STUDIES IN THE KIT�B AL-T��� EPITOME OF AL-S�B� BY

M. S. KHAN (Continued from Arabica, Vol. XVII, Fasc. 2. 1970, p. 160)

with the question of the sources of this text is the CONNECTED question of the reliability of Abu Ishaq and the authenticity of the contents of this MS. These questions will be discussed in the third section of this introduction. Here it is considered necessary to survey the important among the available sources outlining the history of the Zaydis and Daylamites of during the period under consideration. Over and above the general and dynas- tic histories, the local histories, the general histories of religions and sects, the biographical works, the biographical and biblio- graphical works, the official letters and documents and geographical literature, the encyclopaedias, adab books and some poetical works of the period will also be taken into consideration. Thus back- ground information on the existing documentation of the early history of the Daylamites and Zaydi kingdom of Tabaristan will also be provided. In so far as the general and local chronicles in and Persian are concerned, al-Safadi (d. 76q/1363)1, al-Sahawi (d. 9o2/rq.g7) 2, B. Dorn 3 and Ahmad Kasrawi 4 have made a survey of such written works. Among general historical works contemporary with the Tagi, the Tagdyib of Miskawayh is of first importance. Not only were Miskawayh and Abu Ishaq contemporaries but both belonged to the same secular class of secretaries in the service of the Buwayhid dynasty. The Tagdyzb and the Tagi run parallel to each other from 1. AL-SAFAD�Kitab, al-W�f�bi l-Waf�y�ed.t Helmut Ritter (Wiesbaden: 1381/1962) Vol. I, pp. 47-48. For al-Safad� see F. KRENKOW,Encyclopaedia of , (Leiden: 1934) Vol. VI, pp. 52-54. 2. AL-SAH�W�al-I, �l�nbi-l-Tawb �h... in F. Rosenthal, op. cit. pp. 382, 389, 391 al-Sa haw�is not noticed in the old edition of the Encyclopaedia of Islam. 3. B. DORN, Auszüge aus Mohammadanischen schriftstellern, betreffend Geschichte und Geographie der südl. Küstenländer des Kaspischen Meers. See also C. E. BOSWORTH,The , (Edinburgh: 1963), pp. 13-15. 4. Ahmad KASRAWI, Taw�r�hTabarist �n ... op. cit. pp. 2, 44. 195

340/942 to 36o/9y being written on the basis of independent sources 1. But Miskawayh was not interested exactly in those aspects of the history of this period in which Abu Ishaq was interested. Miskawayh concentrates on , the activities of the Abbasid Viziers and records neither the history of the Tahirids, the Saffarids, and the Samanids in detail nor that of the Zaydi rulers of Tabaristan as has been done by Abü Ishaq. Miskawayh's account of the Daylamites begins only in 3z5/gz7-28. He records the history of the Buwayhids after 334/945 when they had already established their political authority over and Persia, but he writes nothing like Abu Ishaq, about the geograph- ical conditions of their habitat, their manners and customs, their important tribes and their conversion to Islam at the hands of the Zaydi Imams. It has to be underlined here that the Tagdrib is the only surviving contemporary history of the major period covered by Abü Ishaq and there are many common events of the history of the Daylamites, and the Ziyarids 2 that have been recorded by both of them. Over and above these, the life-history of many political figures of Iraq and Persia 3 belonging to this period has been nar- 4 rated by both of them. Therefore, the Takdrib of Miskawayh is to be considered as a very important source for comparison with the Tagi text. Although al-Biruni's (d. 422/1050) al-Atar al-Bäqiya, written at 6urgan, deals with the history of ancient nations, yet he acknow- ledges having read the Taki and copies the Buwayhid pedigree from it which he considers as concocted. He also criticises Hasan al-Utrus for changing the established family organisation of the Kadhuda introduced by the mythical Ãfridun 5. In connection with the seeing of the new moon of Ramadan, he makes a passing 1. This question whether Miskawayh used the T���or not has been thor- oughly discussed by the present writer in his thesis, pp. 155-169. Cf. W. MADELUNG,op. cit. pp. 21-22 for an opposite opinion expressed without sufficient evidence. He also gives many convincing evidence that prove the conclusion of the present writer, loc. cit. See also "The Contents of the Kitab al-T���Manuscript of Ab� Ish�q Ibr�h�mal-S �b�by M. S. KHAN" in the Islamic Studies Vol. VIII, No. 3, Sept. 1969 (Isl�mabad) pp. 247-252. 2. For example, the history of Mard�wi�b. Ziy�r,WuŠmag �rand Bihsutun. 3. Such as Asf�r b. Š�rawih,Makan b. K�k�Hasan, b. F�r�z�Ilyn, �s b. Md. b. Al�sa�Layl, � b. al-Nu�m�n,� Imr�b.n Š�h�n,Ab �1 Fadl b. al-�Am�d, �Alb.� K�m�S, �m��al-Dawr �t�etc. 4. A modern scholar considers it as relatively precise and impartial. Dominique SOURDEL,op. cit. 1, 25. 5. Al-�t�ral-B �qiya, ed. By E. SACHAU(Leipzig: 1923) P. 224.