Ibn Hatim
Badr al-Dīn Muḥammad ibn Ḥātim al-Hamdānī, commonly known simply as Ibn Hatim, was a 13th-century official and historian in Yemen, under the Rasulid dynasty.
Very little is known about Ibn Hatim's life, all of which is gleaned from his chief historical work, Kitāb al-Simṭ al-ghālī al-thaman fī akhbār al-mulūk min al-Ghuzz bi ’l-Yaman. His date of birth is unknown, but he was a member of the Banu Hatim clan of the Banu Yam, who were dominant in the region of the provincial capital, Sana'a. Although an Isma'ili, he managed to have a successful career under the Sunni Rasulids, rising under Sultan al-Muzaffar Yusuf I (r. 1249–1295) to become one of only a handful of officials "employed by the sultan in the capacity of roving ambassador, personally representing him wherever in the country he was needed, now negotiating with recalcitrant tribes, now conveying a personal message from the sultan, at times even participating in military operations" (G. R. Smith). The date of his death is likewise unknown.[1]
Ibn Hatim wrote two historical works, the first being Kitāb al-ʿIqd al-thamīn fī akhbār mulūk al-Yaman al-mutaʾakhkhirīn, a general history of Yemen, which has not survived. He is therefore known from his other work, the Kitāb al-Simṭ, a history of Yemen under the Ayyubids and the first two Rasulid sultans. G. R. Smith writes that despite a slight bias towards his own clan, Ibn Hatim's account is "a refreshingly impartial one", and contains much unique information about the country during the period it covers.[1]
References
- 1 2 Smith 2004, pp. 387–388.
Sources
- Smith, G. R. (2004). "Ibn Ḥātim". The Encyclopedia of Islam, New Edition, Volume XII: Supplement. Leiden and New York: BRILL. pp. 387–388. ISBN 90-04-13974-5.