History of the Prophets and Kings

What it is

This is a huge Arabic-language chronicle written by the historian al-Tabari, completed in the early 10th century, long after al-Mansur's death. It tells the history of the world from creation up to the Abbasid era, organised year by year. The illustrated page shown here comes from a later copy made in Herat.

Why it matters

Al-Tabari's work is the main surviving narrative source for al-Mansur's caliphate, describing events such as the killing of the rebel commander Abu Muslim, the founding of Baghdad, and al-Mansur's advice to his son and successor al-Mahdi. Because al-Tabari cited his sources and sometimes gave conflicting versions of events, historians use his chronicle carefully, weighing it against other accounts.

Look closer

• Why might a history written over a century after al-Mansur's death still be the main source for his reign?
• What does it mean that al-Tabari sometimes gives more than one version of an event?
• What kinds of events does this chronicle focus on, and what might it leave out?