Research Article

Toponym-Based Genealogical Writing in al-Andalus: al-Rushāṭī’s Iqtibās al-Anwār

Number: 55 April 30, 2026
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Toponym-Based Genealogical Writing in al-Andalus: al-Rushāṭī’s Iqtibās al-Anwār

Abstract

This study re-evaluates the work Iqtibās al-Anwār by the Andalusian genealogist Abū Muḥammad al-Rushāṭī through the structure shaped around toponyms, from the perspectives of historiography, biography, linguistics, and geography. It also aims to clarify the position of Iqtibās al-Anwār within historical writing and to demonstrate how the work structured the production and circulation of knowledge in al-Andalus. The study shows how al-Rushāṭī constructed historical knowledge as a meaningful whole through the connections he established between cities, scholarly milieus, and chains of transmission. In this framework, Iqtibās al-Anwār is evaluated as an important source within the transmission chain extending to Aḥmad al-Rāzī’s Tārīkh and as offering a methodological basis for understanding Andalusian historiography. Conducted through content analysis and intertextual comparison, this study is based on the edition published by Bosch Vilá and Molina López. By examining both al-Rushāṭī’s personal biography and the scholarly and political context of his time, the intellectual background of the work’s formation is clarified. The political conditions, scholarly networks, and intellectual orientations of the Almoravid period are considered as factors that directly shaped al-Rushāṭī’s historical perspective and the scope of his work. The study demonstrates that the descriptions of the cities of Almería, Córdoba, Mérida, and Lorca reflect the economic, cultural, and administrative structures of the period. In al-Rushāṭī’s narrative, these cities appear as functional centers of trade, learning, and governance. Moreover, the information he provides regarding the nisba al-Muntajīlī offers important linguistic data on the adaptation of Hispano-Roman words into Arabic, enabling the tracing of linguistic interaction and cultural continuity in al-Andalus. The work’s chains of transmission and its structure of historical reporting form a reliable link for accessing Aḥmad al-Rāzī’s lost Tārīkh. In conclusion, this article demonstrates that the city descriptions contained in the work provide concrete data on the economic and social structures of the period, while toponyms and nisbas make visible the traces of linguistic and cultural interaction in al-Andalus. It also situates the work within Andalusian historiography through the chain of transmission extending from Aḥmad al-Rāzī to al-Rushāṭī and later authors.

Keywords

Ethical Statement

During the preparation of this article, artificial intelligence tools (GPT, GPT-5 version) were used in a limited and supportive capacity. These tools were employed to provide alternative wording for the abstract and conclusion sections, to summarize secondary sources and facilitate their connection to the research topic, and to improve the grammatical accuracy and fluency of the English text, as English is not the author’s native language. The accuracy of the information generated by artificial intelligence was verified by the author. The core components of the research namely the determination of the research objective, the literature review, the content analysis, and the final revisions of the manuscript were carried out entirely by the author through manual work.

Thanks

The preparation of this study benefited from the contributions of various individuals and institutions. First, I would like to thank the staff of the Turkish Historical Society Library and ISAM Library for their support and assistance in facilitating access to Spanish-language sources. I am also grateful to Jorge Aguadé for kindly directing me to researchers who could assist my work; to Maribel Fierro for her generous advice on obtaining sources; and to Hüseyin Cihat Şahin for reading the manuscript and offering suggestions for correction and improvement.

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Hadith

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

April 30, 2026

Submission Date

November 12, 2025

Acceptance Date

February 18, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Number: 55

APA
Toprak Şahin, A. (2026). Toponym-Based Genealogical Writing in al-Andalus: al-Rushāṭī’s Iqtibās al-Anwār. Bilimname, 55, 259-281. https://izlik.org/JA22CU49ZD