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Compare And Contrast The Muqqadimah And Hourani's

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Making historical information relevant to a reader of a different time period is never an easy task. When considering the history of the Middle East, two main historians, Ibn Khaldun and Albert Hourani, stand out as prime examples of how to effectively transmit historical information. Ibn Khaldun’s history of the Arab world, The Muqqadimah, is centered on explaining the formation and interaction of social systems, including dynasties, during the late medieval period. Khaldun’s perspective stems from his own experience and his understanding of the political instability and ineffectiveness of rulers during his lifetime. His proximity to the sources and ideas that he discusses give him an unprecedented viewpoint on the Islamic world. His use …show more content…

In A History of the Arab Peoples, Hourani states that “dynasties of rulers often drew their strength from the countryside… but could survive only by establishing themselves in the cities” (Hourani, 130). He describes this in order to educate the reader on how many of the great cities in the Middle East were created such as “Baghdad of the ‘Abbasids, Cairo of the Fatimids” (Hourani, 130). These ideas are taken from Khaldun’s discussion of the creation of dynasties in The Muqqadimah. Khaldun says that “the desert is the basis and reservoir of civilization and cities” (Khaldun, 93). According to Khaldun, dynasties come from the nomadic people who, through an increase in power, wealth, and a feeling of solidarity, become sedentary and form civilizations. Additionally, Khaldun comments on the progression of dynasty formation, saying that “the sedentary stage of royal authority follows the stage of desert life” (Khaldun, 138). These comments are mirrored in A History of the Arab Peoples, showing the way that Hourani based his ideas on Khaldun’s. However, Hourani expands on Khaldun’s thoughts and makes his arguments relevant to the modern reader. He does this by further discussing the ruler’s “compact of interests with the urban population” (Hourani, 130) and by saying that the “powerful control of a large empire needed an elaborate bureaucracy” (Hourani, 131). In this way, Hourani efficiently incorporates Khaldun’s understanding of the fourteenth century political system in the Middle East, while expanding on his ideas. By explaining history in terms that are easily relatable to modern political systems, such as “compacts” with people and “elaborate bureaucracy” in large nations, Hourani makes his text more accessible to his audience. He is able to take and utilize the ideas presented in The Muqqadimah to accomplish his

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