An Analysis of the Place of Historical Studies and Historiographies in Encyclopedias and Ajayebnamehs (Wonderbooks)

With classification of sciences according to Muslim’s extent of thought and scope of knowledge in the early AH centuries the basis for the formation of encyclopedia writing knowledge was provided. Encyclopedias with different and sometimes the same aims and intentions define and explain a summary of known sciences of each era. Encyclopedias contents which are about a science or sciences can be a base to classify these works in two categories “general” or several sciences and “professional” or a science. In the meantime structure and content of Ajayebnameh claim them as the third kind of encyclopedias in which dominant form of wonderbooks are the main feature of including sciences. Although the impact of the Greek attitude in the first classification of sciences and in encyclopedias led to ignoring history as a science but history was one of the first sciences of intrest to Muslims and found its position among other sciences. So it was obvious that as the importance of history increased this science gained a new and more important position in classification for encyclopedia writers. This article tries to explain, question and give assumptions about the position of history and historiography in encyclopedias and to explain the relation between Ajayebnamehs with encyclopedias.

Abstract licence: CC BY-NC-ND

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