A critical edition of al-Durr al-Maknūn fī al-Ma'āthir al-Mādiya min al-Qurūn of Yāsīn al-'umarī (920-1226 A.H. = 1514/15 A.D. - 1811/12 A.D.)

Abstract

This thesis is a critical edition of "al-Durr al-Maknūn fī al-Ma'āthir al-Māḍiya min al-Ǫurūn" (DUR.) by the Iraqi historian, Yāsīn Efendi al-Khaṭīb al-'Umarī al-Mawṣilī, 1158-1234 A.H. = 1745- 1818 A. D. covering the years 920 A. H. -1226 A. H. (= 1514/1515 A. D.- 1811/1812 A. D. ). The present thesis consists of three parts, and is divided into three volumes. The first part (Vol. I, Introduction and Notes) contains the introduction to DUR., in four chapters, with a supplement. Chapter one is composed of two sections I the first of which deals with the author's personality and his biography: name and nisba , titles and kunya, birth, background, knowledge, character, mystical leanings, social standing, and his death. The second section deals with the author's family (the 'Umarī’s in MosuI). The second chapter is divided into two sections, the first is a list of all the author's works; historical, poetical, and literary, and his Naskhiyyāt. The second section is a study of the author's historical works. This study deals analytically with each work in turn. The third chapter is a study of the relevant MSS. The historical structure of these MSS is examined, and the MSS of DUR. are described individually; orthography and the style of the author…etc. are also investigated. The fourth chapter is a study of the text of DUR. It contains two sections. In the first section, peculiarities of the text are outlined as are the name of the work, the sources, the work as history, its literary forms, geographical elements and economic information. Section two comprises a study of the historical content which is embodied in this thesis under the following headings: a) Biographical material, b) Annals, c) Contemporary chronicles, d) Local History. Historical content of the biographical material is analysed, as also is the historical material in other fields. The annals cover: 1) The Ottoman conflict with Iran, 2) Eastern Europe, 3) The Mediterranean, 4) Russia and Poland. Also covered in the contemporary chronicles are: 1) The French Revolution, 2) Napoleon Bonaparte, 3) The Ashrāf of Mecca, 4) The Syrian provinces,S) Salafiyya and Wahhābiyya, 6) Istanbul, 7) Iraq. Local historical subjects covered are: 1) The local powers in the Middle East during the 18th century, 2) Iraq during the 18th century, and 3) The local history of Mosul. The last subject is studied in detail because it is of considerable importance in DUR. which contains full details of the Jalīlī house in Mosul during the 18th century. The additional supplement deals with the methods employed in editing DUR. This volume also contains appendices, tables, diagrams, maps, lists and bibliographies. Of these appendices attention is drawn to “Appe No. 1": (= Notes to the Text) which contains explanatory comments and emendations. The second part of the thesis (Vol. II Text) contains the text of the first version of DUR. (= DUR. 1 : MSS v and pl. The third part of the thesis (Vol. III, "Apparatus Criticus") contains a comparison of the DUR. 1 and DUR. 2 MSS (= v, p, Bn, B, BR)i it also contains the additional material from DUR. 2 (= MSS Bn, B, BR). In this volume, there is also a supplement of additional historical material, covering the period 1218-1226 A.H. (= 1803-1811 A.D.), taken from DUR. 2 (= MS Bn). This is compared with MSS Band BR.