Overview
In this short essay assignment, you will closely read and analyze a primary source. There are two questions to choose from, each with its own primary source to be analyzed in your essay. You are only required to answer one question and analyze one source. No extra points will be awarded if you answer more than one question. This essay is worth 20% of your final grade.
Question 1
Source: Al-Tabari's Account of the Saqifa Debate.pdf
A brief glossary of names and terms
It is not necessary to read the parts of the text marked out in red.
Brief introduction: this is the account of the events that happened after Muhammad's death, eventually leading to Abu Bakr's appointment as first caliph. It is taken from the 9th-century historian al-Tabari's (839-923) monumental historical work written in Arabic titled The History of Prophets and Kings (38 volumes long in English translation).
Essay question: Based on al-Tabari's account of the events, what are some political ideas and practices you can detect in the text?
- Pay close attention to the words uttered by the different individuals involved in the events.
Question 2
Source: Al-Suyuti's Biography of Harun al-Rashid.pdf
A brief glossary of names and terms
- not explained in the footnotes is attached for your reference. Most of the important individuals mentioned in the biography are given adequate introductions in the footnotes.
This translation was completed in 1881, so the spelling and transliteration of certain names are quite outdated (e.g., Harun ur Rashid, instead of Harun al-Rashid). Do not worry about this too much and feel free to use whichever spelling/transliteration you are comfortable with. Just be consistent.
Brief introduction: this is a biography of the 5th Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid (reigned 786-809) written by a 15th-century Muslim scholar named al-Suyuti (1445-1505). It is taken from his history work titled The History of the Caliphs.
Essay question: What kind of ruler does al-Suyuti portray Harun al-Rashid to be in this biography?