Secondary sourceBook1377
Muqaddimah
Ibn Khaldun · 1377
Ibn Khaldun's 14th-century treatise on history and society, which names al-Khwarizmi as the first writer on algebra.
Written by a scholar orphaned by the Black Death, describing its devastating effect on societies across continents.
About this source
What it is
The Muqaddimah is a treatise written by the historian Ibn Khaldun, completed around 1377, intended as the introduction to his larger work of world history. It covers historiography, sociology, economics, and the philosophy of history.
Why it matters
In this work, Ibn Khaldun names al-Khwarizmi as the first writer on algebra, showing how later generations in the Islamic world remembered and credited him centuries after his death. The Muqaddimah itself is considered an early work touching on social science methods, revealing how Ibn Khaldun tried to study history critically rather than simply recording it.
Look closer
- Why might Ibn Khaldun, a historian rather than a mathematician, mention al-Khwarizmi in a work about history and society?
- What does it mean that al-Khwarizmi was remembered by name over five centuries after his death?
- How reliable do you think a historian writing centuries later can be about who
This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of The Black Death on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.
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