Al-Maqrīzī (Arabic:المقريزي, full nameTaqī al-Dīn Abū al-'Abbās Aḥmad ibn 'Alī ibn 'Abd al-Qādir ibn Muḥammad al-Maqrīzī,تقي الدين أحمد بن علي بن عبد القادر بن محمد المقريزي; 1364–1442)[3] was a medieval Egyptian historian and biographer[4] during theMamluk era, known for his interest in theFatimid era, and the earlier periods of Egyptian history.[5] He is recognized as the most influential historian of premodern Egypt.[6]
A direct student ofIbn Khaldun, al-Maqrīzī was born in Cairo to a family of Syrian origin that had recently relocated fromDamascus.[3][7] When he presents himself in his books he usually stops at the 10th forefather although he confessed to some of his close friends that he can trace his ancestry toal-Mu‘izz li-Dīn Allāh – first Fatimid caliph in Egypt and the founder of al-Qahirah – and even toAli ibn Abi Talib.[8] He was trained in theHanafite school of law. Later, he switched to theShafi'ite school and finally to theZahirite school.[1][2] Maqrizi studied theology under one of the primary masterminds behind theZahiri Revolt,[9] and his vocal support and sympathy with that revolt against the Mamluks likely cost him higher administrative and clerical positions with the Mamluk regime.[10] The name Maqrizi was an attribution to a quarter of the city ofBaalbek, from where his paternal grandparents hailed.[3] Maqrizi confessed to his contemporaries that he believed that he was related to the Fatimids through the son ofal-Muizz.Ibn Hajar preserves the most memorable account: his father, as they entered theal-Hakim Mosque one day, told him "My son, you are entering the mosque of your ancestor." However, his father also instructed al-Maqrizi not to reveal this information to anyone he could not trust; Walker concludes:
Ultimately it would be hard to conclude that al-Maqrizi conceived any more than an antiquarian interest in the Fatimids. His main concern seems more likely to be the meaning they and their city might have for the present, that is, for Mamluk Egypt and its role in Islam. (p. 167)
In 1385, he went on the Islamic pilgrimage, theHajj. For some time he was secretary in a government office, and in 1399 became inspector of markets for Cairo and northern Egypt. This post he soon gave up to become a preacher at theMosque of 'Amr ibn al 'As, president of theal-Hakim Mosque, and a lecturer on tradition. In 1408, he went toDamascus to become inspector of the Qalanisryya and lecturer. Later, he retired into private life at Cairo.[citation needed]
In 1430, he again went on Hajj with his family and travelled for some five years. His learning was great, his observation accurate and his judgement good, but his books are largely compilations, and he does not always acknowledge the sources upon which he relied.[citation needed]
Most of al-Maqrizi's works, exceeding 200,[11] are concerned with Egypt.
al-Mawāʻiẓ wa-al-Iʻtibār bi-Dhikr al-Khiṭaṭ wa-al-āthār (Arabic, 2 vols., Bulaq, 1853)[n 1]; French translation byUrbain Bouriant asDescription topographique et historique de l'Égypte (Paris, 1895–1900; compareA. R. Guest, "A List of Writers, Books and other Authorities mentioned by El Maqrizi in his Khitat," inJournal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 1902, pp. 103–125).
History of the Fatimites; extract published by J.G.L. Kosegarten inChrestomathia (Leipzig, 1828), pp. 115–123;
History of the Ayyubit and Mameluke Rulers; French translation byEtienne Marc Quatremère (2 vols., Paris, 1837–1845).[15]
Muqaffa, first sixteen-volumes of an Egyptian biographic encyclopedia arranged in alphabetic order. The Egyptian historian,al-Sakhawi, estimated that the complete work would require eighty volumes. Three autograph volumes exist in manuscript inLeiden and one in Paris.
^abcdNasser Rabbat, "Who was al-Maqrizi?" pg. 13. Taken from Mamlūk Studies Review, Vol. 7, Part 2. Middle East Documentation Center,University of Chicago, 2003.
^Paul E. Walker,Exploring an Islamic Empire: Fatimid History and its Sources (London,I.B. Tauris, 2002), p. 164. The material for updating this article is taken from Walker's account of al-Maqrizi.
