2.1.5 Ibn Khaldun and Islamic History and Polities

In this lecture on “Ibn Khaldun and Political Theory and Philosophy: What can we learn from Ibn Khaldun?,” historian Dr. Mahmoud Youness explores the ways in which geography has shaped the spread of Islam. He also shares Ibn Khaldun’s reflections on the definition of the state, and the various approaches to achieving societies that constrain negative human behaviors.

Questions:

1. What is the role of the state, in Ibn Khaldun’s view?
2. How did geography affect the spread of Islam?

Image credit: Sultan Sanjar and the Old Woman, Fol. 18v from a manuscript of the Khamseh of Nizami, Iran, Shiraz, 1527, AKM270. The Aga Khan Museum, CC BY-NC 4.0 CA.