Ibn Nazif al-Hamawi

Little is known about Ibn Nazif al-Hamawi. He was born, presumably in the 2nd half of the 12th century CE, possibly in Hama. He died some time in the 13th century probably in Homs. Mallett (2012:245) summarized what is known about his life story.

Little is known of Ibn Naẓīf al-Ḥamawī beyond what can be gleaned from his chronicle. He was a member of the influential Banū Naẓīf clan of Ḥamā, and was a high-ranking official in the administration of the Ayyūbid ruler al-Malik al-Ḥāfiẓ ibn al-ʿĀdil (d. 1240) in Qalʿat Jaʿbar. His post there continued until 1230, when, during a drunken party, he was arrested by al-Ḥāfiẓ, relieved of his possessions, and thrown into prison because of a disagreement over the fate of a slave. Ibn Naẓīf al-Ḥamawī’s imprisonment lasted an unknown period until his petition to the ruler of the Jazīra was successful, and the latter intervened to secure his release. At this juncture, he went to the town of al-Raḥba, whose ruler, al-Manṣūr, looked after him, until al-Manṣūr gained possession of Homs. Ibn Naẓīf al-Ḥamawī followed him there and received a pension, enabling him to write his historical chronicle, which he dedicated to al-Manṣūr.

Mallett (2012:246-247) describes Al-ta’rīkh al-Manṣūrī (‘The Manṣūrī history’) as follows:

The work is a political history of the world from the creation up to the year 1233, dedicated to the Ayyūbid ruler al-Manṣūri, and is one of three known works by the author. The other two were a chronicle until the year 940, and a now lost universal history, of which Al-ta⁠ʾrīkh al-Manṣūrī is but a brief summary. For the period up to 1192, Ibn Naẓīf al-Ḥamawī used ʿImād al-Dīn’s chronicle Al-bustān al-jāmiʿ as the main basis of his writing, and Al-ta⁠ʾrīkh al-Manṣūrī does not differ much from that work. After 1192, when Al-bustān al-jāmiʿ ends, Al-ta⁠ʾrīkh al-Manṣūrī comes into its own as a source, and provides valuable information, much of which was used extensively by later writers such as Ibn al-Furāt and al-Maqrīzī, although in the modern period it has been rather neglected, possibly due to its complexity.

The work itself is valuable for a number of reasons. It deals in great detail with relations between the Ayyūbid ‘states’ at the time, as well as having plenty of information about the Ayyūbids of Yemen, the wars between the Khwārazmshāh and the Ayyūbids, and the early effects of the Mongol invasions. In terms of Christian-Muslim relations, it is valuable in two ways. First, it highlights the diplomatic relations between the Ayyūbids and the Franks of the crusader states, which at this time were particularly close due to their mutual needs. Second, it examines the situation in Sicily in the early 13th century and the reaction of the Ayyūbids to that situation, as on the one hand the island’s ruler, Frederick II, was attempting to keep close diplomatic relations with the Ayyūbids, while on the other the Muslim population was revolting against his rule. Uniquely, it contains two letters written in Arabic by Frederick II to the Ayyūbid rulers of Syria, which provide interesting insights into diplomatic relations of the time, as well as important information on the situation of the Muslims in Sicily, many of whom had left and, at the time of writing, were refugees.