Arabian chronology 500,000 BCE to 679 CE

Redhouse, J[ames] W[illiam]. A Tentative Chronological Synopsis of the History of Arabia and its Neighbours From B.C. 500,000 (?) to A.D. 679.

€ 500.00

A chronology of the Arab world spanning from Babylonian origin myth to the accession of Yezid, son of Caliph Mawiya I of Damascus in 679. Redhouse (1811-92) first sketched out his timeline while he was preparing a translation and commentary in the East India Office of a manuscript called the History of the Resuliyy Dynasty and the Kings of Yemen to the death of Melik Eshref II. He decided to publish his chronology separately in order to reach a wider audience, and so as to make it available to scholars who might find further use for it. Much of the early entries are by necessity semi-mythical, but Redhouse adds historical notes where possible, occasionally alongside his own personal commentary, such as in his entry for 12 BC wherein Hassan, son of Tubba' the Middle, king of Yemen, "uses the Macbeth strategem of boughs of trees to make the advance of his army against the place", or in 189 CE when he notes with some confusion, "The Saracens defeat the Romans; their first mention in history. (Who were they? Arabians have always been well known)", and at roughly 300 CE notes that "Lu'eyy b. Galib [...] ninth ancestor of Muhammed, wrests the principality of Mekka [...] out of the hands of the 'Ezdite tribe of Khuza'a. (It remains in the hands of his descendants to the present time, A.D. 1887)".

During his career Redhouse served the Ottoman government as interpreter to the Grand Vizier, as Minister of Foreign Affairs, and sat on the Naval Council. He was additionally involved in attempts to negotiate treaties for Britain and the Ottomans with Persia. In his retirement his focus turned entirely academic.

A little light wear, binding somewhat delicate.