Development of the Historical Methodology in the Bahri Mamluk Era (648–784 AH / 1250–1386 AD) Analytical Historical Study

Abstract

(Abstract):

Historiography, as a foundational discipline, reflects the level of collective awareness of nations toward their past and the trajectory of civilizational development. This discipline is not limited to the mere recording of events; rather, its primary objective is to analyze and interpret historical occurrences and to situate them within their political, social, and intellectual contexts in order to achieve a deeper understanding of the processes of historical development.

Historical writing in Islamic civilization witnessed remarkable growth across different periods; however, during the Bahri Mamluk era in Egypt (648–784 AH / 1250–1382 CE), it emerged as a distinctive and exceptional phase. This distinction is attributed to the abundance and diversity of historical production and the multiplicity of methodologies employed. During this period, numerous historians rose to prominence and produced a rich and diverse body of historical works.

This development was directly linked to the political and intellectual conditions that prevailed in Egypt at the time, particularly following the fall of Baghdad in 656 AH / 1258 CE and the transfer of the intellectual and political center of the Islamic world to Egypt. This transformation contributed to the formation of a favorable scholarly and intellectual environment that fostered the growth of historical writing.

On this basis, the present study aims to shed light on the development of historiography during the Bahri Mamluk period and to analyze the political, social, and intellectual factors that contributed to the emergence of a conducive environment for the advancement of this scholarly field.