ri'h of Abii Mu-

hammad Hrfiin ibn al-'Abbis al- Ma'mfini.

(b) Rukn ad- ad-dabba (the Ibn Khallikin. daula. beast), i, 287,

26, to 288, 3. (c) 'Adud ad- al-fahd (the lynx), Ibn Khallikin.

daula. ii, 197, 1-9.

(5) THE LATER DYNASTIES

The whole Sharb Lami'at al- dynasty of the 'ajam of Sali- Fdtimids. haddin

a,-Sa- fadi.

al-H.kim al- al-himdr al-ahli

'Ubaydi. (the domestic ass), i, 227, 29, to 228, 18.

Nidraddin. al-batt (the duck), Ibn Khallikin, i, 114, 8, to 116, Ibn al-Athir. 19.

1 How much adh-Dhahabi's works were appreciated by our author is evident from his record on the caliphate of Muhammad al-Muqtafi li amr Allih: that according to " our friend the

H.fiz Saldhaddin Khalil ibn Muhammad al-Aqfahsi "

this caliph was followed by a certain al-Mustazhir but, not knowing this, he does not mention him, the more so as adh-Dhahabi mentions the caliphs in the order as he gives them (see i, 89, 4-6). A similar discordant view of adh-Dhahabi is also mentioned concerning

al-H.kim bi amr Allah Ahmad ibn al-Mustakfi billih who, according to

al-HIIusayni in his Dhayl 'al& 1-'Ibar, followed his father al-Mustakfi billdh, whereas adh-Dhahabi asserts at the end of his Dhayl that he was followed by his brother Ibrdhim (see vol. i, p. 91, ii. 30-4).



Abul-'Abbis Ah- ad-dajjaj (the Kitab al-adhkiya mad ibn Tilfin. fowl), i, 299, 19- of Ibn al-Jauzi, 35. Ibn Khallikgn.

Malikshah as- al-baqar al-ahli Ibn Khallikin. Saljiiqi. (the domestic

cow), i, 137, 1- 20.

Mahmild ibn Se- al-qumrf (the ring- Ibn Khallikdn, buktekin. dove), ii, 225, Ibn al-Athir.

7-27.

The names mentioned in the above table do not exhaust all the authorities consulted by ad-Damiri, because in many cases he gives such general statements as " historians relate" or " so men say" or " others say ". But even from the sources mentioned by him we may infer that he made use of practically all the sources available for him. Thus the Hayat al-hayawan is also a good guide to the Arabic authorities on general history.

The History of the Caliphate, itself a digression in the article al-iwazz, also contains two digressions. The one is inserted into the

subchapter on the caliphate of 'Ali and, under the title of Fi'ida lat;ifa (" an agreeable item of information "),1 contains a list of the names of the prophets, the nine persons who used to write for the

Prophet, the nine collectors of the Qur'an in His time, the four executioners in His time, His five bodyguards and fourteen com-

panions, the seven tabi's of al-Madina whose legal decisions were

final, the four persons who, according to tradition, talked in their cradles, the four persons who, according to tradition, talked after their deaths, the four persons whom their mothers carried in their wombs beyond the usual period of pregnancy, the six Nimrods, the three Pharaohs mentioned in tradition, the founders of the five

religious schools (maihhabs) 2 and the dates on which they died on the authority of an-Nawawi's Kitab 'ulfm al-ha ith, the six relaters of trustworthy traditions 3 and the dates on which they died. This list testifies to ad-Damiri's fondness of curiosities, and his intention of collecting in his book information of various kinds which might be useful to a Muslim reader. The second digression is inserted in the sub-chapter on the caliphate of al-Musta'in billTh,4 and gives

1 Vol. i, p. 51, 1. 18, to p. 52, 1. 24. 2 In addition to the four orthodox schools that of Sufydn ath-Thauri (lived in the

eighth century A.D.) is also mentioned by ad-Damiri. 3 Instead of Ibn Maja, ad-Damiri quotes ad-Ddraqutni as the sixth one. 4 Vol. i, p. 93, 1. 3, to p. 94, 1. 14.


maxims on the right conduct to be observed by persons who have intercourse with caliphs, kings, and sultans, and expounds the

principles of morality and the good qualities of people. The treatise is full of proverbs and parallelisms like all works of instruction in Arabic, and Oriental literature in general, and refers to such authorities as Iflatiin (Plato), ash-Sha'bi, al-Fadl ibn ar-Rabi', Khalid ibn

Safwan, ash-Shi'b of al-Bayhaqi, the Imam Ahmad, and others.' 1 For a similar treatise on polite manners see also the article as-saqr (the hawk),

vol. ii, p. 58, 1. 2, to p. 59, 1. 14.

a history of the caliphate in the hayat al hayawan of ad damiri

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