İzzeddin İbn Şeddâd

İzzeddin İbn Şeddâd

İzzeddin İbn Şeddâd was a bureaucrat, historian, and geographer who lived during the Ayyubid and Mamluk periods (d. 684/1285). He is known for his work titled el-A‘lâkü’l-Hatîre fî Zikri Ümerâi’ş-Şâm ve’l-Cezîre, which deals with the emirs of Damascus and al-Jazira, and is a first-hand source who personally witnessed the region under Mongol and Crusader threat.

Life and Duties

Ibn Shaddad, who was trained in the art of writing (kitâbet) and composition (inshâ) in Aleppo, entered the service of the Ayyubid ruler of Aleppo, al-Malik an-Nasir Yusuf, and served as his secretary (Vol. 1, p. 184). The author, who was appointed as a special envoy to resolve disputes among the emirs loyal to the sultan in Aleppo, also distinguished himself as an administrative actor (Vol. 2, p. 31). After taking the ruler's family from Damascus to Aleppo, he was tasked with conducting peace negotiations with the Mongols besieging Mayyafariqin (Silvan) in 657/1259; this was one of the most important disputes in which he played a role in resolving (Vol. 1, p. 185; Vol. 2, p. 31).

Following the failure of the negotiations and the Mongol invasion of Northern Syria, he fled to Egypt in 659/1261. Ibn Shaddad, who enjoyed the patronage of the Mamluk sultan Baybars and his successors in Egypt, did not return to Syria until the campaign of 669/1271, which he accompanied Baybars on; he later returned to Egypt and died in Cairo (Vol. 1, p. 185).

His Work and Information on Kurds

His most important work is el-A‘lâkü’l-Hatîre. The author, who lived during a period when the Mongols and Crusaders threatened Islamic lands, took care to provide first-hand information based on his personal testimonies in his works (Vol. 1, p. 185). His work contains rich material about the Kurds: he frequently used the term “Kurds” in all three sections of his book, dedicating significant space to this topic particularly in the third section (Vol. 2, p. 33). While mentioning the city of Shuster/Shushtar in Khuzistan and Lor Mountain located between Isfahan and this city, he described this mountain as the homeland of the Kurds, and also mentioned settlements such as Makil Kurd Kuve (Vol. 2, p. 31). He also referred to shrines representing Kurdish scholars and saints, such as the Isa Kurdi Hakari Mosque, the Harat al-Akrad (Kurdish Quarter) Mosque near Aleppo, and Hisn al-Akrad (Vol. 2, p. 33).

Influence on Later Historians

His works have been an important source for later historians. Historians like Nuaymi benefited from the information he provided about madrasahs and mudarris during the Ayyubid period (Vol. 1, p. 198); Ayni also utilized Ibn Shaddad's works, alongside those of Qadi al-Fadil, Imad al-Din al-Isfahani, Ibn al-Athir, and Abu Shama, in sections related to the Ayyubid period (Vol. 1, p. 201).