Islamic Historiography [Paperback]

An accessible guide into the complex field of Islamic historiography.Chase Robinson's book offers a well-structured, well-composed and timely introduction to Islamic historiography from its origins in the seventh and eighth centuries to the fifteenth century. The book covers the rise of the tradition, the historians' principal genres, assumptions and methods, and stresses the social and political functions of historical writing. It promisese to be a helpful and authoritative guide for students with little or no background in Islamic history or Arabic who are trying to find their way into a complex field.Chase Robinson's book offers a well-structured, well-composed and timely introduction to Islamic historiography from its origins in the seventh and eighth centuries to the fifteenth century. The book covers the rise of the tradition, the historians' principal genres, assumptions and methods, and stresses the social and political functions of historical writing. It promisese to be a helpful and authoritative guide for students with little or no background in Islamic history or Arabic who are trying to find their way into a complex field.Chase Robinson's book is a timely introduction to Islamic historiography, from its origins in the seventh and eighth centuries to the fifteenth century. It covers the rise of the tradition, the historians' principal genres, assumptions and methods, and stresses the social and political functions of historical writing. It is an authoritative guide for students with little or no background in Islamic history or Arabic.List of plates; List of maps; Acknowledgements; Abbreviations; Glossary; Chronology I: the historians of the formative period; Chronology II: the historians of the classical period; Preface; Part I. Origins and Categories: 1. Origins; 2. The emergence of genre; 3. Consequences and models; 4. Three categories: biography, prosopography, chronography; Part II. Contexts: 5. Historiography and traditionalism; 6. Historiography al£p