HIST 1300-4 TEST 1

Name Matric Number

NUR ASMA ZULAIKHA BINTI ZEENISS 2114354

Question:

Choose one Western historiographer and one Muslim historiographer that we have learned

about in class. Compare and contrast their thoughts and historical methodology.

Answer:

I have learned that the "History of History" is the study of how historical knowledge

and the field of history itself have changed throughout time, just as all intellectuals have

become the people they are today by learning and each past event may have different

interpretations by different esteemed scholars. For instance, the Muslim and Western

historiographers, two different sects of intellectuals of two different realms have made an

enormous impact on our lives with their historical methodology. In this paper, I will be

discussing the distinctions of thought as well as their historical methodology between

Herodotus and Ibn Khaldun.

I will begin writing regarding Herodotus and his background. Greek historian

Herodotus was known by his renowned title as the "Father of History". Being from a

privileged family, he was born around 484 BCE and encountered numerous cultures,

customs, and traditions which brought him to the story of the Greco-Persian war. The

antagonistic relationship between the East (Asia) and the West (Europe) serves as the focal

point of Herodotus' narrative. In his historical account, Herodotus frames the East/West

conflict as a clash between cultures, highlighting the significance of culture and cultural

identity in global conflicts. Herodotus portrays the Persian Wars as a conflict between two
unique and fascinating cultures rather than a war of arms. He posited that "The Histories" is

more than just a record of military campaigns; it also explores the traditions, beliefs, and

social systems of the people he visited. In addition, he emphasized human motivations for

their actions and tended to view history as a series of discrete events. This has led me to note

the differences of the work of Ibn Khaldun.

Ibn Khaldun, often referred to as Abu Zayd 'Abdul Rahman b. Muhammad b.

Khaldun al-Hadrami, was born in 1332 CE. His major works, "Muqaddimah" and “Kitab

al-Ibar” have earned him the title of "Father of Historiography." Ibn Khaldun. Living in a

totally different era, Ibn Khaldun stressed the importance of social and economic structures.

He proposed that "Man is the product, not of his ancestry, but of his social customs" as

evidence. Although his approach was more typically labeled as 'secular'. Ibn Khaldun, in

contrast to Herodutus, considered history as a continuous process. According to his view of

history, human societies cycle through youth, maturity, and old age, frequently compared to

the life cycle of organisms. In other words, civilization may rise, decay, and fall in which he

coined it as the cycle of social change.

Despite his stated rejection of Greek mythology and divine intervention, Herodotus's

use of historical events, myths, anecdotes, and ethnographic descriptions to produce a useful

and entertaining narrative is hypocritical in my opinion. However, Ibn Khaldun saw the past

to be odd and in need of interpretation. Ibn Khaldun's originality was to claim that the

cultural difference of another age must govern the evaluation of relevant historical material,

to distinguish the principles under which the evaluation might be attempted, and, finally, to

recognize the need for experience, in addition to rational principles, in order to assess a past

culture. "Idle superstition and uncritical acceptance of historical data" were frequently

criticized by Ibn Khaldun. Thus, he introduced a scientific approach to the study of history,

which was regarded as "new to his age," and he frequently referred to it as his "new science,"
which was now associated with historiography. In his book Muqaddimah, he discusses his

method of approaching history through the lens of realism, avoiding sensationalism,

fact-checking history, and considering the context.

Herodotus relied on eyewitness testimony and direct observation, interviewing people

from many cultures to acquire information for his story. His sophisticated method of

interpreting history set the stage for later historians to examine the intricacies of historical

communities and cultures. Ibn Khaldun, however, had a different perspective on it. Ibn

Khaldun outlines a novel approach to history, contending that it calls for more than just the

chronicling of past occurrences. According to Khaldun, historians must carefully examine the

ways in which the ecological, social, political, and economic contexts influence the

emergence and fall of civilizations over time.