ABSTRACT
There are two traditional methods of interpreting Muslim history. In the first Ibn Khaldun proposes a cyclical theory. It is an attractive idea because it is so simple: hardy tribesmen, fresh from the hills, invaded towns in the plains and, over time, succumbed to city ways and lost their tribal cohesion. Becoming effete they were vulnerable to a fresher wave from the hills. The cycle repeated itself every three or four generations.
