Table of Contents
Introductory material
Introductory material of Book One, Kitab al 'Ibar
Preliminary Remarks
Chapter I
Human civilization in general
Chapter II
Bedouin civilization, savage nations and tribes and their conditions of life, including several basic and explanatory statements
Chapter III
On dynasties, royal authority, the caliphate, government ranks, and all that goes with these things. The chapter contains basic and supplementary propositions
Chapter IV
Countries and cities, and all other forms of sedentary civilization. The conditions occurring there. Primary and secondary considerations in this connection
1
Dynasties are prior to towns and cities. Towns and cities are secondary products of royal authority
2
Royal authority calls for urban settlement
3
Only a strong royal authority is able to construct large cities and high monuments
4
Very large monuments are not built by one dynasty alone
5
Requirements for the planning of towns and the consequences of neglecting those requirements
6
The mosques and venerated buildings of the world
7
There are few cities and towns in Ifriqiyah and the Maghrib
8
The buildings and constructions in Islam are comparatively few considering Islam's power and as compared to the dynasties preceding Islam
9
Buildings erected by Arabs, with very few exceptions, quickly fall into ruins
10
The beginnings of the ruin of cities
11
With regard to the amount of prosperity and business activity in them, cities and towns differ in accordance with the different size of their civilization (population)
12
Prices in towns
13
Bedouins are unable to settle in a city with a large civilization (population)
14
Differences with regard to prosperity and poverty are the same in countries as in cities
15
The accumulation of estates and farms in cities. Their uses and yields
16
Capitalists among the inhabitants of cities need rank and protection
17
Sedentary culture in cities comes from the dynasties. It is firmly rooted when the dynasty is continuous and firmly rooted
18
Sedentary culture is the goal of civilization. It means the end of its life span and brings about its corruption
19
Cities that are the seats of royal authority fall into ruins when the ruling dynasty falls into ruins and crumbles
20
Certain cities have crafts that others lack
21
The existence of group feeling in cities and the superiority of some of the inhabitants over others
22
The dialects of the urban population
Chapter V
On the various aspects of making a living, such as profit and the crafts. The conditions that occur in this connection. A number of problems are connected with this subject
Chapter VI
The various kinds of sciences. The methods of instruction. The conditions that obtain in these connections. The chapter includes a prefatory discussion and appendices
Concluding Remarks
Selected Bibliography, Walter J. Fischel