On abundance of historical and geographical data, a variety of genres and the number of works of the Arab history and geography literature has no analogy in medieval geography. The Arab geographers and travelers left the description not only the Muslim East, but also other countries. Their works are the major, and sometimes the only certificate on many people of the Middle Ages. The fact that in the theoretical constructions it proceeded is characteristic of the Arab historical and geographical science contrary to the real data on history and geography of the people which are saved up by her. Blossoming of the Arab geographical literature falls for 10 century. The works of representatives of classical school of the Arab geography devoted to the description of trade ways and areas of the Muslim world and containing the richest geographical and historical and cultural material were especially considerable. The subsequent development of geography went mainly through creation of extensive compilations, especially cosmographical and historical and topographical descriptions of the certain cities and the countries.
Arabian Peninsula which is in southwest part of the Eurasian continent and intermediate between Europe, the Central and the Southern Asia and Northeast Africa was a cradle of the Arab ethnos. Peninsula Arabia surface area — 3 million sq.km (more than a quarter of the area of Europe). It is the center of the world; there are a political capital and the religious center of all devout.
Area of the peace treaty — the countries which have obeyed to Muslims by the contract. The non-Muslim population of these countries is under the auspices of Islam and pays for it a special subear tax (dzhizy). Speaking to language of modern geopolitics, it is a peculiar Muslim semi-periphery of the world.
Area of war — the non-Muslim countries which don't have the peace treaty with the Caliphate and, therefore, being with him at war. It is the world periphery which has to be turned into the Muslim semiperiphery.
To lead the whole world to Islam, Muslims need to conduct continuous fight for belief — jihad which can be three types, jihad of heart — fight against own shortcomings; jihad of language — a ban blamed and permission approved by Islam; газават (attack) or Fatah (gain, victory). In sacred war it is forbidden to kill women, children, old men and priests even of non-Muslim religion, but the population and its property of the won country become spoils of war [1].
Thus, geopolitics of Islam was implemented through a certain state form — the Caliphate, saw in the center of the world the Arab nation rallied by Moslem doctrine which sanctuaries are in Mecca — the religious center of Muslims and all future world. The manned world for the present didn't become completely Muslim, but the purpose of Islam is to make him that by means of continuous expansion of the Caliphate, to efforts of all Muslims which are obliged to conduct sacred war jihad for realization of this purpose.
Historical and geographical ideas and concepts were stated in the compositions by many Arab scientists from whom it is necessary to distinguish great thinkers Al-Farabi (870-950) and Ibn-Halduna (1332-1406).
Abu Nasr ibn Muhammad of Al-Farabi is a great Arab philosopher, the scientist-Encyclopaedist, the political thinker — was born in the extreme East of the Caliphate in Otrare located on the bank of the Syr Darya in the area Transoxiana, boundary with Turkic peoples. The father Farabi was Turkoman, but served in troops of the Caliphate. Farabi has got the education shining for those times at the Baghdad university. He studied natural, social, political sciences and philosophy. Teaching was conducted in the spirit of the Platon’s (idealism, search of perfect forms of life and political board, dialogue form of presentation) and Aristotelean (an encyclopedias, systematization of all types of knowledge, Gnosticism, the natural reasons of the sociopolitical phenomena) traditions and Islamic dogmas. Upon termination of Al-Farabi's university he was engaged in scientific work. Vital circumstances have forced it to leave for several years Baghdad (941-950). He has spent these years in Syria (Damascus, Aleppo — modern Aleppo), without stopping creative activity. Al-Farabi left rich and various scientific heritage. The most known of his works are "Comments on Aristotle's compositions", "The treatise about classification of sciences", "Knowledge gems". As the political and social thinker Al-Farabi has become famous for the works which have become widely known in the Arab world and beyond his limits "Civil policy", "About achievement of happiness", "The statesman's aphorisms". During the Syrian period of the activity it systematized the socio-political views, having united them in the general work under the name "The Treatise about Views of Residents of the Virtuous City". The works Al-Farabi has deserved in the Arab world the nickname "Second Teacher" (i.e. the second Aristotle).
Muslims consider him also as the father of the Arab political thought.
Political ideas of Al-Farabi had obviously expressed geopolitical implication. He, as well as Aristotle, explained the political phenomena and processes with the natural, natural reasons, constantly connecting policy and geography. For example, human society in his representation — "connection of many people in one place of residence", i.e. result of cumulative influence of geographical and social factors. At the same time human society as all civilization in general, he subdivided into the separate people which differ one from another "in three natural things: natural temper, natural lines (character) and the third, based on character (people) which also has some concern to natural things. It is language, i.e. the speech which is means of expression (thought)". Thus, Al-Farabi was the natural (natural) reasons the basis for ethnogenesis: temper, character and language of the people which, in his opinion, are built up by geographical factors. Besides, he subdivided all societies (states) on great, average and small. "Great society is a set of many people which unite and help each other. The average is the one people. Small is (society), presented by one city". In his great, average and small societies we without effort learn empires, the one-national countries and policies. At the same time and great, and average, and small societies, from the point of view of the thinker, can be quite autonomous, politically independent, giving at the same time the maximum opportunities for improvement of people in affairs and thoughts ("perfect societies"), and greatest "perfection", according to Al-Farabi, the city community possessed. But also he subdivided city communities ("the city and society") by criterion of the main goal set by their inhabitants. At the same time "the city and society of need" aims "at mutual aid in acquisition (all that) that is necessary for existence and protection of a body..." "The city and society of an exchange are such which (inhabitants) help each other with achievement of prosperity and wealth". "The city and society of meanness are such which inhabitants help each other with receiving sensual pleasures..." "The city and society of ambition are such which inhabitants help each other with that they were esteemed in word and deed", and the city and society of love of power are presented "by people who help each other with achievement of a victory..." (As well as at Aristotle) Al-Farabi considered as the best "the collective city", i.e. such in which each inhabitant is completely free to do what will wish. Its inhabitants elect to themselves governors who govern them according to will of inhabitants.
The considered gradation of societies by the principle of virtue and preference of sheet society imperial visually reflect moods of an era in which there lived the author of this concept. It was the era of disintegration of the Caliphate, political instability when each person deprived of the state support and protection looked for the help and support in a family, at neighbors, in a city community.
Ibn-Haldun Abd Abu Abu Zeyd is the famous Arab politician, the philosopher and the historian. I was born and lived when the Arab civilization tried to overcome consequences of disintegration of the Caliphate, the strongest blow struck to it with Turks-seldzhuki who in 1055 have taken Baghdad and the Mongolian gain (Mongols have taken Baghdad in 1258). He has devoted the most part of the life to the state activity and education of successors of emirs. I took up positions of the adviser, head of the government, ambassador, judge in a number of the Emirates of Maghrib (North Africa).
His most famous historical and political composition the big history, or the Book of effective examples and a sofa of messages on days of the Arabs, Persians and berbers and their contemporaries who have seized the power of the great sizes" (1367), and also "Prolegomena" is considered ", i.e. "Introduction" (Arab. "Mukkadim"), to him. "Prolegomena" — the encyclopedic work having a noticeable geopolitical basis. It contains data on Earth, her climatic zones, on the people inhabiting the planet, their history and culture, on communication of the person and the nature (cattle breeding, agriculture, crafts, trade). The first prolegomena — "About development by the person of the world" — comes to the end with a conclusion that "the sense of development by the person of the world" consists in cooperation of people which gives them "food for livelihood and the weapon for protection...". At the same time cooperation, i.e. association and mutual aid of people in the course of development of the world by them, is continuously improved. It is also a way of development of humanity from primitiveness to a civilization, it is also necessary. Association of people in societies and the states, in opinion Ibn-Halduna, happens on the basis of an asabiya — a special type of the social relations following from initial relationship, sympathy for relatives, aspiration to save them from injustice and trouble.
Later, with development of a civilization and, obviously, complication of social communications, асабийя it is transferred to all members of society. On the basis of the asabiya understood already as "protection, defense and a gain and any business for which unite" are formed also the states, on her also the power in them keeps. On the basis of an asabiya the political groups (parties, fractions) fighting for the power are formed in the state. But "the state, having become stronger, can do without asabiya" — IbnHaldun claimed, meaning that in case of a victory and considerable prevalence of one of the cliques fighting for the power, she can individually carry out the power, relying on the help of strangers. Muatasima and his successor has acted this way, having broken асабийю Arabs and having relied on the help of Persians, a tyurok, seldzhuk, etc. Obviously, creation of the empire (caliphate), i.e. association of many ethnoses in uniform, but diverse state education, leads to destruction of an asabiya — ethnonational unity, and forces the governor who has won race for power to lean on an alien ethnonational element that, in turn, is fraught with crash of all empire.
Thus, still scientists of the Ancient world have noticed natural communication of political activity (as which they first of all understood acts of governors) and Earth space where this activity was developed. Really, implementation of political actions demands knowledge of extent, area, a relief, vegetation, climate, the rivers — as water barriers and means of communication. Thinkers of the Middle Ages paid attention to the main characteristics of a spatial factor and the concrete district on which the resisting armies will battle. They specified not need of possession of information on economic power of the country and military force of army. Especially it is impossible to expect to retain the occupied territory, without having ideas of her population — what its quantity, density, other demographic characteristics, of properties of national character.
Thus, the Arab culture, the medieval culture which has developed in the Arab caliphate in VII-X centuries in the course of cultural interaction of Arabs and the people of the Middle East, North Africa and Southwest Europe won by them. In scientific literature the term "Arab Culture" is used both for designation of culture of actually Arab people, and in application to medieval Arabic-language culture of some other the people which were a part of the Caliphate. In the last value the concept "Arab Culture" is identified sometimes with the concept "Muslim culture" (i.e. culture of the Muslim people) and his use is conditional.
On abundance of geographical data, a variety of genres and the number of works of the Arab geography literature has no analogy in medieval geography. The Arab geographers and travelers left the description of all Muslim East, and also a number of the countries, including Europe, Sowing and Central Africa, coasts Easten Africa and Asia up to Korea, islands of the Malay Archipelago. Their works are the major, and sometimes the only certificate on many people of the Middle Ages. The fact that in the theoretical constructions it proceeded is characteristic of the Arab geographical science contrary to the real data on Earth geography which are saved up by her, from a Ptolemaist’s picture of the world and its geographical theory. The cartographic materials usually reproduced Ptolemaist’s cards or schematic cards which were going back to ancient Iranian prototypes. Geographical representations of pre-Islamic Arabs are reflected in ancient poetry and the Koran. Emergence at a boundary of VIII-IX centuries. the translations and processing of astronomic-geographical works of antique authors, especially Ptolemaeus, has laid the foundation of the Arab scientific geography applying settlement rules and tables of spherical astronomy. The highest achievement of this branch of the Arab geography along with Battani and Horezmi's works are astronomicgeographical and geodetic compositions of Biruni. In IX century there were also first samples of descriptive geography [Ibn Hordadbekh's compositions (about 820 about 912/913), Kudama ibn Jafar (the 1st half of X century), al-Yakubi (897 or 905 has died)], and also the stories about travel containing fantastic and real data on the countries and the people for Caliphate predlam (Abu Zayd's collection as-Sirafi, the beginning of X century; composition of Buzurga ibn Shakhriyara, etc.). The genre of the description of travel developed also in the subsequent (Ibn Fadlan's notes, 10 century, Abu Dulafa, 10 century; diaries of travel of Abu Hamid alGarnati, (died 1170), Ibn Dzhubayra, (died 1217), and Ibn Battuta, 1304-1377, the description of travel to Russia of the patriarch Makari Antiokhiysky, etc.).
Blossoming of the Arab geographical literature falls for X century. The works of representatives of classical school of the Arab geography devoted to the description of trade ways and areas of the Muslim world and containing the richest geographical and historical and cultural material were especially considerable (works al-Istakhri, Ibn Haukalya, X century, al-Mukaddasi, 946/947 about 1000). in XI-XIV centuries there were genres of geographical dictionaries and general descriptions of the Universe cosmography, summarizing the saved-up earlier geographical material (dictionaries of the Yakut, 1179-1229, al-Bakri, has died 1094, cosmography al-Kazvini, I have died 1283, ad-Dimashki, Abu-Fidy has died 1327). In Europe the greatest popularity I have received al-Idris (1100-1165 or 1161). His compositions reckoned as the best geographical treatise in the Middle Ages with 70 cards. Besides the description of the Muslim East, it contains various data on the countries and the people Zap. and Eastern Europe. The subsequent development of geography went mainly through creation of extensive compilations, especially cosmographical and historical and topographical descriptions of the certain cities and the countries (for example, al-Makrizi's compositions). Geographical sections in compositions an-Nuvayri, al-Umari, alKalkashandi, etc. are of great value. A large contribution to the Arab geographical science were works of the pilot Vasco da Gama Ibn Majeed (15 century) and al-Mekhri (XVI century) which have generalized the theory and centuries-old practice of the Arab navigation.
The Arab (Arabic-language) historiography as independent discipline was allocated at a boundary of VIII-IX centuries. The first records of historical contents belong to the end of VII century. As material for early monuments of historical literature in the Arab language historical and genealogical legends of the Arab tribes, semi-legendary messages on the pre-Islamic states have served in the Southern Arabia and about the Arab principalities in Syria (Gassanida) and in Iraq (Lakhmida), and also religious and historical legends about emergence and distribution of Islam, especially about activity of Muhammad and his associates. The scheme of a world history accepted in the Arab historiography has developed under the influence of Koran’s idea of the past, as about a consecutive number of prophetical missions, and creation of Muslim genealogists and exegetes of 7-8 centuries which have connected a family tree of Arabs with the bible "table of the people". The significant role in creation of a historiography was played by development of astronomical knowledge (establishment of chronology of a world history) and use of materials of the Iranian historical and epic legend (the translations of "The book of tsars" sasanidsky of Iran), and also the apocryphal JudeoChristian legends. The medieval Arab historiography proceeds from theological interpretation of the course of a world history as implementation of a divine plan concerning the human race. At the same time she recognizes responsibility of the person for the acts and sees a task of the historian in lecture by historical experience. The idea about the didactic value of history accepted by most of Muslim historians was especially accurately formulated by Ibn Miskavaykh (died 1030). The Arab historians haven't gone further narrative history, and only Ibn Haldun has made attempt to pass to a statement of historical events in their causal relationship, having developed the original doctrine about the general laws of development of human society. Experts and collectors of genealogies and oral breeding legends were predecessors of professional Arab historians.
These materials have been systematized by Muhammad al-Kalbi (763 has died), added and written down by his son Hesham (he have died about 819). Except the monumental arch of genealogiya of Arabs of Hesham al-Kalbi, the similar arches have made Muarridzhas-Sadusi (811 has died), Sukhaym ibn Hafs (806 has died), Musab of an az-Zubayra (851 has died), Zubayr ibn Bakkar (870 has died), Ibn Hazm (he have died 1030), Al-Kalkashandi (1355-1418), etc. Muhammad of an az-Zukhra (has died 741/42) combining collecting of genealogies and breeding legends with interest in political history of the Caliphate was the largest figure of an initial stage of the Arab historiography. He possesses one of the first records of legends about military campaigns of Muhammad (so-called magaz). The first big historical composition in the Arab language (history of ancient prophets and Muhammad's biography) of Ibn Iskhan (about 704-768 or 767) has served as a sample for the subsequent compositions on this subject. Works Al-Vakidi (747-823), Ibn Sada (845 has died), late compilations Ibn Sayd of An NASA, Nuraddina al-Halabi, etc. are most considerable. They are adjoined by hagiographical literature, popular in the Middle Ages, mostly fantastic stories about prophets and Muslim Saints. Prevalence of the historical works devoted to separate events mainly from history of the Arab gains and civil wars in the Caliphate VII the beginning of 8 centuries is characteristic of the 2nd half 8 the middle of IX centuries [Abu Mikhnaf (774 has died), Abu Ubayda (I have died about 824) and especially al-Madaini (I have died about the middle of 9 century) ]. Iraq became the center of the Arab historiography for a long time. From the 2nd half of IX century there are compositions uniting the saved-up material in the coherent historical narration. Works al-Belazuri (about 820 about 892) were the most considerable; Abu Hanify ad-Dinaveri (died about 895) and al-Yakubi on the general history which has become the leading genre of a historiography of the period of her blossoming (IX the 1st half of XI centuries). Made more often in the form of the annals, they contained the review of a world history from creation of the world, initial history of a Muslim community, the description of the Arab gains and political history of the Caliphate (board of dynasties Omeyadov and Abbasidov). The largest composition of this genre multivolume "History of prophets and tsars" of an at-Tabara (838 or 839-923). Fame was gained also general history al-Masudi (956 or 957 has died), Hamza al-Isfakhani (he has died in the 2nd half of X century) Ibn Miskavaykh, and later Ibn al-Asira (1160-1233 or 1234), Ibn Halduna, etc. Historians of IXX centuries are distinguished by the breadth of vision reflecting encyclopedic nature of their interests and knowledge (especially Yakubi and Masudi who has collected material on history and culture of the people outside the Muslim countries).
Due to the formation of local political consciousness in the states which have developed in the territory of the Abbasidsky caliphate in a historiography from the 2nd half of X century dinastiyny and local chronicles which authors are mainly court historiographers prevail (usually officials secretaries, viewfinders, etc.) but not historians scientists. The biographic chronicles devoted to history of secretaries, viewfinders have gained development (for example, al-Azhakhshiyari, has died 943; Hilal as-Sabi. 969-1056), judges (Waca al Qadi, has died 918; al-Kindi, has died 961; al-Hushani, has died 971). The local historiography is presented by works on history of the certain cities, areas and provinces, for example to history of Mecca al-Azraki (died about 858), Baghdad Ibn Abu Takhira of Tayfur (819/20 893), Egypt Ibn Abd al-Hakama (about 798871), Muslim Spain Abd al-Malika ibn Habiba (about 796-853). The special attention is deserved by the historical encyclopedia of the Yemen historian al-Hamdani (died in the 2nd half of 10 century) in which data on genealogy, history, archeology, geography and literature of Yuzh are collected. In later time in compositions such main attention is allocated for biographies of local political and religious figures and cultural figures, and connection of the annals with the political biography is characteristic of many of these biographic compositions.
These are history of Baghdad al-Hatiba of al-Baghdadi (1002-71), Damascus al-Kalanisi (died 1160) and Ibn Asakir (1105-1176), Aleppo (Aleppo) Ibn Al-Adima (1192-1262), Granada Ibn al-Hatiba (13131374). One of the main places in the Arab historiography is occupied by actually biographic literature: the general biographic dictionaries of the Yakut, Ibn Hallikana (1211-1282) and as-Safadi (1296/97 1363), the sets of biographies of figures in the field of philosophy, medicine and natural sciences Ibn Al-Kifti (11721248) and Ibn Abu Usaybi (1203-1270), etc. Historical compositions in the Arab language wrote not only in Arab, but also in other countries of the Muslim East, including in India, Iran, Turkey and to Africa. An era of the Turkish domination (XVI the beginning of XX centuries) it is presented mainly by epigonsky compilations on the general and local history, biographic and historical and bibliographic the arches. There are of the greatest value history of Andalusia al-Makkari (1591/92 1632) and the biographic composition of the Egyptian historian al-Hafadzhi (died 1659).
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