[ms] The Intellectual Legacy of al-Tabari and Ibn Kamil in Miskawayh’s Tajarib al-Umam

Abstract

This article intends to review the intellectual legacy of al-Ùabari and the role of Ibn Kamil in forming the historiographical epistemology of Miskawayh as in his work, Tajarib al-Umam. The objective of this study is to explain how Miskawayh adopts maraji‘ method to organise his discussion of universal history by beginning his Tajarib al-Umam with the historical angle of pre-Islamic Persia until the historical events of the year 339 Hijrah. This article is based on textual analysis of the content of Tajarib al-Umam. Having analysed, it shows that there are three significant aspects: firstly, historical information on the universal historical part of Tajarib al-umam is dominantly acquired from the work Tarikh al-Rusul wa al-Muluk by al-Tabari, by means of Ibn Kamil; secondly, Miskawayh acquires historical information from Ibn Kāmil using maraji‘ method; and thirdly, there lies the role of Ibn Kamil as a historical mentor giving credence to Miskawayh to organise and write Tajarib al-Umam.