aṭ-Ṭabaḳât (the Books of Classes), many striking similarities to the traditions of al-Balâdhuri are noticed.
Ad-Dînawari (d. 282/896) was another contemporary of al-Balâdhuri. He wrote a number of books of which only one of importance has come down to us, i.e., al-Akhbâr aṭ-Ṭiwâl.[1] Contrary to al-Balâdhuri, al-‘Irâḳ tradition is the basis of his work. It is probable that neither of the two authors was familiar with the work of the other.
In addition to these, al-Balâdhuri quotes many other authorities of whom the most favorite ones are: Ḥammâd ibn-Salamah, Bakr ibn-al-Haitham, ‘Âmir ash-Sha‘bi, Sufyân ibn-Sa‘id ath-Thauri, ‘Amr ibn-Muḥammad an-Nâḳid and Hishâm ibn-al-Kalbi, most of whose works are either unknown to us or have entirely disappeared.
The most illustrious writer on history after al-Balâdhuri was aṭ-Ṭabari (d. 310). According to al-Fihrist and ibn-Khallikân, he traveled Egypt, Syria, and al-‘Irâḳ in quest of learning and died in Baghdâd. Aṭ-Ṭabari makes no mention of al-Balâdhuri.
In the introduction to his remarkable work, Murûj adh-Dhahab, al-Mas‘ûdi (d. 346) cites scores of books from which he drew his material, and among which he mentions al-Balâdhuri's paying it a high tribute in these words, "We know of no better work on the history of the Moslem conquests".[2]
Not only did later historians draw freely from al-Balâdhuri but subsequent geographers used him extensively as a source. The remarkable work of Yâḳût, Mu‘jam al-Buldân, reproduces a great part of the book. Muḳaddasi quotes him,[3] and so al-Hamadhâni,[4] and al-Mas‘ûdi.[5]
