LONDON AND EDINBURGH
A D A M A N D C H A R L E S B L A C K
1892
P R E F A C E.
―•―
OF the following studies, three have already appeared in German
periodicals, and one (that on the Koran) forms part of the article
MOHAMMEDANISM in the 9th edition of the _Encyclopædia Britannica_. But
all four have been considerably revised. The remaining essays were
written in the course of last year. The fourth, fifth, and sixth, and to
some extent the second and third also, may be regarded as supplementing
Aug. Müller’s excellent _History of Islam_. I have made careful use of
all the sources that were accessible to me, but have cited them only
rarely. I hope I have been fairly successful in obliterating the traces
of laborious study, while, at the same time, I trust that the book may
be found to be of some value, even to the specialist.
The account of Mansúr’s reign is preceded by a brief _résumé_ of the
antecedent history, and of the beginnings of the Abbásids dynasty; it
was impossible otherwise to exhibit the personality of Mansúr in a
proper light. Less organically connected with their context are the
paragraphs at the close of the essay upon King Theodore. But the
interest which Abyssinia now has, even for the ordinary newspaper
reader, justifies, I think, the few words on its history after the death
of that king, and the forecast of its future. I take this opportunity of
mentioning that an Italian of thorough insight and information has
expressed to me his entire concurrence with the opinions indicated in
the paragraphs in question. But I must earnestly beg those who read what
I have there said not to leap to the conclusion that I have the same
opinion about the German as about the Italian enterprises in Africa.
My old friend, De Goeje, of Leyden, has frequently given me valuable
assistance in the history of the servile war, especially on geographical
points. I am also indebted for some geographical notes to my friend G.
Hoffmann, of Kiel.
In speaking of mediæval times I have often retained the familiar
classical names of Oriental countries, such as Babylonia instead of
Irák, Mesopotamia for Jezíra, in the belief that most readers will find
this more convenient.
Where, in the Mohammedan dates, the day of the week and the day of the
month did not seem to agree, I have, in reducing them to terms of the
Julian calendar, of course held invariably to the day of the week; in
the rude Mohammedan reckoning by lunar months errors of two, or even of
three days are quite common. As the Mohammedan months seldom, and the
Mohammedan years never, coincide with ours, I have occasionally found it
necessary, where my authorities gave only the year and the month, to
leave the question open as between two years or months of the Julian
calendar. So also with the Syrian (Seleucid) years, which are strictly
Julian indeed, but begin with 1st October, not 1st January.
The transcription of Oriental names and other words gives their
pronunciation only approximately. _S_ is always to be pronounced sharp,
as in _song_, _this_; _z_ is the English _z_, as in _razor_. _H_ is
always a distinctly audible consonant, even in such words as Alláh. Long
vowels in Arabic and Persian are indicated thus (´), but in some cases
this diacritical mark has been omitted (viz. in the first syllable of
Irán, Isá, Amid, Amol, Aderbiján, and in the word Islam). In words
belonging to other Oriental languages than the Arabic and Persian, I
have used the mark but rarely, as in many instances I could not tell
whether a vowel denoted as long in the written character was (or is)
actually so pronounced.
For Orientalists I may mention, further, that in the following pages I
have in Persian geographical names followed the modern pronunciation,
and thus have avoided the sounds _é_ and _ó_.
In the English translation some slips of the original German edition
have been corrected, partly at the instance of my friend Professor
Robertson Smith.
TH. NÖLDEKE.
STRASSBURG, _18th July 1892_.
C O N T E N T S.
―•―
I.
PAGES
SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SEMITIC RACE, 1-20
II.
THE KORAN, 21-59
III.
ISLAM, 60-106
IV.
CALIPH MANSÚR, 107-145
V.
A SERVILE WAR IN THE EAST, 146-175
VI.
YAKÚB THE COPPERSMITH, AND HIS DYNASTY, 176-206
VII.
SOME SYRIAN SAINTS, 207-235
VIII.
BARHEBRÆUS, 236-256
IX.
KING THEODORE OF ABYSSINIA, 257-284