"None of the Kings on Earth is Their Equal in ʿaṣabiyya": The Mongols in Ibn Khaldūn's Works. Issue 2 (3rd May 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: van den Bent, Josephine
• Is Part Of: Al-Masāq. Volume 28:Issue 2(2016)
• Page Start: 171
• Page End: 186
• Publication Date: 2016-05-03
• Subjects: Ibn Khaldūn -- ʿAbd al-Raḥmān -- historian -- Mongols -- people -- Timur -- Turkic conqueror -- Jinghiz Khan -- Mongol khan -- Mamlūks -- Egyptian dynasty; Civilization, Islamic -- Periodicals; Islamic Empire -- Periodicals; Mediterranean Region -- Civilization -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 909.04927
• DOI: 10.1080/09503110.2016.1198535
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0950-3110

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The rise of the Mongol empire was a shock to the Arab world and led many Arab authors to describe these conquerors in decidedly negative terms. The great historian Ibn Khaldūn also discusses the Mongols' rise and their conquests. As a nomadic people they challenged and defeated sedentary populations and founded their own dynasties. Consequently, the Mongol conquests perfectly fit Ibn Khaldūn's theories on ʿaṣabiyya – which is superior in nomadic groups – and the rise and fall of dynasties. For the Maghrebi historian, the rise of the Mongols was a natural step in the course of history. This consequently colours his view of the Mongols and affects the way he portrays them, especially regarding the themes of violence and religion – recurring themes in many contemporary works dealing with the Mongols – and in his depiction of the Turco-Mongolian conqueror Timur, who is presented in a more favourable light by Ibn Khaldūn than he is in many contemporary works.