ABSTRACT
Ibn Wmxil1 dedicated historical and other works to his ruling patrons.2 He composed his universal history, The Xmli.ian History, for the Ayyubid ruler al-Malik al-Xmli. Ayynb. As the ruler died shortly before Ibn Wmxil was able to present it to him, he then dedicated it to al-Xmli.’s son and successor al-Malik al-Mu^azzam Tnrmnshmh. Once again the attempt failed since the young ruler was murdered shortly before he was due to receive both this work, and one of Ibn Wmxil’s astronomical works.3 Before that, however, Ibn Wmxil had been more fortunate in presenting Tnrmnshmh with his universal history, Nazm al-durar f l al-.awmdith wa-al-siyar (The String of Pearls Concerning the Episodes and Biographies). He also dedicated a treatise on logic, al-Rismla al-Anbrnrlya (The Imperial Treatise) to the Staufer ruler of Sicily Manfred (d. 664/1266), son of Frederick II, when he stayed at his court in southern Italy in 659/1261.4 He thus followed the example of a number of other Arabic-speaking scholars, who had dedicated their writings to the Christian rulers of these regions in the aftermath of the Norman conquests in the fifth/eleventh century.5 Later in his life in Hama, Ibn Wmxil dedicated a summary of the poetic encyclopaedia Book of Songs by Abn al-Faraj ^All al-Ixfahmnl (d. 356/967), Tajrld al-Aghmnl as well as his main chronicle, the Mufarrij, to the ruler of the town.
