al-Burini

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al-Burini , correctly al-Būrīnī , full nameالحسن بن محمد الدمشقي الصفوري بدر الدين البوريني / al-Ḥasan b. Muhammad ad-Dimašqī AS Ṣaffūrī Badr ad-Din al-Burini (born July 1556 in Saffuriyya, Sanjak Safad ( Safed ); † 1. June 1615 in Damascus ) was a scholar and chronicler of the Ottoman Empire with Arabic mother tongue .

Life

Al-Ḥasan al-Būrīnīs surname refers to his father's hometown, Burin, near Nablus in Galilee . However, he was born in Saffuriyya, his mother's homeland. His father was first an upholsterer or upholsterer ( munajid ), later a perfume maker ( ʿattār ). Al-Būrīnī began his training in the local Koran school . In 1565/66 the family moved to Damascus, where he studied at the ʿUmariyya- Madrasa as-Sālihiyya . Around 1580/81 he was already at the Umayyad Mosque of Damascus, where he made contact with the renowned legal scholar ʿAbdurrahman al-Furfurī († 1585), who helped al-Būrīnī with his patronage.

At the newly founded Darwischiyya Mosque, al-Būrīnī took over his first teaching position in 1585. His father-in-law Ahmad al-'Itawī († 1616) gave him around 1592 the right to independently issue fatwas (legal opinion). Until his death, al-Būrīnī held senior teaching positions at several universities in Damascus, which resulted in a considerable income. His father was even able to quit his job and live on his son's income. Al-Būrīnī was cited by contemporaries as an example of how someone of humble origin could rise to social and economic prominence in one of the major cities of the Ottoman Empire due to his education.

Less as a legal scholar, but more as an expert on Arabic grammar, rhetoric and poetry, he played a recognized role in the academic world. He also spoke Persian and Turkish , although contemporaries noted that his knowledge of Persian was better than that of Turkish. Al-Būrīnī kept in close contact with the ulama (scholars) as well as with poets and writers, many of whom he named in his work. He had also acquired a reputation as a poet himself, although only a few of his poems have survived. In the anthology of the Egyptian Ahmad al-Chafadschī († 1659) he was mentioned as a well-known poet.

plant

Tarādschim al-Aʿyān min Abnāʾ az-Zamān (Arabic, meaning: biographies of famous contemporary personalities)

Al-Būrīnī began with these biographies in 1601, encouraged by Muhammad Amīn al-ʿAdschamī († 1610), the defterdar (treasurer) of Damascus. A copy of the work was later given by al-Būrīnī to al-ʿAdschamī and to the important military commander Muhammad b. Manchak († 1623). He wrote his chronicle until the year of his death in 1615 and it is believed that he could not complete it.

In the introduction he noted that he intended to write a treatise in the tradition of the great historians Ibn Challikān († 1282), Ibn al-Athīr († 1223) and others. The difference to these models is that al-Būrīnī wrote almost exclusively biographies of people he knew personally. These are from Damascus, only a few from other places he had visited, namely Tripoli in 1600, Aleppo in 1608 and the Hejaz in 1611. The work is an important testimony to the political, intellectual and cultural history of Syria in the late 16th century and early 17th century. Al-Būrīnīs contacts with politicians and high military officials in his hometown provided him with sufficient information for his work. This documents the weak Ottoman influence and the resulting power of local mercenary leaders ( Sekban ), who also fought among themselves. He himself took a more pro-Ottoman stance, often in contrast to his students.

Because he made ongoing updates to his biographical chronicle, the style varies from chapter to chapter. Some passages are like a diary, others in rhythmic prose. The individual manuscripts also differ in structure and content (including the introduction), as almost all of them were edited by later chroniclers for their edition. The printed edition published in 1959 is based on the version by Fadlullāh al-Muhibbī († 1671). Al-Muhibbī's edition is also the basis of the four manuscripts that are now kept in Berlin , Dublin , Cairo and Medina . Nevertheless, there are substantial differences between the individual versions. The other two ( Calcutta and Vienna ) were created independently. The Vienna manuscript lists 46 personalities who are described in the work with their curriculum vitae.

In his time, however, al-Būrīnī was best known as the author of a widely read commentary on the Dīwān (collection of poems) by the mystic and poet Ibn al-Fārid († 1235).

Manuscripts

  • Berlin, Berlin State Library , Wetzstein II 29, 189 folios.
  • Dublin, Chester Beatty Library, Arabic 3219, 184 folios.
  • Cairo, Dar al-Kutub al-Misriyya, 576 Tarikh, 198 folios.
  • Calcutta, Library of the Asiatic Society in Calcutta, No. D 22, 235 folios.
  • Medina, Aref Hikmat Library, 42 Tarikh, approx. 150 unnumbered folios.
  • Vienna, Austrian National Library , Mxt. 346, 155 folios.

See also

literature

Remarks

  1. ↑ Muhammad Amīn al-Muhibbī († 1699) reports that enemies of al-Būrīnī wanted to embarrass him by inviting his father, a “simple citizen” ( min quhhi l-'awam ), to a reception at a Damascus notable.
  2. ↑ Father of the famous historian Muhammad Amīn al-Muhibbī.


personal data
SURNAME Al-Burini
ALTERNATIVE NAMES al-Būrīnī; al-Ḥasan b. Muḥammad al-Dimashqī aṣ-Ṣaffūrī Badr ad-Dīn al-Būrīnī (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Syrian chronicler and university professor
DATE OF BIRTH July 1556
PLACE OF BIRTH Saffuriyya, Sandschak Safad ( Safed )
DATE OF DEATH June 1, 1615
Place of death Damascus