Q. & A. 711 to 1707 with solved Papers css 1971 to date

Political and Cultural History of [slam
former purpose as well as the latter; a student of philosophy would benefit from its study no less than a student of history.14
As a preliminary it would be necessary to determine his position with regard to the science or philosophy of history and sociology, and mention some of his views about these and other cognate branches of study before we give an exposition of his stand points in epistemology or ontology, that he is the father of the philosophy of history and the founder of sociology, is now an established fact. We would do well to note in this connection the following observations made by Arnold Toynbee, a great British historian; Robert Flint, a British Philosopher, and George Sarton, and American historian of science, respectively15 These indeed are just a few of the many commendatory remarks sincerely bestowed upon Ibn Khaldun by the great thinkers of the world.16
Neither the classical nor the medieval Christian world can show one of nearly the same brightness as Ibn Khaldun.... As a theorist in history he had no equal in any age or country... Plato, Aristotle, Augustine were not his peers and all others were unworthy of being even mentioned along with him... He was admirable alike b> his originality and sagacity, his profundity and his comprehensiveness.17
Ibn Khaldun was a historian; politician, sociologist, economist, a deep student of human affairs, anxious to analyze the past of mankind in order to understand its present and future... One of the first philosophers of history, a forerunner of Machiavelli18 Bodin, Vico, Comet and Cournot.19
We would appreciate the genius of Ibn Khaldun better by recalling to our mind that all these praises have been lavished on him in respect of that part of his opus magnum which he wrote by way of an introduction. His major work Kitab al-’Ibar is a universal astronom>. meteorology geography, climatology, history, politics, economics, ethnology, anthropology, pedagogy, literature, philology
16
Ibid
M Saeed Sheikh Studies in Muslim Philosophy Lahore. P 210
Ibid
17 Robert Hint Histon of the Philosoph) of Histon, P 86
18 For the comparison of Ibn Khaldun \vith Machiaxelli See Mohammad Abdullah Enan Ibn khaldun. His Lite and Work. Lahore. 1941 Book II Chapter V F I Rosenthal. Political!bought in Mcdie\al Isldm.CamhiidgL I9>8 PP 106-’)
19 George Sarton. An Introduction to the lliston of Science \ ol in. P IT’-1
Eminent Scholars of Medieval Islam 887
(clairvoyance, telepathy, divination, dreams),20 medicine, midwifery, music, agriculture, alchemy, astrology, magic,2’etc. Method of History
Ibn Khaldun opens his ’Prolegomena’ by discussing the purpose or value of history, its kinds, and the errors into which historians fall while recording and reporting events. The purpose of history for him is not to arouse the curiosity of the reader, much less to feed his imagination; it is to analyse the past of man in order to understand his present and future. The aim of history for him is not merely to narrate the stories of kings and dynasties or prepare the chronicles of wars and pacts, but to describe the story of human civilization. It is essentially the record of human society, its growth and decay, under different geographical, economic, history written in seven volumes; the introduction to this work entitled Muqaddimah, extensive enough to take the whole of the first volume, was written to explain the author’s views with regard to the nature and methods of history. Almost accidentally, as if the Muqaddimah gave rise to new subjects, viz science or philosophy of history and sociology, and in way that it almost overshadowed the rest of his work. It seems as if Ibn Khaldun had aspired to become a great historian and instead became a great theorician of history. The Muqaddimah is really a
treasure-house of information a sort of encyclopedia in a handy
form. We get interesting and often quite instruct!’, e informatics about all subjects in this work, viz. Political, religious and other cultural conditions.22
While discussing the scientific method of historical research, ibn Khaldun calls attention tc a number of pitfalk ir.io v;hich the historians are liable to stumble: partisanship towards a creed or an opinion, mal-observation, poetic exaggeration, inability to place an event in its proper context, temptation to win the favour of royal or high-ranked personages, drawing analogies on superficial resemblances, etc. An historian is expected by Ibn Khaldun to have developed an insight into the laws governing the structure of human society and its transformations. He should have a scientific approach towards the understanding of historical changes. These should not be
20
Sheikh Saeed, P 210 ’ Ibid.
Buddah Parkash, ’Ibn Khaldun’s Philosophy of History; Islamic Culture

1 I 492-S08, 1955, pp 104-90, 225-36. 1956.

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explained away as had been done in the past merely by alluding to the accidents of nature such as earthquakes, floods, sandstorms, epidenics, etc., important though they may be. Nor should the great changes in history be explained away with reference to divine interventions. Ibn Khaldun seems to have no faith in deus ex machina. The historian should be biased by no speculative or theological pre-possessions. He is required to base his explanations strictly on some empirical evidence, i.e. his own observations and experiences and those of others. While searching for the causes of historical changes he should carefully look into the climatic, territorial, occupational, economic, social, religious and other cultural conditions oLthe people under study. History and sociology are considered by Ibn Khaldun to be cognate sciences; the study of sociology is necessary prelude to the study of history. He has a keen realization of sociological laws governing the course of history. Indeed it may be safely maintained that Ibn Khaldun was the first to state these laws clearly and show their concrete application.2”