THE WORK OF EMIR RUKN AL-DIN BAYBARS AL-MANSOURI AL-DAWLA DARA “ZUBDAT AL-FUQRA FI TARIKH AL-HIJRAH” AS AN IMPORTANT SOURCE ON THE HISTORY OF THE REIGN OF SULTAN BAIBARS

Abstract

The article attempts to present the work of a prominent representative of the Mamluk era – Emir Rukn al-Din Baybars al-Mansouri al-Dawadar (died in 1325) "Zubdat al-Fiqra fi tarikh al-Hijra" ("Collection of opinions on the chronology of the Hijra"), which is an important historical chronicle of the XIV century, dedicated to the early the Mamluk period. The value of the essay lies in the fact that the author himself is an eyewitness to many events. Holding high positions in the Mamluk state, he controlled the current situation in the domestic and foreign arena, had direct access to information. This work is widely distributed among Mamluk scholars from different countries and serves as one of the main sources on the Mamluk era.  As the name suggests, the information provided is arranged chronologically and is based on the Muslim Hijri calendar. They include news about the death of famous personalities of the Muslim world, key events that occurred during the described period in the region of North Africa, the Middle East, and also briefly cover the history of the Hulaguids, the Golden Horde, etc.