Ibn Khaldun

[Arabian Stallion]

IBN KHALDUN​

His Life and Work

1332 - 1406 / 732 - 808



BY

Muhammad Hozien​

He is indeed the one outstanding personality in the history of a civilization whose social life on the whole was 'solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short'. In his chosen field of intellectual activity he appears to have been inspired by no predecessors, and to have found no kindred souls among his contemporaries, and to have kindled no answering spark of inspiration in any successors ; and yet, in the Prolegomena (Muqaddimat) to his Universal History he has conceived and formulated a philosophy of history which is undoubtedly the greatest work of its kind that has ever yet been created by any mind in any time or place. It was his single brief 'acquiescence' from a life of practical activity that gave Ibn Khaldun his opportunity to cast his creative thought into literary shape.

A STUDY OR HISTORY. Vol. III. Arnold ]. Toynbee. Royal Institute of International Affairs and Oxford University Press. p. 321-322.


INTRODUCTION:

Ibn Khaldun is the most important figure in the field of History and Sociology in Muslim History. He is one of those shining stars that contributed so richly to the understanding of Civilization. In order for one to understand and appreciate his work, one must understand his life. He lived a life in search of stability and influence. He came from a family of scholars and politicians and he intended to live up to both expectations. He would succeed in the field of Scholarship much more so than in any other field.


CHILDHOOD AND EARLY YEARS:

He is Abdurahman bin Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Al-Hasan bin Jabir bin Muhammad bin Ibrahim bin Abdurahman bin Ibn Khaldun. His ancestry according to him originated from Hadramut, Yemen. He also traced his ancestry through another genealogy as supplied by Ibn Hazem using his grandfather who was the first to enter Andalusia back to Wail ibn Hajar one of the oldest Yemenite tribe. In either case, the genealogy points to his Arab origin although scholars do question the authenticity of both reports due to the political climate at the time of these reports.[1]

Ibn Khaldun was born in Tunis on Ramadan 1, 732 (May 27, 1332)[2]. He received a traditional education that was typical of his family’s rank and status. He learned first at the hands of his father who was a scholarly person who was not involved in politics like his ancestors. He memorized the Qur’an by heart, learned grammar, Jurisprudence, Hadith, rhetoric, philology, and poetry. He had reached certain proficiency in these subjects and received certification in them. In his autobiography, he does mention the names these scholars.[3]

He continued studies until the age of 19 when the great plague would sweep over the lands from Samarkand to Mauritania. It was after this plague that Ibn Khaldun would receive his first public assignment.[4] This would start his political career that would forever change his life.

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IN TUNISIA AND MOROCCO

Ibn Tafrakin, the ruler of Tunis, called Ibn Khaldun to be the seal bearer of his captive Sultan Abu lshaq. It is here that Ibn Khaldun would get first hand look at the inner workings of court politics and the weakness of the government. It would not be long before he would get an opportunity to leave Tunis.[5]

In 1352 (713 A. H.) Abu Ziad, the Emir of Constantine, marched his forces on Tunis. Ibn Khaldun accompanied Ibn Tafrakin with the forces that would ward off Abu Ziad’s attacks. Tunis was defeated and Ibn Khaldun escaped to Aba, where he lived with al-Mowahideen. He would move back and forth through Algeria and settled in Biskra.[6]

At that same time in Morocco Sultan Abu Enan, who had recently settled on the throne of his father, was on his way to conquer Algeria. Ibn Khaldun would travel to Tlemcen to meet the Sultan. Ibn Khaldun mentions that the Sultan honored him and sent him with his chamberlain Ibn Abi Amr to Bougie to witness its submission to Sultan Abu Enan.[7]

Ibn Khaldun would stay in the company of the Chamberlain while the Sultan moved back to the capital, Fez. In 1354 (755 A.H.) Ibn Khaldun would accept the invitation to join the council of Ulama and would move to Fez. He would eventually be promoted to the post of the seal bearer and would accept it reluctantly, because it was inferior to the posts once occupied by his ancestors.[8]

Ibn Khaldun would use his stay in Fez to further his studies. Fez at this time was a capital of Morocco and enjoyed the company of many scholars from all over North Africa and Andalusia. He was also being promoted from one position to another.[9]

Ibn Khaldun was an ambitious young man and at this point of his life, he would begin to engage in court politics. Ibn Khaldun would conspire with Abu Abdullah Muhammad, the dethroned ruler of Bougie who was captive in Fez at that time. Abu Abdullah is from the Banu Hafs which were patrons of Ibn Khaldun’s Family.[10]

Sultan Abu Enan would find out about the conspiracy and would imprison Ibn Khaldun. Abu Abdullah would be released from prison and Ibn Khaldun would linger on for two years. Sultan Abu Enan would fall ill and die before fulfilling his promise to release Ibn Khaldun. The Wazir Al-Hassan ibn Omar ordered the release of Ibn Khaldun who was restored to his former position.[11]


ESCAPE FROM MOROCCO TO SPAIN

The political climate was tense and Ibn Khaldun would again test his fate and conspire against the Wazir with al-Mansur.[12] This loyalty would be short lived too. He would conspire with Sultan Abu Salem who would overthrow Al-Mansur. Ibn Khaldun would get the position of Secretary and the repository of his confidence (Amin as-Sir).[13]

Here Ibn Khaldun would excel in his position and would compose many poems. He would occupy this position for two more years and would then be appointed as the Chief Justice. He would show a great ability in this position. However due to constant rivalry between him and high officials he would lose favor with the Sultan.[14]

However this would not matter because a revolt would take place and Sultan Abu Salem would be overthrown by Wazir Omar. Ibn Khaldun would side with the victorious and would get his post with higher pay. Ibn Khaldun was ambitious as ever and wanted a higher position, namely that of the Chamberlain. For reasons unknown, perhaps he was not trusted, he was refused. This upset him enough to resign his position. This in turn upset the Wazir. Ibn Khaldun would ask to leave Fez and go back to Tunisia and this request would be refused. It was then that he would ask the Wazir’s son-in-law to intercede on his behalf to be allowed to go to Andalusia.[15]

​

FROM SPAIN TO TUNISIA

Sultan Muahmmad al-Ahmar, the king of Granada, was deposed by his brother Ismail who was supported by his brother-in-law. Sultan Muhammad was a friend of Sultan Abu Salem who helped him when he was deported to Andalusia by Sultan Abu Enan. When Sultan Abu Enan died and Sultan Abu Salem became the ruler that friendship was rekindled. Further when Ismail al-Ahmar was declared king of Granada in a place revolt, Sultan Muhammad took refuge in Morocco with Sultan Abu Salem. They were welcomed with great fanfare, Ibn Khaldun was present at the festivities. Among Sultan Muhammad’s party was his wise Wazir Ibn al-Khatib who developed a close friendship with Ibn Khaldun.[16]

Sultan Muhammad would attempt to restore his throne in Granada through an agreement with Pedro the cruel, the King of Castile. Pedro would delay the execution of the agreement upon hearing of Sultan Abu Salem death. Sultan Muhammad would appeal to Ibn Khaldun to get the assistance from Wazir Omar. Ibn Khaldun would use his influence to help him. Further Ibn Khaldun was entrusted to care for Sultan Muhammad’s family in Fez. The Wazir would grant Sultan Muhammad Ronda and the surrounding country. Sultan Muhammad would continue his efforts and recapture his throne in 1361 (763 A. H.). He would recall his Wazir Ibn al-Khatib.[17]

When the relationship between Ibn Khaldun would turn sour and uncertain he would turn towards Andalusia. He would be welcomed and honored well by Sultan Muhammad who admitted him to his private council. In the following year Sultan Muhammad would send Ibn Khaldun on an Ambassadorial mission to Pedro, the King of Castile. Ibn Khaldun would conclude and peaceful terms between them. Pedro would offer Ibn Khaldun a position in his service and to return to him his family’s former estate at Castile. Ibn Khaldun would decline the offer.[18]

Upon his return from Castile, Ibn Khaldun would offer Pedro’s gift to him to the Sultan and in return, the Sultan would give him the Village of Elvira. Soon Ibn Khaldun would be restless once more and in the following year, he would receive an invitation from his friend Abu Abdullah, who had recaptured his throne at Bougie. Ibn Khaldun left Granada in 1364 (766 A.H.) for Bougie after asking permission to leave from Sultan Muhammad.[19]

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ADVENTURES IN NORTH AFRICA

Ibn Khaldun would arrive in Bougie at the Age of 32 years. His plans have finally been realized. The period of imprisonment in Fez did not go to waste. He would enter the city as favorite guest. He would accept the position of Hajib for Emir Muhammad. This life of power would not last long as in the following year Abul Abbas would kill the Emir Muhammad, his cousin. Ibn Khaldun handed the city to him and retired to the city of Biskra. He would continue his political work in relaying the tribes to the service of this Emir or that Sultan. He would continue his practice of shifting loyalties as the times and opportunities afforded him. He would finally retire to a far outpost south of Constantine, fort Salama.[20]

In Fort Salama he would enjoy this peaceful existence and would begin to write down his famous Muqqddimah and first version of his universal history at the age of forty-five years.[21]

He would dedicate his work to the current Emir of Constantine, Sultan Abul Abbas. Tranquility did not last long with Ibn Khaldun, as he needed more reference works which were not available at this far outpost. He used the occasion of the Abul Abbas’s conquest of Tunisia to go to Tunis. This would be the first time he would return to the town of his birth since leaving it over 27 years ago.[22]

There would be political forces at work against him once more and this time before he would fall out of favor he would use a convenient occasion 1382 to leave North Africa behind never to return.[23]​

TO EGYPT

Ibn Khaldun was granted permission from Sultan Abul Abbas to go to Hajj. He arrived in Alexandria in October 1382 ( 15th Shabaan 784 A. H.) at the ripe age of 50. He spent a month preparing to leave for Hajj but was unable to join the Caravan bound for the Holy Lands. He turned towards Cairo instead. Here he wold live his final days. He was warmly welcomed by scholars and students. His fame for his writings had already preceded him. He lectured at Al-Azhar and other fine schools. He would get the chance to meet with Sultan az-Zahir Barquq who would appoint him to teach at the Kamhiah school.[24]

He would enjoy the favors of the Sultan. He would be appointed as a Maliki Judge on the Sultans whim and anger. He would fare well and tried to fight corruption and favoritism. Again conspiracies against him would work its way and he would be relieved of this duty. His relief of duty would coincide with his family’s disaster. The ship carrying his family and belongings would sink in a storm.[25]

It was then that he would take permission to go to the Pilgrimage to the Holy Lands. He would return and be well received and appointed to a teaching position in the newly built school (Bein al-Qasrein) He would lecture in Hadith, particularly Imam Malik’s Muwatta. He would then be appointed to Beibers Sufi institute with a generous salary. The state of affairs of Egypt would be disturbed as a rival of Sultan Barquq, Yulbugha would organize a successful revolt. Sultan Barquq would stage another revolt and would be restored to his former throne. Ibn Khaldun during this period would suffer and would have his position restored to him with the return of the victorious Sultan Barquq to Power.[26]

Ibn Khaldun during this period would devote his time to lecturing and study as wellas to completing his Universal History. After Yulbugha’s revolt, he would write about Asabiyah and its role in the rise and fall of states. He would apply his theory to the Egyptian theater since the time of Salah ad-Din.[27]

After fourteen years since leaving the position of the Chief Maliki judge Ibn Khaldun would reassigned to the post upon the death of the presiding Judge. The state would again fall into disarray upon the death of Sultan Barquq’s and his son’s ascension. Ibn Khaldun would not be a party to these revolts and would ask permission to visit Jerusalem. He would join the Sultan Faraj’s caravan on its way back from Damascus. Again due to political intrigue he would be relived of his duties as judge for the second time. This would not matter because he would be called to accompany the Sultan on perilous Journey with fate to Damascus.[28]

​

MEETING TAMERLANE

During Ibn Khaldun’s stay in Egypt he would be asked by Sultan Faraj of Egypt to accompany him on his expedition to Damascus. News reports have confirmed the movement of Tamerlane’s war party towards Damascus. Sultan Faraj with his army were on their way to Damascus. It seems that Ibn Khaldun was asked firmly to accompany the Sultan to Damascus.[29]

The Sultan would only stay for two weeks in Damascus, as he had to leave due to rumors that a revolt back in Cairo was in the works. Ibn Khaldun and some notables were left behind in Damascus. It was now up to the leaders of Damascus to deal with Tamerlane. Ibn Khaldun had suggested to them to consider the terms of Tamerlane. It was the task of another Qadi, Ibn Muflih, to discuss the terms with Tamerlane. When Ibn Muflih returned from Tamerlane’s camp, the terms were not agreeable to the residents of Damascus.[30]

Since it was the suggestion of Ibn Khaldun to come to terms with Tamerlane, Ibn Khaldun felt obliged to meet with Tamerlane personally. Ibn Khaldun would leave Damascus and go to the camp of Tamerlane. It is questionable whether he went on his own or in an official capacity. Ibn Khaldun took some gifts with him for Tamerlane and they were well received. Ibn Khaldun would stay in Tamerlane’s camp for thirty-five days.[31]

Over this period, Ibn Khaldun would have many meetings with Tamerlane and they would converse through an interpreter, Abd al-Jabbar al-Khwarizmi (d. 1403). Ibn Khaldun’s account is the only detailed account available. The subjects that they would discuss were varied and some were unrecorded. W. Fischel lists 6 specific topics which they talked about:
​

1. On Maghrib and Ibn Khaldun’s Land of origin.​
2. On heroes in History.​
3. On predictions of things to come.​
4. On the Abbsid Caliphate​
5. On amnesty and security "For Ibn Khaldun and his Companion."​
6. On Ibn Khaldun’s intention to stay with Tamerlane.[32]​

Ibn Khaldun impressed the conqueror enough to ask him to join his court. Some biographers have suggested that he did and written down his eloquent appeal to return to Egypt to settle his affairs, get his books and family and join Tamerlane. It however is more likely that Ibn Khaldun left on good terms with Tamerlane and have accomplished his mission of extracting favorable terms for the people of Damascus.[33]

Ibn Khaldun’s departing words lend credence to the fact that he would not be returning to his service:

"Is there any generosity left beyond that which you have already shown me? You have heaped favors upon me, accorded me a place in your council among your intimate followers, and shown me kindness and generosity- which I hope Allah will repay to you in like measures."[34]​

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FINAL DAYS IN EGYPT :​

​

Upon Ibn Khaldun’s return to Egypt, he was restored as the Malikite Qadi. Due to the political situation within the community of Malikite Qadis Ibn Khaldun would be dismissed and reinstated three times during the five-year period. Finally, he died while he was in office on Wednesday March 17th 1406 (25th of Ramadan 808). He was buried in the Sufi Cemetery outside Bab an-Nasr,Cairo at the age of seventy-four years.[35]​

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THE MAGNUM OPUS "AL-MUQADDIMAH"

He would his write his Introduction to his book of universal history in a span of five months.[36] This impressive document is a gist of his wisdom and hard earned experience. He would use his political and first had knowledge of the people of Maghrib to formulate many of his ideas. This document would summarize Ibn Khaldun’s ideas about every field of knowledge during his day. He would discuss a variety of topics. He would discuss History and Historiography. He would rebuke some of the historical claims with a calculated logic. He would discuss the current sciences of his days. He would talk about astronomy, astrology, and numerology. He would discuss Chemistry, alchemy and Magic in a scientific way. He would freely offer his opinions and document well the "facts" of the other point of view. His discussion of Tribal societies and social forces would be the most interesting part of his thesis. He would illuminate the world with deep insight into the workings and makings of kingdoms and civilizations. His thesis that the conquered race will always emulate the conqueror in every way.[37] His theory about Asbyiah (group feeling) and the role that it plays in Bedouin societies is insightful. His theories of the science of Umran (sociology) are all pearls of wisdom. His Introduction is his greatest legacy that he left for all of humanity and the generations to come.
​

Bibliography

1. Ibn Khaldun, Abdurahman M., Mokaddimat Ibn Khaldoun, Ed. Darweesh al-Jawydi, al-Maktaba al-Asriyah, Sidon-Beirut, 1995.
2. Al-Asqalani, Ibn Hajar, Ad-Dorar al-Kaminah fi ‘Ayan al-Miah al-Thamina,[the Hidden Jewels in the notables of eight century] a Photostat copy of the Hyderabad edition (1929-1930). Dar Ihya al-Torath al-Araby, Beirut, n.d.
3. Ibn Khaldun, The Muqaddimah, An Introduction to History, Tr. Franz Rosenthal, Bollingen Series XLIII. Princeton University Press, Princeton, 1967 3 Vols.
4. Fischel, Walter J., Ibn Khaldun in Egypt: His public functions and his historical research (1382-1406) A study in Islamic Historiography, University of California Press, Berkeley 1967.
5. Enan, Mohammad A., Ibn Khaldun: His life and Works, Kitab Bhavan, New Delhi, 1979.
6. Mahdi, Muhsin, Ibn Khaldun’s philosophy of History: A study in the philosophic foundation of the science of culture, George Allen & Unwin, London, 1957.
7. Issawi, Charles, An Arab Philosophy of history: Selections from the prolegomena of Ibn Khaldun of Tunis (1332-1406), the Wisdom of the East Series, John Murray, London, 1950.
8. Lacoste, Yves, Ibn Khaldun: The birth of history and the past of the third world. Tr. David Macy. Verso, London, 1984.
9. Lawrence, David, Ed., Ibn Khaldun and Islamic Ideology, E. J. Brill, Leiden, 1984.
10. Ibn Khaldun on the Web. (a springboard to links Ibn Khaldunia).
11. Ibn Khaldun a web biography.

http://www.muslimphilosophy.com/ik/klf.htm

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How To Make Money – Ibn Khaldun and Taxes​

The 40th president of the United States, Ronald Reagan famously stated in a piece in the New York Times in 1993,

“May I offer you the advice of the 14th century Arab historian Ibn Khaldun, who said: “At the beginning of the empire, the tax rates were low and the revenues were high. At the end of the empire, the tax rates were high and the revenues were low.”

And, no, I did not personally know Ibn Khaldun, although we may have had some friends in common!”1

Although one may agree or disagree with the conservative economic policies of Ronald Reagan, there is no denying the genius of the man he is quoting – Ibn Khaldun. He was centuries ahead of his time. His monumental work, the Muqaddimah, published in 1377, is hard to categorize. All at once it is a resource on history, Islam, science, sociology, economics, politics, warfare, and philosophy. One article on the entire book would be a disservice to Ibn Khaldun and the great amount of knowledge he left for subsequent generations. Instead, this article will focus only on some of his economic ideas, which centuries later form some of the basic ideas we use in government taxation today.


Who is Ibn Khaldun?
He was born in 1332 in Tunis, North Africa to a family of wealthy Andalusians. His family had been forced to flee the Iberian Peninsula in the middle of the Christian conquest of that land from Muslim rulers. At a young age he was educated in the religious studies of Quran, Hadith, jurisprudence, and law, as well as sciences such as physics, mathematics, logic, and philosophy. His strong base in a wide variety of disciplines would help shape his understanding of the world and the way he analyzed it.

Early in his adult life, he held a number of minor clerical posts across North Africa. When he was offered a job in the emirate of Granada in al-Andalus (Spain) in 1364, he jumped at the opportunity. He worked there as a successful diplomat for government of Granada, working out a peace treaty between Granada and neighboring Christian states. Political intrigue, however, led to him to abandon his post and move back to Africa, where he compiled his Muqaddimah.

Tax Revenues
It is telling that Ibn Khaldun’s discussion of economics is almost always tied to a discussion of government, and the rise and fall of dynasties. He claims that dynasties have a natural life span, almost never going longer than three generations, at which point a new dynasty rises to replace it. Directly tied to this lifespan, is a pattern of taxation that helps determine how long a dynasty or government will actually last.

At the beginning of his section on tax revenues, he states the quote mentioned by Ronald Reagan about low taxes meaning high revenues and high taxes meaning low revenues (for the government). In the next sentence, Ibn Khaldun gives a reason for this:

The reason for this is that when the dynasty follows the ways (sunan) of the religion, it imposes only such taxes as are stipulated by the religious law, such as charity taxes, the land tax, and the poll tax. They mean small assessments, because, as everyone knows, the charity tax on propertyis low.2

Islamically, the religious guidelines for taxes are in fact quite low. The zakat (charity tax), which goes to the poor and not the government, is only 2.5% of accumulated wealth (in gold, silver, or general currency). The other taxes, including land taxes, and poll taxes have historically never been oppressively great in the Muslim world. Ibn Khaldun is making the argument here that when a government abides by its Islamic principles and does not attempt to tax the people excessively, they will find greater success in generating tax revenues.

Honest Government
In conjunction with this, in the next section Ibn Khaldun states that one of the reasons that early tax revenues are so successful is because early in a dynasty the ruler usually is more interested in the unity and cohesion of the state than his own personal wealth:

“At the beginning of the dynasty, the revenues are distributed among the tribeand the people who share in the ruler’s group feeling, in accordance with their usefulness and group feeling and because they are needed to establish the dynasty, as we have stated before. Under these circumstances, their leader refrains in their favor from (claiming) the revenues which they would like to have.”3

Here Ibn Khaldun is offering an explanation of why low taxes are effective early in a dynasty – the lack of government corruption. As long as the government is interested in the unity of the state and the effectiveness of the government, the tax revenues will be used to support and strengthen the state’s offices. In contrast, when an empire becomes corrupt, with a large proportion of the tax revenue going straight towards the ruler’s personal expenses, taxes must naturally be raised to support such uses.

A legendary example of this was the second Caliph of Islam, Umar ibn al-Khattab, who ruled from 634 to 644. He was known to have two different lamps that he would use to light his house. One lamp was funded by tax payer money, and he would use that one only while doing work in his official capacity as the political leader of the Muslim world. The second lamp was funded by his own personal money, and he used it while doing anything besides governmental work. His reason for this was to not waste the tax money of the state on his personal expenses. Thus, during the reign of Umar the newly established Muslim empire was highly effective in most enterprises.

Another example was the reign of Salah al-Din in the 1100s. When he died in 1193, he was known to have only had a few gold and silver coins in his possession, despite being the sultan of Egypt and Syria. He famously used any government money on strengthening the army or other parts of the government. With such actions, he was able to build a strong state that liberated Jerusalem from Crusader control.

Supply-Side Economics
Ibn Khaldun later states another problem with high taxation:

The result [of high taxation] is that the interest of the subjects in cultural enterprises disappears, since when they compare expenditures and taxes with their income and gain and see the little profit they make, they lose all hope. Therefore, many of them refrain from all cultural activity. The result is that the total tax revenue goes down, as (the number of) the individual assessments goes down.4

Ibn Khaldun is making the argument that when a government taxes people greatly (particularly those who have the ability to create jobs), they will no longer feel an incentive to invest their money in more business enterprises (he refers to business enterprises as “cultural activities” here). The reason for this is simple: if the government taxes your money, you have less money to spend on your business, leading to economic stagnation and a thus a decline in tax revenue in general.

This idea is today one of the basic principles of supply-side economics. People who support supply-side economics argue that corporations and the wealthy should have low tax rates. The low tax rates will give them more money on hand that can be used to expand business, thus giving more economic opportunities (through jobs) for those who are less wealthy. For this reason, this approach is also called “trickle-down economics”. This forms the basis of many conservative economic policies in the modern world. Conservative politicians (such as Ronald Reagan) have used this approach to defend lower tax rates for the wealthy against more liberal economic ideas of higher taxes on the wealthy.

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Ibn Khaldun’s ideas about finding a balance in taxation that leads to higher revenues later became known as the Laffer Curve. The Laffer Curve is used by economists today to determine the perfect taxation rate to produce the most government revenue. The curve usually takes a parabolic shape, with excessively low tax rates leading to low revenues and excessively high tax rates also leading to low revenues. According to this idea, there is a perfect tax rate in the middle that would lead to high revenues without taxing people so much that the incentive to invest further in business is discouraged.

The Laffer Curve is named after American economist, Arthur Laffer. Laffer himself does not claim to have invented to idea, however. He made clear that he got the idea from Ibn Khaldun, stating:

“The Laffer Curve, by the way, was not invented by me. For example, Ibn Khaldun, a 14th century Muslim philosopher, wrote in his work the Muqaddimah: ‘It should be known that at the beginning of the dynasty, taxation yields a large revenue from small assessments. At the end of the dynasty, taxation yields a small revenue from large assessments.’

Conclusions
Clearly, the economic ideas of Ibn Khaldun regarding tax rates were far ahead of his time. Although he lived in the 1300s, his ideas still form much of the basis for modern capitalist thought. The economic and governmental ideas provided in his Muqaddimah are timeless guidelines that should clearly have a role in the modern world. The truly amazing thing, however, is that this article only touched upon some of Ibn Khaldun’s economic ideas. The Muqaddimah is also packed with philosophies of history, government, religion, sociology, psychology, and education. The true genius of this Muslim man from North Africa is far beyond just tax rates and Laffer Curves.

A basic Laffer Curve showing an optimal tax rate that produces the most revenue at 70%​

A statue of Ibn Khaldun in Tunis, Tunisia​

How To Make Money – Ibn Khaldun and Taxes | Lost Islamic History

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibn_Khaldun

 

[Sparkle229]

Sad really,if we had more people like him we would be far better off than what is our condition today

 

[xenon54 out]

A basic Laffer Curve showing an optimal tax rate that produces the most revenue at 70%

70% tax rate? Thats just cruel.

 

[Spy Master]

A great personality, he has a great contribution in History writing...I still have his history book Tareekh e Ibn e khuLdoon...!

 

[Kuwaiti Girl]

​

​

Bigger version:

 

[Homajon]

IBN KHALDUN​

His Life and Work

1332 - 1406 / 732 - 808



BY

Muhammad Hozien​

He is indeed the one outstanding personality in the history of a civilization whose social life on the whole was 'solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short'. In his chosen field of intellectual activity he appears to have been inspired by no predecessors, and to have found no kindred souls among his contemporaries, and to have kindled no answering spark of inspiration in any successors ; and yet, in the Prolegomena (Muqaddimat) to his Universal History he has conceived and formulated a philosophy of history which is undoubtedly the greatest work of its kind that has ever yet been created by any mind in any time or place. It was his single brief 'acquiescence' from a life of practical activity that gave Ibn Khaldun his opportunity to cast his creative thought into literary shape.

A STUDY OR HISTORY. Vol. III. Arnold ]. Toynbee. Royal Institute of International Affairs and Oxford University Press. p. 321-322.


INTRODUCTION:

Ibn Khaldun is the most important figure in the field of History and Sociology in Muslim History. He is one of those shining stars that contributed so richly to the understanding of Civilization. In order for one to understand and appreciate his work, one must understand his life. He lived a life in search of stability and influence. He came from a family of scholars and politicians and he intended to live up to both expectations. He would succeed in the field of Scholarship much more so than in any other field.


CHILDHOOD AND EARLY YEARS:

He is Abdurahman bin Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Al-Hasan bin Jabir bin Muhammad bin Ibrahim bin Abdurahman bin Ibn Khaldun. His ancestry according to him originated from Hadramut, Yemen. He also traced his ancestry through another genealogy as supplied by Ibn Hazem using his grandfather who was the first to enter Andalusia back to Wail ibn Hajar one of the oldest Yemenite tribe. In either case, the genealogy points to his Arab origin although scholars do question the authenticity of both reports due to the political climate at the time of these reports.[1]

Ibn Khaldun was born in Tunis on Ramadan 1, 732 (May 27, 1332)[2]. He received a traditional education that was typical of his family’s rank and status. He learned first at the hands of his father who was a scholarly person who was not involved in politics like his ancestors. He memorized the Qur’an by heart, learned grammar, Jurisprudence, Hadith, rhetoric, philology, and poetry. He had reached certain proficiency in these subjects and received certification in them. In his autobiography, he does mention the names these scholars.[3]

He continued studies until the age of 19 when the great plague would sweep over the lands from Samarkand to Mauritania. It was after this plague that Ibn Khaldun would receive his first public assignment.[4] This would start his political career that would forever change his life.

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IN TUNISIA AND MOROCCO

Ibn Tafrakin, the ruler of Tunis, called Ibn Khaldun to be the seal bearer of his captive Sultan Abu lshaq. It is here that Ibn Khaldun would get first hand look at the inner workings of court politics and the weakness of the government. It would not be long before he would get an opportunity to leave Tunis.[5]

In 1352 (713 A. H.) Abu Ziad, the Emir of Constantine, marched his forces on Tunis. Ibn Khaldun accompanied Ibn Tafrakin with the forces that would ward off Abu Ziad’s attacks. Tunis was defeated and Ibn Khaldun escaped to Aba, where he lived with al-Mowahideen. He would move back and forth through Algeria and settled in Biskra.[6]

At that same time in Morocco Sultan Abu Enan, who had recently settled on the throne of his father, was on his way to conquer Algeria. Ibn Khaldun would travel to Tlemcen to meet the Sultan. Ibn Khaldun mentions that the Sultan honored him and sent him with his chamberlain Ibn Abi Amr to Bougie to witness its submission to Sultan Abu Enan.[7]

Ibn Khaldun would stay in the company of the Chamberlain while the Sultan moved back to the capital, Fez. In 1354 (755 A.H.) Ibn Khaldun would accept the invitation to join the council of Ulama and would move to Fez. He would eventually be promoted to the post of the seal bearer and would accept it reluctantly, because it was inferior to the posts once occupied by his ancestors.[8]

Ibn Khaldun would use his stay in Fez to further his studies. Fez at this time was a capital of Morocco and enjoyed the company of many scholars from all over North Africa and Andalusia. He was also being promoted from one position to another.[9]

Ibn Khaldun was an ambitious young man and at this point of his life, he would begin to engage in court politics. Ibn Khaldun would conspire with Abu Abdullah Muhammad, the dethroned ruler of Bougie who was captive in Fez at that time. Abu Abdullah is from the Banu Hafs which were patrons of Ibn Khaldun’s Family.[10]

Sultan Abu Enan would find out about the conspiracy and would imprison Ibn Khaldun. Abu Abdullah would be released from prison and Ibn Khaldun would linger on for two years. Sultan Abu Enan would fall ill and die before fulfilling his promise to release Ibn Khaldun. The Wazir Al-Hassan ibn Omar ordered the release of Ibn Khaldun who was restored to his former position.[11]


ESCAPE FROM MOROCCO TO SPAIN

The political climate was tense and Ibn Khaldun would again test his fate and conspire against the Wazir with al-Mansur.[12] This loyalty would be short lived too. He would conspire with Sultan Abu Salem who would overthrow Al-Mansur. Ibn Khaldun would get the position of Secretary and the repository of his confidence (Amin as-Sir).[13]

Here Ibn Khaldun would excel in his position and would compose many poems. He would occupy this position for two more years and would then be appointed as the Chief Justice. He would show a great ability in this position. However due to constant rivalry between him and high officials he would lose favor with the Sultan.[14]

However this would not matter because a revolt would take place and Sultan Abu Salem would be overthrown by Wazir Omar. Ibn Khaldun would side with the victorious and would get his post with higher pay. Ibn Khaldun was ambitious as ever and wanted a higher position, namely that of the Chamberlain. For reasons unknown, perhaps he was not trusted, he was refused. This upset him enough to resign his position. This in turn upset the Wazir. Ibn Khaldun would ask to leave Fez and go back to Tunisia and this request would be refused. It was then that he would ask the Wazir’s son-in-law to intercede on his behalf to be allowed to go to Andalusia.[15]

​

FROM SPAIN TO TUNISIA

Sultan Muahmmad al-Ahmar, the king of Granada, was deposed by his brother Ismail who was supported by his brother-in-law. Sultan Muhammad was a friend of Sultan Abu Salem who helped him when he was deported to Andalusia by Sultan Abu Enan. When Sultan Abu Enan died and Sultan Abu Salem became the ruler that friendship was rekindled. Further when Ismail al-Ahmar was declared king of Granada in a place revolt, Sultan Muhammad took refuge in Morocco with Sultan Abu Salem. They were welcomed with great fanfare, Ibn Khaldun was present at the festivities. Among Sultan Muhammad’s party was his wise Wazir Ibn al-Khatib who developed a close friendship with Ibn Khaldun.[16]

Sultan Muhammad would attempt to restore his throne in Granada through an agreement with Pedro the cruel, the King of Castile. Pedro would delay the execution of the agreement upon hearing of Sultan Abu Salem death. Sultan Muhammad would appeal to Ibn Khaldun to get the assistance from Wazir Omar. Ibn Khaldun would use his influence to help him. Further Ibn Khaldun was entrusted to care for Sultan Muhammad’s family in Fez. The Wazir would grant Sultan Muhammad Ronda and the surrounding country. Sultan Muhammad would continue his efforts and recapture his throne in 1361 (763 A. H.). He would recall his Wazir Ibn al-Khatib.[17]

When the relationship between Ibn Khaldun would turn sour and uncertain he would turn towards Andalusia. He would be welcomed and honored well by Sultan Muhammad who admitted him to his private council. In the following year Sultan Muhammad would send Ibn Khaldun on an Ambassadorial mission to Pedro, the King of Castile. Ibn Khaldun would conclude and peaceful terms between them. Pedro would offer Ibn Khaldun a position in his service and to return to him his family’s former estate at Castile. Ibn Khaldun would decline the offer.[18]

Upon his return from Castile, Ibn Khaldun would offer Pedro’s gift to him to the Sultan and in return, the Sultan would give him the Village of Elvira. Soon Ibn Khaldun would be restless once more and in the following year, he would receive an invitation from his friend Abu Abdullah, who had recaptured his throne at Bougie. Ibn Khaldun left Granada in 1364 (766 A.H.) for Bougie after asking permission to leave from Sultan Muhammad.[19]

​

ADVENTURES IN NORTH AFRICA

Ibn Khaldun would arrive in Bougie at the Age of 32 years. His plans have finally been realized. The period of imprisonment in Fez did not go to waste. He would enter the city as favorite guest. He would accept the position of Hajib for Emir Muhammad. This life of power would not last long as in the following year Abul Abbas would kill the Emir Muhammad, his cousin. Ibn Khaldun handed the city to him and retired to the city of Biskra. He would continue his political work in relaying the tribes to the service of this Emir or that Sultan. He would continue his practice of shifting loyalties as the times and opportunities afforded him. He would finally retire to a far outpost south of Constantine, fort Salama.[20]

In Fort Salama he would enjoy this peaceful existence and would begin to write down his famous Muqqddimah and first version of his universal history at the age of forty-five years.[21]

He would dedicate his work to the current Emir of Constantine, Sultan Abul Abbas. Tranquility did not last long with Ibn Khaldun, as he needed more reference works which were not available at this far outpost. He used the occasion of the Abul Abbas’s conquest of Tunisia to go to Tunis. This would be the first time he would return to the town of his birth since leaving it over 27 years ago.[22]

There would be political forces at work against him once more and this time before he would fall out of favor he would use a convenient occasion 1382 to leave North Africa behind never to return.[23]​

TO EGYPT

Ibn Khaldun was granted permission from Sultan Abul Abbas to go to Hajj. He arrived in Alexandria in October 1382 ( 15th Shabaan 784 A. H.) at the ripe age of 50. He spent a month preparing to leave for Hajj but was unable to join the Caravan bound for the Holy Lands. He turned towards Cairo instead. Here he wold live his final days. He was warmly welcomed by scholars and students. His fame for his writings had already preceded him. He lectured at Al-Azhar and other fine schools. He would get the chance to meet with Sultan az-Zahir Barquq who would appoint him to teach at the Kamhiah school.[24]

He would enjoy the favors of the Sultan. He would be appointed as a Maliki Judge on the Sultans whim and anger. He would fare well and tried to fight corruption and favoritism. Again conspiracies against him would work its way and he would be relieved of this duty. His relief of duty would coincide with his family’s disaster. The ship carrying his family and belongings would sink in a storm.[25]

It was then that he would take permission to go to the Pilgrimage to the Holy Lands. He would return and be well received and appointed to a teaching position in the newly built school (Bein al-Qasrein) He would lecture in Hadith, particularly Imam Malik’s Muwatta. He would then be appointed to Beibers Sufi institute with a generous salary. The state of affairs of Egypt would be disturbed as a rival of Sultan Barquq, Yulbugha would organize a successful revolt. Sultan Barquq would stage another revolt and would be restored to his former throne. Ibn Khaldun during this period would suffer and would have his position restored to him with the return of the victorious Sultan Barquq to Power.[26]

Ibn Khaldun during this period would devote his time to lecturing and study as wellas to completing his Universal History. After Yulbugha’s revolt, he would write about Asabiyah and its role in the rise and fall of states. He would apply his theory to the Egyptian theater since the time of Salah ad-Din.[27]

After fourteen years since leaving the position of the Chief Maliki judge Ibn Khaldun would reassigned to the post upon the death of the presiding Judge. The state would again fall into disarray upon the death of Sultan Barquq’s and his son’s ascension. Ibn Khaldun would not be a party to these revolts and would ask permission to visit Jerusalem. He would join the Sultan Faraj’s caravan on its way back from Damascus. Again due to political intrigue he would be relived of his duties as judge for the second time. This would not matter because he would be called to accompany the Sultan on perilous Journey with fate to Damascus.[28]

​

MEETING TAMERLANE

During Ibn Khaldun’s stay in Egypt he would be asked by Sultan Faraj of Egypt to accompany him on his expedition to Damascus. News reports have confirmed the movement of Tamerlane’s war party towards Damascus. Sultan Faraj with his army were on their way to Damascus. It seems that Ibn Khaldun was asked firmly to accompany the Sultan to Damascus.[29]

The Sultan would only stay for two weeks in Damascus, as he had to leave due to rumors that a revolt back in Cairo was in the works. Ibn Khaldun and some notables were left behind in Damascus. It was now up to the leaders of Damascus to deal with Tamerlane. Ibn Khaldun had suggested to them to consider the terms of Tamerlane. It was the task of another Qadi, Ibn Muflih, to discuss the terms with Tamerlane. When Ibn Muflih returned from Tamerlane’s camp, the terms were not agreeable to the residents of Damascus.[30]

Since it was the suggestion of Ibn Khaldun to come to terms with Tamerlane, Ibn Khaldun felt obliged to meet with Tamerlane personally. Ibn Khaldun would leave Damascus and go to the camp of Tamerlane. It is questionable whether he went on his own or in an official capacity. Ibn Khaldun took some gifts with him for Tamerlane and they were well received. Ibn Khaldun would stay in Tamerlane’s camp for thirty-five days.[31]

Over this period, Ibn Khaldun would have many meetings with Tamerlane and they would converse through an interpreter, Abd al-Jabbar al-Khwarizmi (d. 1403). Ibn Khaldun’s account is the only detailed account available. The subjects that they would discuss were varied and some were unrecorded. W. Fischel lists 6 specific topics which they talked about:
​

1. On Maghrib and Ibn Khaldun’s Land of origin.​
2. On heroes in History.​
3. On predictions of things to come.​
4. On the Abbsid Caliphate​
5. On amnesty and security "For Ibn Khaldun and his Companion."​
6. On Ibn Khaldun’s intention to stay with Tamerlane.[32]​

Ibn Khaldun impressed the conqueror enough to ask him to join his court. Some biographers have suggested that he did and written down his eloquent appeal to return to Egypt to settle his affairs, get his books and family and join Tamerlane. It however is more likely that Ibn Khaldun left on good terms with Tamerlane and have accomplished his mission of extracting favorable terms for the people of Damascus.[33]

Ibn Khaldun’s departing words lend credence to the fact that he would not be returning to his service:

"Is there any generosity left beyond that which you have already shown me? You have heaped favors upon me, accorded me a place in your council among your intimate followers, and shown me kindness and generosity- which I hope Allah will repay to you in like measures."[34]​

​

FINAL DAYS IN EGYPT :​

​

Upon Ibn Khaldun’s return to Egypt, he was restored as the Malikite Qadi. Due to the political situation within the community of Malikite Qadis Ibn Khaldun would be dismissed and reinstated three times during the five-year period. Finally, he died while he was in office on Wednesday March 17th 1406 (25th of Ramadan 808). He was buried in the Sufi Cemetery outside Bab an-Nasr,Cairo at the age of seventy-four years.[35]​

​

THE MAGNUM OPUS "AL-MUQADDIMAH"

He would his write his Introduction to his book of universal history in a span of five months.[36] This impressive document is a gist of his wisdom and hard earned experience. He would use his political and first had knowledge of the people of Maghrib to formulate many of his ideas. This document would summarize Ibn Khaldun’s ideas about every field of knowledge during his day. He would discuss a variety of topics. He would discuss History and Historiography. He would rebuke some of the historical claims with a calculated logic. He would discuss the current sciences of his days. He would talk about astronomy, astrology, and numerology. He would discuss Chemistry, alchemy and Magic in a scientific way. He would freely offer his opinions and document well the "facts" of the other point of view. His discussion of Tribal societies and social forces would be the most interesting part of his thesis. He would illuminate the world with deep insight into the workings and makings of kingdoms and civilizations. His thesis that the conquered race will always emulate the conqueror in every way.[37] His theory about Asbyiah (group feeling) and the role that it plays in Bedouin societies is insightful. His theories of the science of Umran (sociology) are all pearls of wisdom. His Introduction is his greatest legacy that he left for all of humanity and the generations to come.
​

Bibliography

1. Ibn Khaldun, Abdurahman M., Mokaddimat Ibn Khaldoun, Ed. Darweesh al-Jawydi, al-Maktaba al-Asriyah, Sidon-Beirut, 1995.
2. Al-Asqalani, Ibn Hajar, Ad-Dorar al-Kaminah fi ‘Ayan al-Miah al-Thamina,[the Hidden Jewels in the notables of eight century] a Photostat copy of the Hyderabad edition (1929-1930). Dar Ihya al-Torath al-Araby, Beirut, n.d.
3. Ibn Khaldun, The Muqaddimah, An Introduction to History, Tr. Franz Rosenthal, Bollingen Series XLIII. Princeton University Press, Princeton, 1967 3 Vols.
4. Fischel, Walter J., Ibn Khaldun in Egypt: His public functions and his historical research (1382-1406) A study in Islamic Historiography, University of California Press, Berkeley 1967.
5. Enan, Mohammad A., Ibn Khaldun: His life and Works, Kitab Bhavan, New Delhi, 1979.
6. Mahdi, Muhsin, Ibn Khaldun’s philosophy of History: A study in the philosophic foundation of the science of culture, George Allen & Unwin, London, 1957.
7. Issawi, Charles, An Arab Philosophy of history: Selections from the prolegomena of Ibn Khaldun of Tunis (1332-1406), the Wisdom of the East Series, John Murray, London, 1950.
8. Lacoste, Yves, Ibn Khaldun: The birth of history and the past of the third world. Tr. David Macy. Verso, London, 1984.
9. Lawrence, David, Ed., Ibn Khaldun and Islamic Ideology, E. J. Brill, Leiden, 1984.
10. Ibn Khaldun on the Web. (a springboard to links Ibn Khaldunia).
11. Ibn Khaldun a web biography.

http://www.muslimphilosophy.com/ik/klf.htm

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How To Make Money – Ibn Khaldun and Taxes​

The 40th president of the United States, Ronald Reagan famously stated in a piece in the New York Times in 1993,

“May I offer you the advice of the 14th century Arab historian Ibn Khaldun, who said: “At the beginning of the empire, the tax rates were low and the revenues were high. At the end of the empire, the tax rates were high and the revenues were low.”

And, no, I did not personally know Ibn Khaldun, although we may have had some friends in common!”1

Although one may agree or disagree with the conservative economic policies of Ronald Reagan, there is no denying the genius of the man he is quoting – Ibn Khaldun. He was centuries ahead of his time. His monumental work, the Muqaddimah, published in 1377, is hard to categorize. All at once it is a resource on history, Islam, science, sociology, economics, politics, warfare, and philosophy. One article on the entire book would be a disservice to Ibn Khaldun and the great amount of knowledge he left for subsequent generations. Instead, this article will focus only on some of his economic ideas, which centuries later form some of the basic ideas we use in government taxation today.


Who is Ibn Khaldun?
He was born in 1332 in Tunis, North Africa to a family of wealthy Andalusians. His family had been forced to flee the Iberian Peninsula in the middle of the Christian conquest of that land from Muslim rulers. At a young age he was educated in the religious studies of Quran, Hadith, jurisprudence, and law, as well as sciences such as physics, mathematics, logic, and philosophy. His strong base in a wide variety of disciplines would help shape his understanding of the world and the way he analyzed it.

Early in his adult life, he held a number of minor clerical posts across North Africa. When he was offered a job in the emirate of Granada in al-Andalus (Spain) in 1364, he jumped at the opportunity. He worked there as a successful diplomat for government of Granada, working out a peace treaty between Granada and neighboring Christian states. Political intrigue, however, led to him to abandon his post and move back to Africa, where he compiled his Muqaddimah.

Tax Revenues
It is telling that Ibn Khaldun’s discussion of economics is almost always tied to a discussion of government, and the rise and fall of dynasties. He claims that dynasties have a natural life span, almost never going longer than three generations, at which point a new dynasty rises to replace it. Directly tied to this lifespan, is a pattern of taxation that helps determine how long a dynasty or government will actually last.

At the beginning of his section on tax revenues, he states the quote mentioned by Ronald Reagan about low taxes meaning high revenues and high taxes meaning low revenues (for the government). In the next sentence, Ibn Khaldun gives a reason for this:

The reason for this is that when the dynasty follows the ways (sunan) of the religion, it imposes only such taxes as are stipulated by the religious law, such as charity taxes, the land tax, and the poll tax. They mean small assessments, because, as everyone knows, the charity tax on propertyis low.2

Islamically, the religious guidelines for taxes are in fact quite low. The zakat (charity tax), which goes to the poor and not the government, is only 2.5% of accumulated wealth (in gold, silver, or general currency). The other taxes, including land taxes, and poll taxes have historically never been oppressively great in the Muslim world. Ibn Khaldun is making the argument here that when a government abides by its Islamic principles and does not attempt to tax the people excessively, they will find greater success in generating tax revenues.

Honest Government
In conjunction with this, in the next section Ibn Khaldun states that one of the reasons that early tax revenues are so successful is because early in a dynasty the ruler usually is more interested in the unity and cohesion of the state than his own personal wealth:

“At the beginning of the dynasty, the revenues are distributed among the tribeand the people who share in the ruler’s group feeling, in accordance with their usefulness and group feeling and because they are needed to establish the dynasty, as we have stated before. Under these circumstances, their leader refrains in their favor from (claiming) the revenues which they would like to have.”3

Here Ibn Khaldun is offering an explanation of why low taxes are effective early in a dynasty – the lack of government corruption. As long as the government is interested in the unity of the state and the effectiveness of the government, the tax revenues will be used to support and strengthen the state’s offices. In contrast, when an empire becomes corrupt, with a large proportion of the tax revenue going straight towards the ruler’s personal expenses, taxes must naturally be raised to support such uses.

A legendary example of this was the second Caliph of Islam, Umar ibn al-Khattab, who ruled from 634 to 644. He was known to have two different lamps that he would use to light his house. One lamp was funded by tax payer money, and he would use that one only while doing work in his official capacity as the political leader of the Muslim world. The second lamp was funded by his own personal money, and he used it while doing anything besides governmental work. His reason for this was to not waste the tax money of the state on his personal expenses. Thus, during the reign of Umar the newly established Muslim empire was highly effective in most enterprises.

Another example was the reign of Salah al-Din in the 1100s. When he died in 1193, he was known to have only had a few gold and silver coins in his possession, despite being the sultan of Egypt and Syria. He famously used any government money on strengthening the army or other parts of the government. With such actions, he was able to build a strong state that liberated Jerusalem from Crusader control.

Supply-Side Economics
Ibn Khaldun later states another problem with high taxation:

The result [of high taxation] is that the interest of the subjects in cultural enterprises disappears, since when they compare expenditures and taxes with their income and gain and see the little profit they make, they lose all hope. Therefore, many of them refrain from all cultural activity. The result is that the total tax revenue goes down, as (the number of) the individual assessments goes down.4

Ibn Khaldun is making the argument that when a government taxes people greatly (particularly those who have the ability to create jobs), they will no longer feel an incentive to invest their money in more business enterprises (he refers to business enterprises as “cultural activities” here). The reason for this is simple: if the government taxes your money, you have less money to spend on your business, leading to economic stagnation and a thus a decline in tax revenue in general.

This idea is today one of the basic principles of supply-side economics. People who support supply-side economics argue that corporations and the wealthy should have low tax rates. The low tax rates will give them more money on hand that can be used to expand business, thus giving more economic opportunities (through jobs) for those who are less wealthy. For this reason, this approach is also called “trickle-down economics”. This forms the basis of many conservative economic policies in the modern world. Conservative politicians (such as Ronald Reagan) have used this approach to defend lower tax rates for the wealthy against more liberal economic ideas of higher taxes on the wealthy.

​

Ibn Khaldun’s ideas about finding a balance in taxation that leads to higher revenues later became known as the Laffer Curve. The Laffer Curve is used by economists today to determine the perfect taxation rate to produce the most government revenue. The curve usually takes a parabolic shape, with excessively low tax rates leading to low revenues and excessively high tax rates also leading to low revenues. According to this idea, there is a perfect tax rate in the middle that would lead to high revenues without taxing people so much that the incentive to invest further in business is discouraged.

The Laffer Curve is named after American economist, Arthur Laffer. Laffer himself does not claim to have invented to idea, however. He made clear that he got the idea from Ibn Khaldun, stating:

“The Laffer Curve, by the way, was not invented by me. For example, Ibn Khaldun, a 14th century Muslim philosopher, wrote in his work the Muqaddimah: ‘It should be known that at the beginning of the dynasty, taxation yields a large revenue from small assessments. At the end of the dynasty, taxation yields a small revenue from large assessments.’

Conclusions
Clearly, the economic ideas of Ibn Khaldun regarding tax rates were far ahead of his time. Although he lived in the 1300s, his ideas still form much of the basis for modern capitalist thought. The economic and governmental ideas provided in his Muqaddimah are timeless guidelines that should clearly have a role in the modern world. The truly amazing thing, however, is that this article only touched upon some of Ibn Khaldun’s economic ideas. The Muqaddimah is also packed with philosophies of history, government, religion, sociology, psychology, and education. The true genius of this Muslim man from North Africa is far beyond just tax rates and Laffer Curves.

A basic Laffer Curve showing an optimal tax rate that produces the most revenue at 70%​

A statue of Ibn Khaldun in Tunis, Tunisia​

How To Make Money – Ibn Khaldun and Taxes | Lost Islamic History

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibn_Khaldun

It surprises me that you as a Saudi admire Ibn Khaldun! Don't you know what he actually thought and said about Arabs (and here i mean the real, original ethnic Arabs)?
If you don't, than I recommend you to actually read his awesome book Al-Muqaddimah, especially the chapters 21 and 27 and 28, where he writes about the nature of Arabs.....I'm very sure, after you have read it, you will definitely stop admiring him


And to Ibn Khaldun: Indeed an astonishing man, an absolute genius, one of the greatest thinkers of all time!

He is Abdurahman bin Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Al-Hasan bin Jabir bin Muhammad bin Ibrahim bin Abdurahman bin Ibn Khaldun.

 

[Kuwaiti Girl]

It surprises me that you as a Saudi admire Ibn Khaldun! Don't you know what he actually thought and said about Arabs (and here i mean the real, original ethnic Arabs)?
If you don't, than I recommend you to actually read his awesome book Al-Muqaddimah, especially the chapters 21 and 27 and 28, where he writes about the nature of Arabs.....I'm very sure, after you have read it, you will definitely stop admiring him


And to Ibn Khaldun: Indeed an astonishing man, an absolute genius, one of the greatest thinkers of all time!

So Saudis aren't allowed to admire the works and writings of Ibn Khaldun?

What a ridiculous thing to say.

 

[Arabian Stallion]

It surprises me that you as a Saudi admire Ibn Khaldun! Don't you know what he actually thought and said about Arabs (and here i mean the real, original ethnic Arabs)?
If you don't, than I recommend you to actually read his awesome book Al-Muqaddimah, especially the chapters 21 and 27 and 28, where he writes about the nature of Arabs.....I'm very sure, after you have read it, you will definitely stop admiring him


And to Ibn Khaldun: Indeed an astonishing man, an absolute genius, one of the greatest thinkers of all time!

I admire all of the 100's upon 100's of great Arab scientists, poets, writers, scholars, philosophers and thinkers during the Islamic Golden Age of which the vast majority traced their ancestry to Arabia. Including Ibn Khaldun. Arabs were the greatest contributors to Islamic civilization and the Islamic Golden Age itself occurred in Arab lands under Arab rule.

What are "real original ethnic Arabs"? Everyone (native people) in the Arab world, which is the cradle of civilization, descends from previous, closely related Semitic/Hamitic peoples (mainly but not only), native to the region from Oman in the East to Morocco in the West. According to Arab tradition, the "real" Arabs (Qathan) originate from Yemen and that country has one of the most ancient civilizations on the planet. Widely recognized by every knowledgeable historian.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_history_of_Yemen

As for when the first Arabs were attested, well they were attested before Persians and it happened 3000 years ago in what is now Syria and Iraq.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabs

I think that there is no need to tell about those regions histories. Its sufficient to say that they are the cradle of civilization.

Arabia itself is home to numerous of the oldest civilizations (Ubaid, Dilmun, Magan, Gerrha, Tylos, Ma'in, Saba, Himyar, Thamud, Nabatea etc.) in history and it is the longest inhabited place on the planet outside of nearby Horn of Africa. In fact Arabia is home to some of the oldest cities on the planet as well.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-Islamic_Arabia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_towns_in_Saudi_Arabia

I find it extremely funny if not tragicomical that a Farsi whose people and country have a MUCH shorter recorded history than Arabs and our pre-Arab ancestors (Semites) and whose people were many times more influenced by our Semitic ancestors and Arabs (who themselves are Semites) than the other way around, would write such a post. Especially as there have historically been a greater number of nomads in Iran than in Arabia and it is even the case to this very day (2016)!

Also everyone was an "nomad" (pastoral nomad) at one point in history. The difference is that the Arab world became there region of the world that urbanized before anyone else. This includes numerous regions of Arabia that are home to civilizations much, much older than the recorded existence of Iran.Funnily enough numerous Iranian speaking peoples are famous for their nomadic past and traditions that many of them keep to this very day.

Your alphabet is an Arabic one with 4 additional letters, 40% of your language's vocabulary derives from Arabic, your religion (Islam) derives from the Arabs and thus large parts of your culture, your pre-Islamic alphabet derives from the first alphabet ever created (Phoenician) which was created by the ancestors of Arabs. Your pre-Islamic architecture, art etc. are direct copies of Babylonian, Assyrian, Akkadian and Sumerian art in nearby Iraq. All of those 4 peoples migrated from neighboring Arabia as did all Semites originally.

As for those chapters, you are completely mistaken. He is describing the nomadic Berbers (Bedouins) that he lived with in Tunisia. Arabs 700 years ago in North Africa and Al-Andalus were the ruling people and the creators of civilization during that time. Hence why almost every World UNESCO Heritage Site in that part of the world and other historical artifacts were built BY and UNDER Arab rule during the Islamic Age. Arab dynasties have left 10 World UNESCO Heritage Sites in today's Spain alone.

This is also why almost every scientist, author, thinker, poet etc. in Maghreb and Al-Andalus was an ethnic Arab. Ibn Khaldun included!

This is why, even today in the Maghreb, Arabic is the language of all major cities and townspeople while Berber is spoken by a minority of people in the countryside (mountains or deserts) although Arabs live in those regions too.

You do obviously not understand his work. He is praising the qualities of nomadic people as they have a close relationship to their community and are thus just rulers at the beginning but after 3 generations (according to him) they become corrupt and start to only serve themselves as every dynasty before and after them and not their people which ensures their downfall.

Also you do not understand the context or the troubled times that he was living under whether in Spain, Maghreb or Egypt.

Maybe you should read the article and watch the two videos where 2 recognized professors speak about his views and ideas in detail before you embarrass yourself further?

As for my people, well, I belong to one of the most ancient family lineages in the world (Hashemites). On the other hand most Iranians (and non-Arabs in the region) cannot trace their ancestry more than 4-5 generations back and surnames/family names were only adopted as late as 1919 in Iran! What a joke! Throughout history in what is today KSA, only the interior (Najd) has even had Bedouins (there is nothing wrong with them as they are one of the most ancient people in the world) and even there (Najd) by far most people were settled evidence of the many ancient cities in Najd itself. People on the other hand were pastoral nomads depending on the time of the year and that was due to necessity and such people and communities were and are in many cases still found in almost EVERY MENA country.

 

[Kuwaiti Girl]

I admire all of the 100's upon 100's of great Arab scientists, poets, writers, scholars, philosophers and thinkers during the Islamic Golden Age of which the vast majority traced their ancestry to Arabia. Including Ibn Khaldun. Arabs were the greatest contributors to Islamic civilization and the Islamic Golden Age itself occurred in Arab lands under Arab rule.

What are "real original ethnic Arabs"? Everyone (native people) in the Arab world, which is the cradle of civilization, descends from previous, closely related Semitic/Hamitic peoples (mainly but not only), native to the region from Oman in the East to Morocco in the West. According to Arab tradition, the "real" Arabs (Qathan) originate from Yemen and that country has one of the most ancient civilizations on the planet. Widely recognized by every knowledgeable historian.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_history_of_Yemen

As for when the first Arabs were attested, well they were attested before Persians and it happened 3000 years ago in what is now Syria and Iraq.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabs

I think that there is no need to tell about those regions histories. Its sufficient to say that they are the cradle of civilization.

Arabia itself is home to numerous of the oldest civilizations (Ubaid, Dilmun, Magan, Gerrha, Tylos, Ma'in, Saba, Himyar, Thamud, Nabatea etc.) in history and it is the longest inhabited place on the planet outside of nearby Horn of Africa. In fact Arabia is home to some of the oldest cities on the planet as well.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-Islamic_Arabia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_towns_in_Saudi_Arabia

I find it extremely funny if not tragicomical that a Farsi whose people and country have a MUCH shorter recorded history than Arabs and our pre-Arab ancestors (Semites) and whose people were many times more influenced by our Semitic ancestors and Arabs (who themselves are Semites) than the other way around, would write such a post. Especially as there have historically been a greater number of nomads in Iran than in Arabia and it is even the case to this very day (2016)!

Your alphabet is an Arabic one with 4 additional letters, 40% of your language's vocabulary derives from Arabic, your religion (Islam) derives from the Arabs and thus large parts of your culture, your pre-Islamic alphabet derives from the first alphabet ever created (Phoenician) which was created by the ancestors of Arabs. Your pre-Islamic architecture, art etc. are direct copies of Babylonian, Assyrian, Akkadian and Sumerian art in nearby Iraq. All of those 4 peoples migrated from neighboring Arabia as did all Semites originally.

As for those chapters, you are completely mistaken. He is describing the nomadic Berbers (Bedouins) that he lived with in Tunisia. Arabs 700 years ago in North Africa and Al-Andalus were the ruling people and the creators of civilization during that time. Hence why almost every World UNESCO Heritage Site in that part of the world and other historical artifacts were built BY and UNDER Arab rule during the Islamic Age. Arab dynasties have left 10 World UNESCO Heritage Sites in today's Spain alone.
This is why, even today in the Maghreb, Arabic is the language of all major cities and townspeople while Berber is spoken by a minority of people in the countryside (mountains or deserts) although Arabs live in those regions too.

You do obviously not understand his work. He is praising the qualities of nomadic people as they have a close relationship to their community and are thus just rulers at the beginning but after 3 generations (according to him) they become corrupt and start to only serve themselves as every dynasty before and after them and not their people which ensures their downfall.

Also you do not understand the context or the trouble times that he was living in whether in Spain, Maghreb or Egypt.

Maybe you should the article or the two videos where 2 recognized professors speak about his views and ideas in detail before you embarrass yourself further?

Great post as always.

I have no idea why some Iranians don't like it whenever Arabs try to be proud of their own history and achievements.

It's really pathetic if you ask me.

Everyone can be proud of Ibn Khaldun -- Arabs and non-Arabs alike.

This is a celebration of human civilization above all else.

 

[Arabian Stallion]

Great post as always.

I have no idea why some Iranians don't like it whenever Arabs try to be proud of their own history and achievements.

It's really pathetic if you ask me.

Everyone can be proud of Ibn Khaldun -- Arabs and non-Arabs alike.

This is a celebration of human civilization above all else.

This is not about being proud or the opposite as I can personally only be truly proud of my own achievements.

This is about an individual who does not know what he is talking about (as proven by my long detailed and sourced post) and who embarrasses himself in the process due to his obsession.

I of course do not expect him to be able to counter any of those facts that I wrote nor do I expect him to be even aware of them given the nature of his initial post.

As for why I created this thread and not a thread about the 100's upon 100's of other Arab and Islamic scientists, philosophers, authors, clerics, etc. it is mainly due to Ibn Khaldun's interesting theories about governance and dynasties which I believe can at least partially be applied in regard to all governments of today but in particular those found in the Arab and Muslim world.

Anyway I cannot do anything about peoples complexes here. At most counter them and not waste more of my time on them than necessary after doing just that!

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@Kuwaiti Girl please don't waste your time on troll wars. It is a lost cause on this forum and just a waste of time. Most people are extremely sensitive and their real nature shows its face in times like that. I once had good opinions of certain users here but when I saw that they began to insult all 450 million Arabs (even though you are not an ethnic Arab which they do not understand) because you criticized some of the actions of their leaders, I made the decision not to involve myself. You saw what occurred yesterday. Trust me, I am capable of dealing with such troll posts and reply in a similar or worse fashion (most people know me here in this regard) but it is simply not worth it and I am growing too old for it.

Besides you should know that the locals here are often divided into pro-Arab, pro-Iranian and pro-Turkish factions (Arabs and Turks usually belong in the same camp) and they are often at odds with each other. You will hurt feelings regardless of what you write on this forum.

We disagree on a few topics, like most people, but I believe that you have contributed well to this forum in many regards and with refreshing ideas. I like the fact that you criticize all regimes in the region whenever you see wrongdoings. Few people do that here.
As for your Turkey-Kurdish involvement, I have no interest in that conflict and take no side as it simply does not interest me nor is it my business. We have our own problems to solve before we can attempt to help solve the problems of others. However I obviously prefer peace everywhere in the region and mutually beneficial cooperation.

This is just well-meant advice to you as you are a relatively new user.

 

[Ceylal]

Ibn Khaldoun is a North African, his ancestry is from Yemen. He is not an Arab..He is a BERBER !

 

[Kuwaiti Girl]

Ibn Khaldoun is a North African, his ancestry is from Yemen. He is not an Arab..He is a BERBER !

The Yemenis are an Arab people, though.

 

[Ceylal]

The Yemenis are an Arab people, though.

True...Look at his full name how many great parents and great great parents he has. He is born in North Africa, Algeria to be exact....The genes he inherited from his ancestors was watered down to nothing thru his family tree..

 

[Hassan_Ishtiaq]

Ibn Khaldun on Black Africans​

• The only people who accept slavery are the Negroes, owing to their low degree of humanity and proximity to the animal stage. Other persons who accept the status of slave do so as a means of attaining high rank, or power, or wealth, as is the case with the Mameluke Turks in the East and with those Franks and Galicians who enter the service of the state [in Spain].
  • Ibn Khaldun as quoted in Bernard Lewis, Race and Color in Islam, Harper and Row, 1970, quote on page 38. The brackets are displayed by Lewis.

• "Beyond [known peoples of black West Africa] to the south there is no civilization in the proper sense. There are only humans who are closer to dumb animals than to rational beings. They live in thickets and caves, and eat herbs and unprepared grain. They frequently eat each other. They cannot be considered human beings."
  • Muqaddimah

• "Therefore, the Negro nation are, as a rule, submissive to slavery, because [Negroes] have little [that is essentially] human and have attributes that are quite similar to those of dumb animals, as we have stated."
  • Muqaddimah

 

[Kuwaiti Girl]

You should stick to making fake accounts and not try to educate people with your wikipedia degree. You're some kid reading random stuff of wikipedia. If I remember correctly you said you were a toilet cleaner in Europe or something like that. Save up and get some proper education.

There is no such thing as an "arab world". There is only an arab language. This kid thinks people speaking the same language means they all of a sudden become the same race ect.

The real "arabs" are you saudi Bedouins and yemenis etc. This is the real culture of you lot:

Your pathetic attempt to collectively claim the civilisation of Egypt, Iraq etc as "arabian" is futile kid. Editing and quoting wikipedia will not change this fact.

Now he is trying to claim the "Islamic golden age". The most prominent scientists etc of that age were of Persian origin.
You people still can't even make a spoon without importing it, don't make us laugh by talking about golden ages. You are even living in black ages even today. Can your afro arab uma in saudi arabia even legally drive a car?

Seriously kid, you have some sort of a mental disorder/inferiority complex. Every post he makes he says the same pathetic thing over and over as if people will believe it if he repeats it more.



This guy has some sort of a mental disorder bro, he will probably end up even claiming Churchill was an arab at some point. This is what happens when you have inferiority complex and an identity crisis. He goes around with this fake, edited wikipedia posts with same nonsensical rants in about 6 fake accounts so far.
He needs mental help.

Did you come back to this forum just to abuse members again?