New Perspectives on Ibn ʿAsākir in Islamic Historiography

Description

This volume contains six articles on Ibn 'Asakir and his 'Ta'rikh madinat Dimashq' illustrating a variety of perspectives and approaches to the material. It includes a seventh article that discusses the process by which the now standard 'Dar al-fikr' edition was compiled. The contributions address both the geographical and biographical sections of the 'Ta'rikh madinat Dimashq'. Some of the authors examine Ibn 'Asakir?s sources, while others describe how Ibn 'Asakir?s works were used by later generations of scholars and how he influenced multiple genres of later writings. The volume also contains analyses of individual biographies and discussions of Ibn 'Asakir?s treatment of larger classes of people, including the first analysis of his biographies of women. In sum, it illustrates both the wide range of topics that the 'Ta'rikh madinat Dimashq' covers and the latest techniques for analyzing Ibn 'Asakir and his work.