New Perspectives on Ibn ʻAsākir in Islamic Historiography

This volume contains six articles on Ibn 'Asākir and his 'Ta'rīkh madīnat Dimāshq' illustrating a variety of perspectives and approaches to the material. It includes a seventh article that discusses the process by which the now standard 'Dār al-fikr' edition was compiled. The contributions address both the geographical and biographical sections of the 'Ta'rīkh madīnat Dimashq'. Some of the authors examine Ibn 'Asākir's sources, while others describe how Ibn 'Asākir'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 'Asākir'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'rīkh madīnat Dimashq' covers and the latest techniques for analyzing Ibn 'Asākir and his work.