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Ibn Khaldun's Understanding of History Through Tarikh al-Ibar and Sebuktegin
Abstract
It is accepted that Ibn Khaldun established a scientific discipline with his work Muqaddimah, yet the literature on him contains contradictory statements. While some sources praise Ibn Khaldun both intellectually and personally, others portray him as an individual driven by ambition and willing to do whatever it takes to gain prestige in state administration. Despite the contrasting information regarding his personality, there is a consensus on his intellectual stature and the significance of the Muqaddimah as a work of great importance. With this work, Ibn Khaldun laid the foundations for the philosophy of history, founded the science of 'umrān' (sociology), and contributed to the development of a “cause-and-effect” approach to history within the Islamic world.
However, it is a loss for the scholarly community that the world-historical sections of his work Kitāb al-'Ibar, which represents the practical application of his theoretical frameworks, remain relatively unknown. In the second part of this work, where he discusses the historical development of Arab tribes and states up to his own time, Ibn Khaldun also includes accounts of major empires such as the Romans, Persians, and Greeks, and under this category, he also addresses the history of the Ghaznavids.
In Kitāb al-‘Ibar, Ibn Khaldun provides significant information about the Ghaznavid state, one of the prominent representatives of Turkish and Islamic history, and particularly about its founder, Sebük Tigin. In this study, the information transmitted by Ibn Khaldun regarding Sebük Tigin is examined and compared at times with data found in other contemporary sources.
Keywords
References
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Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
History of Muslim Turkish Countries and Societies
Journal Section
Research Article
Early Pub Date
December 2, 2025
Publication Date
January 19, 2026
Submission Date
April 18, 2025
Acceptance Date
November 14, 2025
Published in Issue
Year 2026 Volume: 36 Number: 1
APA
Güçlüay, S., & Keskin, M. (2026). Ibn Khaldun’s Understanding of History Through Tarikh al-Ibar and Sebuktegin. Firat University Journal of Social Sciences, 36(1), 321-331. https://doi.org/10.18069/firatsbed.1679442
AMA
1.Güçlüay S, Keskin M. Ibn Khaldun’s Understanding of History Through Tarikh al-Ibar and Sebuktegin. Firat University Journal of Social Sciences. 2026;36(1):321-331. doi:10.18069/firatsbed.1679442
Chicago
Güçlüay, Sezgin, and Mahmut Keskin. 2026. “Ibn Khaldun’s Understanding of History Through Tarikh Al-Ibar and Sebuktegin”. Firat University Journal of Social Sciences 36 (1): 321-31. https://doi.org/10.18069/firatsbed.1679442.
EndNote
Güçlüay S, Keskin M (January 1, 2026) Ibn Khaldun’s Understanding of History Through Tarikh al-Ibar and Sebuktegin. Firat University Journal of Social Sciences 36 1 321–331.
IEEE
[1]S. Güçlüay and M. Keskin, “Ibn Khaldun’s Understanding of History Through Tarikh al-Ibar and Sebuktegin”, Firat University Journal of Social Sciences, vol. 36, no. 1, pp. 321–331, Jan. 2026, doi: 10.18069/firatsbed.1679442.
ISNAD
Güçlüay, Sezgin - Keskin, Mahmut. “Ibn Khaldun’s Understanding of History Through Tarikh Al-Ibar and Sebuktegin”. Firat University Journal of Social Sciences 36/1 (January 1, 2026): 321-331. https://doi.org/10.18069/firatsbed.1679442.
JAMA
1.Güçlüay S, Keskin M. Ibn Khaldun’s Understanding of History Through Tarikh al-Ibar and Sebuktegin. Firat University Journal of Social Sciences. 2026;36:321–331.
MLA
Güçlüay, Sezgin, and Mahmut Keskin. “Ibn Khaldun’s Understanding of History Through Tarikh Al-Ibar and Sebuktegin”. Firat University Journal of Social Sciences, vol. 36, no. 1, Jan. 2026, pp. 321-3, doi:10.18069/firatsbed.1679442.
Vancouver
1.Sezgin Güçlüay, Mahmut Keskin. Ibn Khaldun’s Understanding of History Through Tarikh al-Ibar and Sebuktegin. Firat University Journal of Social Sciences. 2026 Jan. 1;36(1):321-3. doi:10.18069/firatsbed.1679442