t poems and
battles. Much that he wrote is quoted in Tabrizi's commentary on the
_Hamasa_, which is still richer in extracts from the historical
elucidations of early poems given by ar-Riyashi (d. 871). Of special
fame as a genealogist was Ibn Habib (d. 859), of whom we have a booklet
on Arabian tribal names (ed. Wustenfeld, 1850). Azraqi again was
followed by Fakihi, who wrote a _History of Mecca_ in 885,[5] and 'Omar
b. Shabba (d. 876), who composed an excellent history of Basra, known to
us only by excerpts. Of the works of Zubair b. Bakkar (d. 870), one of
Tabari's teachers, a learned historian and genealogist much consulted by
later writers, there is a fragment in the Koprulu library at
Constantinople, and another in Gottingen, part of which has been made
known by Wustenfeld (_Die Familie Al-Zobair_, Gottingen, 1878). Ya'qubi
(Ibn Wadih) wrote a short general history of much value (published by
Houtsma, Leiden, 1883). About India he knows more than his predecessors
and more than his successors down to Beruni. Ibn Khordadhbeh's
historical works are lost. Ibn 'Abdalhakam (d. 871) wrote of the
conquest of Egypt and the West. Extracts from this book are given by
M'G. de Slane in his _Histoire des Berberes_, from which we gather that
it was a medley of true tradition and romance, and must be reckoned,
with the book of his slightly senior contemporary, the Spaniard Ibn
Habib, in the class of historical romances. A high place must be
assigned to the historian Ibn Qutaiba or Kotaiba (d. 889), who wrote a
very useful _Handbook of History_ (ed. Wustenfeld, Gottingen, 1850).
Much more eminent is Baladhuri (d. 893), whose book on the Arab conquest
(ed. M.J. de Goeje, Leiden, 1865-1866) merits the special praise given
to it by Mas'udi, and who also wrote a large work, the _Ansab
al-Ashraf_. A contemporary, Ibn abi Tahir Taifur (d. 894), wrote on the
Abbasid caliphs and was drawn on by Tabari. The sixth part of his work
is in the British Museum. The universal history of Dinawari (d. 896),
entitled _The Long Narratives_, has been edited by Girgas (1887).

All these histories are more or less thrown into the shade by the great
work of Tabari (q.v.), whose fame has never faded from his own day to
ours. The _Annals_ (ed. M. de Goeje, Leiden, 1879-1901) are a general
history from the creation to 302 A.H. (= A.D. 915). As a literary
composition they do not rank very high, which may be due partly to the
author's years, partly to the in