The Chronicles and Annalistic Sources of the Early Mamluk Circassian Period

Book excerpt: The historiography of the Early Mamluk Circassian period is prolific but has not yet received proper scholarly attention. For the first time, this study examines in a comprehensive manner the key sources for the reign of al-Zāhir Barqūq (784-91, 792-801/1382-9, 1390-9) in terms of their originality and importance. By means of a systematic analysis of the annals of three different years, it provides a critical evaluation of published and manuscript primary sources, identifies the nature of the interdependence amongst authors, and sheds new light on the craft of historical writing. This book fills a critical gap in the scholarship on Mamluk historiography. The author not only assesses the production of well-known historians (Ibn Khaldūn, Ibn al-Furāt, al-Maqrīzī, Ibn Taghrībirdī, etc.), but also studies pivotal authors (Ibn Duqmâq, Ibn Hijjī, etc.) whose works has been up until now either ignored or unknown.