Ibn Khaldun's Principles of Political Economy: Rudiments of a Hew Science
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Dissertation contains pages with print at a slant, filmed as received 16. Other_ Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. IBN KHALDUN'S PRINCIPLES OF POLITICAL ECONOMY: RUDIMENTS OF A HEW SCIENCE by Abdalla M. Battah submitted to the Faculty of the School of International Service of The American University in Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in International Relations Signatures of Committee: Chairman: M » 1 busk LjUJio^O (ycrt J- Dean of the School 7 m? D§te The American University (pfil & Washington, D.C. 20016 TEE AEEEICAE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. (C) COPYRIGHT BY ABDALLA M. BATTAH 1988 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. IBN KHALDUN'S PRINCIPLES OF POLITICAL ECONOMY: RUDIMENTS OF A NEW SCIENCE BY Abdalla M. Battah ABSTRACT Although much less known to Western political economists, than, for example, to sociologists or historians, Ibn Khaldun is the true founding father of political economy. Centuries before his successors, the "classical political economists," ibn Khaldun dealt systematically and masterfully with the relationship between economics and politics. He, furthermore, was able to define the subject matter of his "new" science by delineating the fundamental political and economic processes. At a time when we are witnessing a tremendous surge of interest in political economy in the field of international relations, it is rather ironic that Ibn Khaldun's work is still almost completely unexplored. This dissertation is an attempt toward demonstrating the originality and significance of Ibn Khaldun's contribution to political economy. It provides a rendition of Ibn Khaldun's views on a wide range of topics: ~umran ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. (development), mode of production, specialization, division n f labor, laissez faire. money, exchange, ~ asabiwa (roughly solidarity), anarchy, mulk (royal authority), the rise and fall of states, theory of the state, sociology of knowledge, social conflict, among others. The relevant sections of Ibn Khaldun's masterwork Mugaddimah (Volume One of his Kitab al- 'liar), our primary source, are arranged to form a coherent basis for this study. The study demonstrates the following major points: (1) that Ibn Khaldun's contribution to political economy is original and so great as to unquestionably qualify him for the title "father of political economy;" (2) that Ibn Khaldun's work has commanded great respect from writers in sociology, history, and philosophy, and that it exercised noticeable influence on Arab and Muslim scholarship; and, (3) that Ibn Khaldun's political economy is relevant and timely. Researchers in international relations, political economy, and other social science fields are urged to seriously explore the Mugaddimah, for it contains a wealth of information and provides keen insights on numerous areas of knowledge. iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. To my beloved parents, Mohammed Ali and Saphia, I wish to dedicate this study Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. This dissertation has indeed been a labor of love for me. But while I was the one to put pen to paper, it has by no means been a solo performance. My dissertation committee advisors have contributed significantly to the completed version, and I wish to express my gratitude to them all: Yusuf Ibish, for suggesting the study of Ibn Khaldun and for being a patient mentor and a source of inspiration; Nicholas G. Onuf, for being a super teacher and for his invaluable comments on all chapter drafts; John Willoughby, for his kind criticism and helpful remarks especially on matters concerning economic theory; Ibrahim Ibrahim, for his many insights on the "reason versus revelation" debate in Islam; and Abdul Aziz Said for his support and friendship. To the Karim Said Foundation, I am indebted for the Dissertation Fellowship, without which this project would have taken much longer to complete. I wish to thank Mr. Robert Hammarberg, director of the computer lab at the University of Minnesota's Political Science Department, for allowing me to use their computer terminals and for his kind assistance in word processing. Thanks are due to Ms. Barbara Walczak for her efficient iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. typing of the first two chapters as well as the bibliography. I am grateful to Mrs. Kathleen Partridge for giving me free access to her beautiful home many a time while in Washington, D.C. I am also grateful to Monther Damin for his friendship and generosity. Finally, my greatest debt is to my wife, Debra, and daughters, Anisa and Nadia, for their forbearance and love, and for the joy they bring to my life. v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ....................................................ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................... iv LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ....................................ix INTRODUCTION ............................................. 1 Political Economy: Classical Paradigms ......... 4 Political Economy and Third World Modernity . 7 The Revival of Political Economy ................ 9 Ibn Khaldun's "New Science" ........................ 11 Outline of Chapters ................................. 18 CHAPTER I: LIFE AND TIMES OF IBN K H A L D U N ............. 21 Historical Background ............................. 23 Family Background .................................. 29 Ibn Khaldun's Life and Experiences: 1332-1406 31 CHAPTER II: PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY: REASON AND REVELATION ...........................49 Traditional Muslim Historiography ................ 49 Muslim Rationalism ................................. 58 vi Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Ibn Khaldun's Critique of the Rationalist Philosophers ....................... 65 Ibn Khaldun's New Science of Political Economy ................................ 69 CHAPTER III: IBN KHALDUN'S ECONOMIC IDEAS ........... 79 Mode of Production: Town and C o u n t r y ........... 81 Exchange and Market